(Full time) 2023 start
Cultural and Media Studies BA
Coronavirus information for applicants and offer holders
We hope that by the time you’re ready to start your studies with us the situation with COVID-19 will have eased. However, please be aware, we will continue to review our courses and other elements of the student experience in response to COVID-19 and we may need to adapt our provision to ensure students remain safe. For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, regularly visit our website, which we will continue to update as the situation changes www.leeds.ac.uk/covid19faqs
Overview
This interdisciplinary course explores cultural and media productions, practices and institutions in national, transnational and global contexts and across multiple subject areas, including philosophy, literature, sociology, (art) history, film and communication studies.
Delivered by two distinctive University of Leeds departments, the course offers a great choice of modules and access to internationally renowned academics who are passionate about the subjects they teach. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus. You are hosted by the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies, which has a long-standing tradition of innovative approaches to studying, making, and displaying culture and the arts. In the School of Media and Communication, you gain skills such as critically examining how people share knowledge, values and beliefs through television, journalism, film, online media and beyond.
As a student on this course, you examine issues such as conflict and its cultural mediation, migration and multicultural societies as well as utopian thinking and social activism.
You also study gender and sexual difference, the impact of past and future technologies on bodies and minds, ecology and our relation to other life forms, digital cultures and the social effects of global communication networks.
Using the skills and methods taught in the course, you become a flexible and constructive reader of a wide range of cultural materials and practices. You develop a critical perspective on the complexities and challenges facing us in the world today and are enabled to understand as well as actively engage with their cultural dimensions.
Resources
The University has many resources to support your learning and research.
The University Library offers print and online books, journals, and databases. It has a wealth of archive material in its Special Collections, including photographic, sound and audio-visual items. It provides attractive spaces for individual study or group work.
You also benefit from access to Box of Broadcasts, an archive of over 2 million TV and radio broadcasts, and subscriptions to other digital platforms and repositories.
Additionally, you can join various media production societies on campus and learn to use production/post-production equipment, software and facilities.
A wide range of video-based professional courses are available to you to complement your academic portfolio.
Course content
Year 1
You gain fundamental research, reading and writing skills for analysing and interpreting cultural and media objects and practices.
Compulsory modules introduce essential theories and critical approaches and examine some of the significant factors that have shaped modernity and the contemporary world, such as:
Industrialisation
Revolution
War
Colonisation
Globalisation
Cultural and political movements
(Media) technology
A choice of optional modules allows you to study a variety of exciting topics.
Year 2
Compulsory modules deepen your understanding of key theoretical concepts in the study of culture, media and society. You also engage with methods and central questions in communications, broadcasting, journalism and digital media studies.
A range of optional modules give you the chance to focus on topics that interest you, including, but not limited to:
Visual culture in Asia
Cinema and culture
The politics of utopia
Issues of the (augmented) body
Semiotics
Gender
Power and social justice
Journalism
Videogames
You may also choose a module dedicated to employability and careers preparation.
Optional: Study Year Abroad (Year 3)
Due to the course's interdisciplinary nature, you can apply for a place at a wide variety of international partner institutions. When you choose a study abroad option in your second year, you will have identified your own specific interests. You are supported through individual advice and access to resources.
Studying abroad will extend your degree to four years.
Find out more at the Study Abroad website.
Optional: Work Placement Year (Year 3)
You have the option to apply for a work placement year with companies and organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors in the UK and overseas. This is a great way to gain valuable workplace and industry experience before you graduate.
Final Year (Year 3 or 4)
During your last year of study, you apply your analytical and critical skills to an independently researched dissertation on a topic of your choice. You can view a selection of previous dissertation titles here.
You complement and support this research with one optional core and further optional modules. These may cover but are not limted to:
Cultural and postcolonial theory
Sexual difference and feminism
Posthumanism
Representation of migration and diaspora
Documentary
War and media
Audience studies
Course structure
The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.
Modules
Year 1
Compulsory modules
- Introduction to Cultural Analysis 1 20 credits
- Introduction to Cultural Analysis II 20 credits
- Studying Media 20 credits
Optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
- Cultural History 20 credits
- The History of Communication 20 credits
- Introduction to Media and Communication Theory 20 credits
- Cinema and Media History 20 credits
Discovery modules
You may choose to study Discovery modules.
Year 2
Compulsory modules
- Keywords 20 credits
Optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
You will be required to study either 'Visual Communication' or 'Communication Research Methods'. You may also choose a number of other optional modules.
- Cinema and Culture 20 credits
- Image, Music, Text: Reading Roland Barthes 20 credits
- The State of Utopia 20 credits
- Seeing in Asia 20 credits
- Showing Asia 20 credits
- State of the Art: Contemporary Perspectives in Art, Science and Technology 20 credits
- The Grand Tour: travels, excavations, collections 20 credits
- Encountering Contemporary Art in a Global Context 20 credits
- Live Issues and Contemporary Art Practice 20 credits
- African Art I: Context Representation Signification 20 credits
- Visual Communication 20 credits
- Issues in Journalism 20 credits
- Digital Cultures 20 credits
- Communication Research Methods 20 credits
- Media, Power and Social Justice 20 credits
- Videogames: Identities in Play 20 credits
- Developing Your Professional Identity: Preparing for a Career in within the Arts, Heritage and Creative Industries 20 credits
- Bodies of Difference: Gender, Power and the Visual Arts 20 credits
Discovery modules
You may choose to study Discovery modules.
Year 3
Compulsory modules
You will choose either one of the two Dissertation options listed. You will also be required to study one of the other five modules listed below.
- Dissertation 40 credits
- Dissertation 60 credits
- Deconstruction Reading Politics 20 credits
- From Trauma to Cultural Memory: The Unfinished Business of Representation and the Holocaust 20 credits
- Reading Sexual Difference 20 credits
- Humanity, Animality and Globality 20 credits
- Movies, Migrants and Diasporas 20 credits
Optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
- Deconstruction Reading Politics 20 credits
- From Trauma to Cultural Memory: The Unfinished Business of Representation and the Holocaust 20 credits
- Cultural Diversity in Museum and Material Culture - Case Study 20 credits
- Reading Sexual Difference 20 credits
- Critical Approaches to Photography 20 credits
- Postcolonial Feminisms 20 credits
- Humanity, Animality and Globality 20 credits
- Movies, Migrants and Diasporas 20 credits
- Feminism, Identity and Media 20 credits
- Understanding the Audience 20 credits
- Creative Work in the Cultural Industries 20 credits
Discovery modules
You may choose to study Discovery modules.
Discovery modules
Throughout your degree you will benefit from a range of opportunities to expand your intellectual horizons outside or within your subject area.
This course gives you the opportunity to choose from a range of discovery modules. They’re a great way to tailor your study around your interests or career aspirations and help you stand out from the crowd when you graduate. Find out more about discovery modules on our Broadening webpages.
Learning and teaching
We use a range of in-person and digitally enhanced teaching and learning methods to help you benefit from the expertise of your tutors and make the most of your strengths and abilities.
Delivery methods include lectures, seminars, screenings and (online) tutorials.
You can attend extracurricular talks by industry professionals, visiting artists and academic speakers, as well as workshops, conferences and exhibitions both on and off-campus.
Independent study is also crucial to the degree, allowing you to develop and practise essential critical and research skills and form your own ideas.
In addition to engaging with your module tutors, you receive one-to-one support from your academic personal tutor and, as a finalist, from your dissertation supervisor.
On this research-led course, you are taught by expert academics, from trained postgraduate researchers through to lecturers and professors, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.
On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.
Assessment
We use a variety of assessment methods, allowing you to build different skills. Usually, these include essays, exams, tests and (group) presentations, as well as small-scale research projects and your dissertation.
Depending on your module choices, you may also be asked to submit reflective logs, short answers, a portfolio, photography, a personal digital story or other forms of digitally curated content.
For each year of study, the University’s Skills@Library team offers training sessions and resources on topics such as exam technique, public speaking, literature search and academic writing.
Entry requirements, fees and applying
Entry requirements
A-level: AAB - ABB
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Access to HE Diploma
Pass diploma with 60 credits overall, including at least 45 credits at level 3, of which 30 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher.
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BTEC
DDM – DDD.
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Cambridge Pre-U
M1, M1, M2 to D3, M1, M2.
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International Baccalaureate
34-35 points overall including 16 at Higher Level with 4 in English
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Irish Leaving Certificate (higher Level)
H2, H2, H2, H3, H3, H3 to H2, H2, H2, H2, H3, H3.
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Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers
BB in Advanced Highers and AABBB in Highers OR B in Advanced Highers and AAABB in Highers OR AABBBB in Highers to AB in Advanced Highers and AABBB in Highers OR A in Advanced Highers and AABBB in Highers OR AAAABB in Highers.
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Welsh Baccalaureate
The Welsh Baccalaureate is not typically included in the academic conditions of an offer made to you for this course.
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Other Qualifications
European Baccalaureate: 75-80%
Read more about UK and Republic of Ireland accepted qualifications or contact the School’s Undergraduate Admissions Team.
Alternative entry
We’re committed to identifying the best possible applicants, regardless of personal circumstances or background.
Access to Leeds is an alternative admissions scheme which accepts applications from individuals who might be from low income households, in the first generation of their immediate family to apply to higher education, or have had their studies disrupted.
Find out more about Access to Leeds and alternative admissions.
Typical Access to Leeds offer: BBC at A Level and pass Access to Leeds.
Arts and Humanities with Foundation Year
If you would like to study arts, humanities, and cultures at university, but don't currently meet the typical entry requirements for direct entry to a degree, you might be eligible to apply for the Arts and Humanities with Foundation Year course.
International
We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. Contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for more information.
International Foundation Year
International students who do not meet the academic requirements for undergraduate study may be able to study the University of Leeds International Foundation Year. This gives you the opportunity to study on campus, be taught by University of Leeds academics and progress onto a wide range of Leeds undergraduate courses. Find out more about International Foundation Year programmes.
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.
Improve your English
If you're an international student and you don't meet the English language requirements for this programme, you may be able to study our undergraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.
How to apply
Apply to this course through UCAS. The institution code for the University of Leeds is L23. Check the deadline for applications on the UCAS website.
Read our guidance about applying.
Typical Access to Leeds offer: BBC at A Level and pass Access to Leeds.
International students apply through UCAS in the same way as UK students. Our network of international representatives can help you with your application. If you’re unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.
Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.
Next steps
Qualified applicants are invited to an interview afternoon. You will have the opportunity to meet students, explore the School and attend a group ‘seminar style’ interview. This will give you the opportunity to find out more about the course and discuss with staff your interests in Cultural and Media Studies.
Admissions policy
University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2023
Fees
UK: £9,250
International: £22,250 (per year)
Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2022/23
For UK full-time undergraduate students starting in 2022/23 the fee will be £9,250. The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation and as permitted by law. Fees for UK undergraduate students are decided by the government and may vary if policy changes.
Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2023/24
Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students for 2023/24 have been agreed by the UK Government and will remain at the current fee level of £9,250. The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation and as permitted by law. Fees for UK undergraduate students are decided by the government and may vary if policy changes.
Tuition fees for international undergraduate students starting in 2023/24
Tuition fees for international students for 2023/24 should be available on individual course pages from September 2022.
Tuition fees for a study abroad or work placement year
If you take a study abroad or work placement year, you’ll pay a reduced tuition fee during this period. For more information, see Study abroad and work placement tuition fees and loans.
Read more about paying fees and charges.
There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs.
Financial support
If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There is help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more in our Undergraduate funding overview.
Career opportunities
This course equips you with essential skills in research, analysis, presentation and communication, as well as in critical audio-visual and cultural awareness.
All these qualities are valuable in diverse careers across a wide range of industries and roles such as the media, journalism, cultural and creative industries, education, politics, NGOs and the public sector.
A good number of our graduates go on to postgraduate study at Leeds or another institution.
Graduate destinations on the job market include: positions in research, secondary and higher education; (digital) communication, PR and marketing roles in businesses, media, arts and cultural organisations; management and policy development in local government and the public/third sector more broadly. Among our graduates we also have radio presenters, curators, writers, singer-songwriters, solicitors and consultants.
The School is committed to helping you achieve your career ambitions. You work closely with staff in the School and careers advisers to source opportunities to gain experience, develop your skills and build networks. Our students are among the top 5 most targeted by top employers according to The Graduate Market 2022, High Fliers Research.
Careers support
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
Leeds for Life is our unique approach to helping you make the most of University by supporting your academic and personal development. Find out more at the Leeds for Life website.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
Study abroad and work placements
Study abroad
On this course you have the opportunity to apply to spend time abroad, usually as an extra academic year. We have over 300 University partners worldwide and popular destinations for our students include Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa and Latin America.
Find out more at the Study Abroad website.
Work placements
Practical work experience can help you decide on your career and improve your employability. On this course you have the option to apply to take a placement year module with organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors in the UK, or overseas.
Find out more about work experience on the Careers website.
Taking a work placement year will extend your degree to four years and is a great way to gain valuable experience before you graduate.