Media Studies

What will I learn?

As a GCE Media Studies student, you will analyse how media products use language and representations to create meaning. You will learn about the media industry and how the industry affects how media products are made. You will investigate media audiences, exploring who are the people who watch, read and consume the products and considering how different people might respond to products differently, and why. You will study many different media forms, such as:

Television
Newspapers
Online Media
Social and Participatory
Advertising
Music Video
Film Marketing
Radio
Magazines
Video Games

You will explore and apply critical perspectives including those of world-renowned media and cultural theorists, and will examine how social, historical, political and economic contexts affect media production.

You will also have the opportunity to apply what you have learned through the production of your own media texts, exploring and creating media forms such as music videos, magazines, television, websites and film marketing.

Further course content:

You will study:

3 x adverts (Tide - print advert, Kiss of the Vampire - film poster and Superhuman - moving image advert)
2 x music videos (Beyonce and Vance Joy)
2 x newspapers (The Times and The Mirror)
2 x Radio (George’s podcast and Late Night Women’s Hour)
2 x Film (I, Daniel Blake and Black Panther) Video games (Assassin’s Creed 3)
2 x TV (Black Mirror and The Returned)
2 x Magazines (Vogue and The Big Issue)
Websites (Attitude online magazine)
Blogs (Zoella)

Assessment:

Assessment will comprise of a mixture of examined and non-examined assessment.

Component 1

A Level: Written examination: 2 hours 15 mins, 35% of qualification

Component 2

A Level: Written examination: 2 hours 30 mins, 35% of qualification

Component 3

A Level: Non-exam assessment: Cross-Media Production, 30% of qualification

What can I do next?

Media Studies will help you to develop valuable transferable skills such as critical thinking, analysis, research, planning, evaluation, practical skills, creativity, time management and essay writing. Media complements your learning in other subjects such as English Language, Literature, Sociology and Film.

Over one hundred universities offer courses in Media in the UK. A GCE in Media Studies helps you to progress to these courses, as well as to those in other areas such English, Film and Social Sciences.

There is a huge array of career opportunities in the media, which is an industry that is growing at an exponential rate. The entertainment and media sector will be worth £100 billion by 2026 and the video games sector is currently valued at more than half the UK’s whole entertainment industry3. If you are looking for a job in this area, studying Media at GCE and at degree level is a route into careers such as TV and film production, advertising, journalism, interactive media and digital marketing. It could help to provide you with the foundation to secure roles in technical production, special effects, web design and post- production.

Summary

Level:

A Level

Duration:

2 Year

Qualification:

A Level Media Studies

Entry Requirements:

Minimum of a Grade 5 in English Language and a Grade 5 in GCSE Media Studies. Students do not have to have taken the subject at GCSE level but should be able to demonstrate strong linguistic or literacy analysis skills (i.e. a Grade 6 in English).

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