Media and Communication

Media and communication sits at the intersection of culture, technology, and public life, asking how messages are made, circulated, and received in a world saturated with content. The discipline draws on cultural studies, sociology, journalism, and digital theory to examine everything from news production and social platforms to film, advertising, and political discourse. Studying it develops your ability to think critically about representation, power, and the choices behind every piece of media you encounter.

At Northumbria you will spend four years on this extended degree, exploring both the theoretical foundations of communication studies and the practical skills that media industries demand. You will examine questions of audience, identity, and narrative while also developing hands-on competencies in content production and digital storytelling. The programme includes a sandwich year, giving you the opportunity to work in a professional media environment for an extended period, and an optional year abroad, allowing you to study how media cultures and communication norms differ across national contexts.

Work placement activity is embedded throughout, so you build professional networks and a portfolio before you graduate.

Graduates move into a wide range of roles including journalism, public relations, digital marketing, broadcast production, social media management, content strategy, and communications consultancy. The analytical skills developed on the programme also provide a strong basis for postgraduate study in media studies, cultural theory, or communications research. Whether you want to work in front of a camera, behind the scenes in a production company, or in the strategic communications teams of major organisations, this degree gives you both the conceptual grounding and the industry experience to compete effectively.