A-level Media Studies

In A Level Media Studies we examine the ways in which media institutions and producers influence people and shape our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. The analysis of key media texts is an essential part of the course. You will be analysing the various components of these media texts in great detail so the ability to communicate ideas, think critically and engage proactively will be essential to your success in this subject. To study this course you must have strong literacy skills and demonstrate creative flair for the production of your own media artefacts. Written tasks and assessments are regular features of this course and you will be expected to undertake independent study and extra reading around a wide range of media-related topics.

Course Content

During the two-year course, you will learn more about the following areas of study through close analysis of carefully chosen media texts, a thorough application of theoretical perspectives and a major coursework project, which will constitute 30% of your final grade. The remaining 70% of the course will be assessed in two written papers.

1. Media Language – Through their forms, codes, conventions and techniques, students will learn how the media communicates meanings for audiences through media texts such as advertisements, television programmes and newspaper reports.

2. Media Representation – Students will discover how the media portrays events, issues, places, individuals and social groups through the processes of selection, construction and mediation of media texts.

3. Media Industries – This area of study will introduce students to the processes of production, distribution and circulation by media industries through media forms and platforms. Case studies of specific media institutions, practices and technologies will be fundamental to this area of study.

4. Media Audiences – Students will learn how media institutions and their texts target, reach and address audiences, how audiences interpret and respond to them and how members of audiences become producers themselves. The analysis of audience demographics and the diversity of social contexts will form the basis of this area of study.

Key Skills

Written and oral communication.

Creative skills in audio-visual media.

Analytical skills.

Academic presentation and essay writing.

Wider reading of media-related books, journals and academic articles.

Self-motivation and independent learning.

Career Value

A Level Media Studies offers excellent preparation for any one of the many creative arts courses available in higher education. The subject complements other disciplines in the creative arts and humanities including Art & Design, English and Sociology. Although competition is tough, graduates of creative arts subjects like Media Studies have a very good rate of employment after university, many within the diverse and ever-expanding creative industries.

What are the entry requirements?

5 Grade 6’s at GCSE including English and/or Media Studies