BA (Hons) Media Production

Clearing places are still available for this course. Call us on 03455 76 06 06

Journalism at USW rated top in Wales for learning opportunities, assessment, academic support, student voice and overall satisfaction. _{National Student Survey 2023}

If you want a career in the media industries, this hands-on Media Production degree offers the skills and opportunities you need. The course concentrates on the three most important aspects of media production – TV, radio and new media. You’ll begin studying all areas of production, gaining practical skills to produce content across different platforms and media. You can then specialise in TV, radio or new media, with awareness of how they intersect in the modern world.

Students studying the Media Production degree at our Cardiff campus benefit from an expert teaching team, many of whom have professional media industry experience and excellent industry contacts. With Cardiff at the centre of one of the UK's most dynamic media industries, it's the perfect place to launch your career.

Our Media Production graduates have gone on to positions in the BBC, ITV, S4C, Made in Wales TV, Boomerang, Indus, Media Wales, Sky Sports and Sky News, alongside many other media outlets and PR companies. USW's Media Production degree is also part of Film & TV School Wales, which provides students with the skills and opportunities needed to work in today’s exciting TV and Film industry.

USW is ranked Top in Wales for career prospects in Film Production and Photography - Guardian League Table 2022

See student work on the Media Production blog

Follow USW's Journalism and Media courses on Instagram

A purpose-built city-centre campus in Cardiff, the home of creative industries

2023
2024

UCAS Code	Study Mode 2023	Duration	Start Date	Campus	Campus Code
P301	Full-time	3 Years	September	Cardiff (ATRiuM)	B

UCAS Code	Study Mode 2024	Duration	Start Date	Campus	Campus Code
P301	Full-time	3 Years	September	Cardiff (ATRiuM)	B

The first year of the Media Production degree includes practical production modules focused on concept development and an introduction to script-writing, video, audio / sound design and interactive design and construction, balanced with a theory module to help develop your understanding of the industry. The focus of the first year is to explore and develop your creativity and identify your chosen area of interest within the industry.

During the second year you will begin to specialise further within production teams by developing your skills within your preferred production roles on factual and fiction shorts, commercials, promos and within interactive story-telling. You will also develop your professional practices through working on ‘live’ external client briefs.

In between the second and third years of the Media Production degree, there is an opportunity for students to undertake a year’s work placement, and gain valuable work experience to enhance future employment prospects.

The final year will provide an opportunity for you to set up production teams to complete your Major Projects; your role in a Major Project will be focused on your specific area of interest. The Major Project will be supported by your personal research project, which will provide the basis for your approach and involvement.

Year One - Media Production degree

Visual Production Techniques – Studio & Location
Sound Design & Audio Production – 1
Interactive – Design & Construction
Critical Culture – One
Creative Analysis and Development

Year Two - Media Production degree

Visual Production Techniques – Short Fiction
Sound Design & Audio Production – 2
Interactive – Storytelling
Client Brief – Professional Practice
Critical Culture – Two
Concept and Script Development

Year Three - Media Production degree

Cultural Context Research Project
Major Media Project – Development Package
Major Media Project – Production
Professional Freelance Practice

Teaching

The media production degree is taught through a range of lectures, seminars and practical workshops that reflect the mixture of hands-on work and the thinking that informs the course.

You will have timetabled lectures for three days. However, you are required to undertake self-directed, independent study for the majority of the rest of your week, outside of timetabled sessions.

You will also develop a professional portfolio, show-reel and a social media presence through targeted workshops, along with learning essential skills to prepare you for freelance working in the media industry.

Not forgetting that you would be studying in Cardiff, one of the UK’s major Television and media industry centres, from where dramas such as Sherlock, Dr Who, Casualty, Stella, Gavin & Stacey, Born to Kill, Safe House, Journeys End, Decline and Fall have been produced.

And not only are there the major Bad Wolf, Pinewood, BBC and ITV studios in Cardiff, there is now an independent TV production industry of over 600 firms.

Assessment

Your practical work will be assessed through coursework and assignments, including a mix of group work and individual projects.

Placements

Working to ‘live’ briefs with external clients, under the supervision of your tutors, is built into a number of your modules across the three years of your course, in order to fully prepare you for working independently, professionally, and intuitively, with clients.

There are also a number of work experience opportunities that are offered to our department by Media Industry employers, and external clients, throughout each year, which we pass on to our students.

These have included working on Dr Who, Sex Education, Britain’s Got Talent, The X Factor, The Big Question, X Ray, Crime watch, TedX; at studios like Bad Wolf and Pinewood, for major production companies such as the BBC, Netflix and Channel Four and independent productions for Rhod Gilbert, VOX, Amplified Business Content, Jolene Films, and more.

Facilities

Live Multi-Camera Television Studio

Broadcast standard TV Studio with 4 Pedestal Cameras, Auto Cue, Gallery Control Room, full complement Lighting Gantry, Green-Screen, Talk-Back, Tracking Dollies, Crane Arms and associated equipment.

The TV Studio is used not only in timetabled sessions but is also a bookable facility for students to produce their own TV content which they can stream on their own sites on a regular basis.

Media Production (Course-Specific) Mac Edit Suites

90 x Apple Mac Edit machines in 3 x dedicated Media Production rooms.

Every machine runs: Adobe Creative Suite (inc. Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop, Muse, Audition, InDesign); AVID Editing and EP Movie Magic (Industry standard Scheduling and Budgeting software).

Live Radio and Sound Recording Suites

3 x Live Streaming radio studios. Foley recording and Voice-Over facilities.

All that you require to develop the skills and confidence to record and mix sound for Live and Pre-Recorded Radio broadcast, Location and Studio sound for Factual and Drama productions including Audio Books, Animation; TV Studio sound sound and foley for Screen Drama, Documentaries, Gameplay and Interactives.

Professional Standard Location Cameras, Lighting, Grip and Sound Recording Equipment

Subject to your level of study and completion of specialist training workshops, you will have access to:

Blackmagic Cine4K EF cameras
Sony FS5 cameras
Sony NX100 Video Camera
GoPro cameras
DSLR and 360° cameras
Sound Recording equipment: AKG, Beyerdynamic, BlackMagic, Sennheiser, Edirol, Marantz and Rode
Arri, KinoFlo and varied LED lighting kits

Lecturers

Paul Mallison, Media Production course leader
Dr Rob Campbell
Paul Appleby
Steve Johnson
Vivian Mainwaring
Heledd Hardy
Lyndon Jones

We regularly revalidate courses for quality assurance and enhancement

At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.

If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.

The entry criteria below reflect our standard entry requirements for the course for September 2023. However, all applications received by the University are reviewed holistically and individually. Entry criteria for September 2024 is changing and will be published on ucas.com from 8th May 2023. Entry criteria for September 2024 will be updated on our website from the end of October 2023.

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions. USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university. Here is a link to our Contextual Admissions Policy.

Other qualifications and experience

We can also consider combinations of qualifications and other qualifications not listed here may also be acceptable. We can sometimes consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry, or advanced entry to year two or three of a course where this is possible.

To find out which qualifications have tariff points, please refer to the UCAS tariff calculator.

If you need more help or information or would like to speak to our friendly admissions team, please contact us here

Applicants in the UK

Selection for this course is based on a suitable application. If you do not meet the entry criteria you may also be required to attend an interview to help us assess your suitability for the course.

Typical A-Level Offer

BCC - CDD (this is equivalent to 104-80 UCAS tariff points).

Typical Welsh BACC Offer

Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade C/D in the Skills Challenge Certificate and BC - CD at A Level (this is equivalent to 104-80 UCAS tariff points).

Typical BTEC Offer

BTEC Extended Diploma Distinction Merit Merit - Merit Merit Pass (this is equivalent to 112-80 UCAS tariff points).

Typical Access to HE Offer

Pass the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 80 UCAS tariff points

Additional Requirements

GCSEs: The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances

International Entry Requirements

We also welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications. Please visit the country specific pages on our international website for exact details.

English Requirements

In general, international applicants will need to have achieved an overall IELTS grade of 6.0 with a minimum score of 5.5 in each component.

However, if you have previously studied through the medium of English IELTS might not be required, but please visit the country specific page on our international website for exact details. If your country is not featured please contact us.

Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee will remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course

August 2023 - July 2024 Fees

Full-time UK: £9000
Full-time International: £14100

August 2024 - July 2025 Fees

Full-time UK: TBC
Full-time International: £14950

Student Perks

At the University of South Wales, you’re investing in so much more than a degree. We strive to provide our students with the best possible experience, no matter what you chose to study. Whether it’s access to top of the range mac books and PCs, state-of-the-art facilities packed with industry-leading equipment and software, masterclasses and events led by industry experts, or a wide range of clubs and societies to meet likeminded people, better tomorrows start with extra perks.

Each course also has their own unique student benefits to prepare you for the real word, and details of these can be found on our course pages. From global field trips, integrated work experience and free course-related resources, to funded initiatives, projects working with real employers, and opportunities for extra qualifications and accreditations - at USW your future, is future-proofed.

Click here to learn more about student perks at USW.

Additional Costs

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

* Obligatory

Item	Cost
Kit (Uniform and Equipment)	£60	Portable hard drive 2TB
Field Trips	£150	Field Trip
Field Trips	£700	International field trip
Additional assessment or memberships: Exhibition Presentation	£200	Year 3
Kit (Uniform and Equipment) *	£30	Two SD cards (32GB each minimum)

Funding

Funding to help pay for (or cover) course tuition fees and living costs

Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

To learn about course fees, funding options, and to see if you are eligible for financial support, visit our Fees and Funding pages.

UK students

Apply via UCAS if you are a UK residing applicant, applying for year one of a full-time undergraduate degree, Foundation Year, Foundation Degree or HND and you have not applied through UCAS before. If you are applying to study part-time, to top up your Foundation Degree or HND, or to transfer to USW from another institution, please apply directly.

International and EU students

Apply directly to the University if you live outside the UK.

Admissions statement

Graduates from our Media Production degree have pursued successful careers in film, TV and radio production and presentation, press and public relations, web design and journalism.

Dependent upon their chosen field, our students will graduate with the ability to implement professional working practice, in at least one of the following, at industry required entry level, as –

A Sound Recordist working both independently and within team production scenarios (location and studio) across platforms and genres
A Lighting-Camera Operator working both independently and within team production scenarios (location and studio) across platforms and genres
An Interactive Designer working both independently and within team production scenarios (location and studio) across platforms and genres
An Editor working both independently and within team production scenarios across platforms and genres
A Sound Designer/Editor working both independently and within team production scenarios across media, platforms and genres
A Scriptwriter working both independently and within team production scenarios across media, platforms and genres
A Director working within team production scenarios across media, platforms and genres
A Production Manager working within team production scenarios across media, platforms and genres

Our Careers and Employability Service

As a USW student, you will have access to advice from the Careers and Employability Service throughout your studies and after you graduate.

This includes: one-to-one appointments from faculty based Career Advisers, in person, over the phone or even on Skype and through email via the "Ask a Question" service. We also have extensive online resources for help with considering your career options and presenting yourself well to employers. Resources include psychometric tests, career assessments, a CV builder, interview simulator and application help. Our employer database has over 2,000 registered employers targeting USW students, you can receive weekly email alerts for jobs.

Our Careers service has dedicated teams: A central work experience team to help you find relevant placements; an employability development team which includes an employability programme called Grad Edge; and an Enterprise team focused on new business ideas and entrepreneurship.