COURSE OVERVIEW

A Level Media Studies is designed to enhance your enjoyment, understanding and appreciation of the media and its role in your daily life. The course introduces you both to media ideas and the practice of production, which gives you the chance to develop a real understanding of media platforms, the contemporary media landscape and the influential role of the media in today’s society.

In the first year you will study the four key aspects of the media: media language, representation, media industries and media audiences. You will learn the fundamentals of media forms and platforms and the concepts which lie beneath the surface, as well as the role of marketing and promotion of these products. To further develop your understanding of the media you will also study the production process, from researching the codes and conventions of professional media products to creating products of your own.

In the second year you will look at different ways of explaining and understanding the media and how it works. You will explore how issues are represented by the media as well as the impact of new media. Finally, you will also undertake a cross-media production that requires you to apply your knowledge and understanding synoptically to research and produce a practical production.

ASSESSMENT

Media Studies will be assessed via a combination of internal assessment and external examination.

WHERE CAN IT LEAD?

Media Studies naturally leads to careers in Journalism, Marketing, Advertising or Public Relations. But an awareness of how the world of media works can also support other careers in fields such as Social Work, Law and Education. By knowing how the media operates you will be able to decode messages more skilfully, and engage with topics that interest you.