A Brighton Media Studies degree prepares you for a variety of rewarding creative career paths across the media industry – from PR to production, marketing to presenting.
Studying here at Brighton, you’ll be part of a community that helps you grow, no matter what your background. This course is packed with opportunities to build real-world experience, including a paid placement after year two and live projects with industry partners.
Our inclusive approach to learning will help you go further and explore who you are; we’ll make sure you play to your strengths and learn in ways that suit you best.
Top reasons to choose this course
You’ll graduate with skills suited towards a range of career paths, including advertising, marketing, publishing and production.
Tailor your degree to your specific career ambitions with option modules in areas such as branding, journalism, PR and podcasting.
Boost your CV with an optional paid placement year to apply your learning in a real-world setting and gain valuable industry connections.
Learn in a creative, diverse and supportive community that gives you opportunities to collaborate with your peers on creative projects.
Learn from a team of experts who bring real-life industry experience into the classroom.
Work on real-world client briefs which reflect how you’d work in the industry, and grow your portfolio and network.
Why Brighton is a great place to study Media Studies
Brighton is a city with creativity at its heart, making it the perfect setting to study Media Studies. From independent film festivals to screenings and exhibitions, the city offers endless inspiration and opportunities to engage with the creative community.
Our long heritage in art, design and media education means you’ll be part of a diverse network of creatives, with access to opportunities and industry connections that extend beyond the campus.
Named one of the best cities on the planet and third best city in the UK by Time Out, Brighton is also a bustling hub for music, design and film.
Year 1
You’ll build a strong foundation in media theory, exploring how digital media, popular culture and key critical approaches shape our everyday lives. You’ll analyse audiences, industries and texts, and depending on your options you will begin exploring video production, photography, media consumption or film analysis.
Core modules
Critical Approaches to Media 1
Producing and Consuming Digital Media
Media and Popular Culture
Critical Approaches to Media 2
Options*
Understanding Audiences: Theory and Context
Video Production
Film Language and History
Year 2
You’ll gain insight through a media industry placement while deepening your understanding of how visual culture, activism and research shape the media landscape.
Core modules
Media Placement
Visual Media Culture
Social Media for Activist and Community Groups
Research Methods and Methodology
Options*
Critical Debates in Film Studies
Media Ethics and Professional Practice
Podcasting
Specialist Portfolio
Brands and Public Relations
Genre and Narrative
Factual Production
Photographic Practice
Optional placement year
An optional placement year gives you the chance to apply your skills in a professional setting, gain industry experience and build valuable contacts before returning for your final year.
Final year
You’ll bring together everything you’ve learned in an independent dissertation or production-based project, showcasing your ability to research, analyse and create at an advanced level. You’ll also explore how media shapes global challenges and have the option to specialise in areas such as TV production, media law, digital marketing, screen genres, national identity or videogames.
Core modules
Global Challenges
Politics and Political Communication
Dissertation
Options*
Media Law and Policy
Digital Media Marketing and Innovation
Sustainability and Innovation in Digital Culture
Television Production
Critical Approaches to the Videogame
Screening the Unreal: Science Fiction, Horror, Fantasy
Deconstructing the Nation: Empire and Race in the Twenty-first Century
*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.
This course is available in Clearing. If you have submitted an application, you can add this course. If you haven’t sent us an application yet, you can do this until 24th September 2026.
This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.
University of Brighton has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?
The following entry points are available for this course:
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6 | 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5. in each element, or equivalent English Language qualification. |
Review our English Language requirementshttps://www.brighton.ac.uk/international/applying-here/how-to-apply/english-language-requirements/index.aspx
At Brighton we recognise that not everyone's background provides the same advantages, and we know that grades are not the only indicator of potential.
If you meet our contextual admissions criteria we will make you an offer which is at least 16 UCAS points lower than our standard offer. You may also be eligible for additional financial and practical support from us through the Brighton Boost cost of living support package.
This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).
It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.
Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.
This report uses your grades to show how students with similar results have done when applying to this course in the past. Sometimes, there isn’t data for every possible set of grades. When that happens, universities and colleges occasionally fill in the gaps for sets of grades that are typically accepted.
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
Fees are payable each year and will increase annually in line with inflation.
Tuition fees for full-time UK / Home undergraduate students in academic year 2026–27
Annual course fees:
Honours degree £9,790
Placement year £1,958
Integrated foundation year (except the School of Business and Law) £9,790
Integrated foundation year in the School of Business and Law* £5,760*
*The £5,760 fee is for the foundation year only. Subsequent years are charged at the regulated undergraduate fee.
Many courses include the option of a salaried placement year. Tuition fees for a placement year are charged at a lower rate.
Regulated fees:
Tuition fees for UK / Home students on undergraduate courses in England are set by the UK government and are known as regulated fees. From academic year 2026–27 onwards, regulated fees will increase annually in line with forecast inflation. The regulated fee will be £9,790 in academic year 2026–27 and £10,050 in academic year 2027–28 (subject to parliamentary approval).
Standard tuition fees for full-time international students in academic year 2026–27:
Classroom-based courses £17,796–19,692
Laboratory or studio-based courses £17,796–19,692
Placement year £1,958
Phone:01273 644000
HOTLINE OPENING HOURS:
Monday - Thursday: 9am to 5pm / Friday: 9am to 4.30pm
Phone:01273 644644
Mithras House
Lewes Road
Brighton
BN2 4AT
At University of Brighton
