Postgraduate Programmes: Media Studies 

Advertising   Communication Studies   Film Studies   Journalism   Media Studies   PR

Postgraduate Programmes in Media Studies are concerned with the content, effects and history of various media, namely film, television, journalism, advertising and PR – this is collectively known as mass media. Postgraduate programmes in this field are likely to draw on elements from the Social Sciences and the Humanities for example psychology, philosophy, politics, economics and cultural studies.

Postgraduate Programmes in Film Studies

A Postgraduate Programme in Film Studies will explore a selection of different film genres, from experimental to mainstream, film noir to international. With its great history of film making, the UK is a fantastic place to study a Postgraduate Programme in Film Studies. In many cases you can opt for either a straight film studies course or one that combines film studies with another aspect of media, for example Anglia Ruskin University offers three film studies, Film Studies, Film Studies and Television Production, and Film Studies and Media Studies.

Postgraduate Programmes in Journalism

Postgraduate Programmes in Journalism will allow students to explore the different aspects of journalism, namely print (magazine and newspapers), broadcast (television and radio), online and international. Students will find out about the history and theory of journalism thereby gaining a critical understand of the subject that they should then be able to put into practice in their career. There is a good selection of Journalism Master’s programmes in the UK, from broad courses covering all aspects of Journalism, like the MA in Journalism at Brunel University London, to more specific courses like the Magazine Journalism course or the Investigative Journalism MA, both run by City University London – which has a further eight journalism courses on offer.  

Postgraduate Programmes in Communication Studies

Communications Studies is the study of the ways humans interact and communicate with each other, Postgraduate Programmes in Communication Studies will analyse the political, economic, cultural and sociological factors which affect the different elements of mass media and communication.

Postgraduate Programmes in Public Relations and Advertising

Public Relations and Advertising are the methods employed by companies to promote their product or skills to other people. Due to the commercial element of these subjects, they are often run out of Business Schools, maybe in combination with marketing or management, for example Leicester Business School’s Master’s in Advertising and Public Relations Management or Coventry Business School’s Advertising and Marketing course.

Entry to Postgraduate Programmes in Media Studies

Successful applicants will generally be expected to hold a good bachelor degree (second-class Honours or above) from a recognised institution. Check with your preferred institution to see exactly what qualifications are required.

English Language Requirements

IELTS scores of 6.5–7.0 or TOEFL scores of 100-107 are usually needed. Because of ongoing changes in the law we advise international students to regularly check the UKBA website to make sure they can fulfil the necessary requirements. Most individual institutions also have useful information on the Tier 4 requirements for international students, and can offer assistance in terms of student queries about their specific English language requirements.

Click here to find out more about English Language requirements for International Students. 

How much will it cost?

A one-year taught master’s programme can cost anything between a few thousand pounds to well over £10,000, although there are different rates according to whether you are a European Union (EU) or non-EU student. Applications for funding or scholarships must be made well over a year in advance (information on the various institutional scholarships is available from the British Council website) and funding should always be arranged before you leave your home country.

Looking for funding for postgraduate studies? Check out the exclusive bursaries on offer from Postgrad Solutions.