Cultural and Media Studies

Get to the heart of how culture and media mirrors who we are and how we in turn shape it.

Media, culture and society share a deeply intertwined and reciprocal relationship. Understanding what’s come before and what makes us tick can let you tap into the cultural zeitgeist, with a wealth of careers for you to access.

On this course, you’ll study cultural and media productions, including how the practice of philosophy, communication studies, film, and digital humanities varies at the local and global levels.

You’ll develop a breadth of knowledge, with options to tailor your course to your interests. You could be examining issues such as conflict and cultural mediation, migration and multicultural societies as well as utopian thinking and social activism.

You’ll learn from two distinctive departments – the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies and the School of Media and Communication. This offers you a multitude of innovative approaches to studying, making, and displaying culture and the arts. You’ll also glean critical insights into how people share knowledge, values and beliefs through television, journalism, film, online media and beyond.

With your finger on the pulse of society, you can play your part in major cultural movements, whether you’re into social activism, synthetic celebrities, content creation or boundary-pushing media.

"The course develops your interests and knowledge in so many areas as well as developing you academically. I feel what I’ve learned will benefit me in any creative career after I graduate."

Rose Mason, BA Cultural and Media Studies

Why study at Leeds

• Engage in a media and culturally rich university: Our Schools are home to innovative research centres, projects and initiatives, like the Centre for Critical Materialist Studies, Centre for Cultural Studies, and MUSICSTREAM: Music Culture in the Age of Streaming.

• Leeds – your culture hub: Leeds is a focal point for diverse and vibrant culture, with the Royal Armouries, Opera North, Leeds Playhouse, Northern Ballet and other museums and galleries sites located within the city.

• Specialist facilities and resources: The University Library offers online books, journals and databases, with a wealth of archive material in its Special Collections, including manuscript, archive and early printed material. You can also access our Box of Broadcasts, an archive of over 2 million TV and radio broadcasts.

• Get hands-on media experience: Engage with media production societies on campus and learn to use production equipment, software and facilities.

Rankings and awards

• 7th in the UK for Communication and Media Studies, Complete University Guide 2026

• 34th in the world for Communication and Media Studies, QS World Rankings by Subject 2026

Where this degree could take you
Here’s an insight into the job roles some of our media graduates have obtained:

• researchers

• secondary and higher education

• digital communication

• PR and marketing roles

• management and policy developers

• radio presenters

• curators

• writers

• singer-songwriters

• solicitors

• consultants

"I'm interested in a career in media, similar to an internship I had writing for a magazine in London, which I got thanks to support from the School."

Rose Mason, BA Cultural and Media Studies

Careers support
Top 10 most targeted for 10+ years by the UK's leading employers, The Graduate Market 2026, High Fliers Research

At Leeds, we help you to prepare for your future from day one.

Our Careers Service has the global expertise and sector-spanning industry partnerships that, combined, go way beyond simply helping you get a job. They provide you with the resources you need to upskill and achieve the future you aspire towards – even in the face of lightning-paced change.