Digital Media with Foundation Year

From social media influencers and AI algorithms to wearable tech and digital activism, this BA Digital Media gives you the chance to explore how digital technologies are transforming society, culture and identity.

Why choose this course?

• It combines academic rigour with creative practice and career-focused training to equip you with the critical insight, practical skills and professional experience you need to thrive in today’s fast-changing digital landscape.

• You can build your degree around your goals, studying towards the BA Digital Media, or tailoring your studies through specialised pathways in creative practice, marketing or business analytics.

• You will learn from expert academics and industry professionals who blend cutting-edge media theory with real-world insight into digital platforms, AI, social media and cultural change.

• It includes portfolio-building, guest lectures from digital media practitioners and industry placements to help prepare you for careers in media, design and tech.

What you will learn

You will explore the impact of digital technologies on culture and society by blending critical thinking with hands-on creative practice in areas such as video production, web design, digital storytelling and online research methods.

Through studying topics like AI, algorithmic bias and social media, you will learn skills including in SEO, analytics, visualisation and platform engagement strategies, alongside creative and technical skills in content creation.

You can study towards a BA Digital Media, or specialise to gain the:

• BA Digital Media and Creative Practice

• BA Digital Media with Business Analytics

• BA Digital Media with Marketing

How you will learn

Taught via lectures, workshops, seminars, field visits and self-guided learning, this course encourages creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and personal growth.

It is available to study full- or part-time with classes taking place in the evening.

Foundation Year

If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree.

Highlights

• You will be able to hone your skills using industry-standard software such as the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, as well as specialised tools such as the 4CAT online data analysis toolkit.

• You can attend seminars, events and guest lectures organised by affiliated research centres and networks.

• Our Bloomsbury campus includes facilities such as our new Immersive Learning Centre, the award-winning Birkbeck Cinema, the Peltz Gallery, and access to audiovisual equipment such as digital video cameras, lighting, 3D imaging and podcasting kits.

• Ranked as one of the top four universities in the UK for its Art and Design research in the most recent 2021 Research Excellence Framework, Birkbeck provides internationally respected teaching across digital media, journalism, media and cultural theory, creative industries, film and television studies, creative marketing and business analytics.

Careers and employability

On successfully completing this course, you will have gained an array of transferable skills including in:

• critical-thinking and research skills

• written and verbal communication

• collaboration and teamwork

• self-management and project planning.

Studying this course will prepare you for career paths in:

• media and creative industries, for example in content creation, social media, UX/UI or journalism

• digital marketing and communications

• research or policy

• data and analytics roles in the cultural, public or business sectors.

We also provide first-rate preparation for postgraduate study on our MA Digital Media Culture, MA Digital Media Design or MA Digital Media Management.