I am doing my bachelors in mass media. I want to know about the postgraduate media courses on offer in the UK. Do let me know about the course fee and other expenditure involved. Also, would having a postgraduate degree in mass media help me get a good job?

Lincy John

At the postgraduate level, there is an array of media courses on offer in the UK. These courses cover advertising, communication, journalism, creative industries, public relations, film, TV, and multimedia. You will need to choose your course carefully, keeping in mind your career goal. You can opt for specialisations in the above mentioned areas or, if you are unsure right now, you can also go for a generalised course. As far as degrees are concerned, different universities offer postgraduate degrees, diplomas and certificate courses on media studies. Courses may be full-time, part-time, or even online. Some courses emphasise theory while others are practice-oriented. If you are planning to do a masters degree, you can start your search with the following universities though some of them offer diploma and certificate courses as well.

City University offers a masters in media and communications; the University of Westminster offers postgraduate degrees in global media and in media management; Middlesex University offers an MA in design for interactive media and New Castle University offers a masters degree in cross cultural communication and media studies. The University of East London offers postgraduate degrees in global media, media studies as well as in digital aesthetics, media and contemporary practice, which insists on conceptual and practical possibilities for the digital arts. The university also offers MAs in film, video and new screen media, global media, interactive media practice and media studies. All these courses are one-year full-time ones. Other institutes like UCE Birmingham, Coventry University, Roehampton University also offer a variety of courses in media studies.

Most of the universities need applicants to have a first or upper-second class bachelors degree or equivalent, comparable professional or research experience and a score of 7.0 in IELTS. Depending upon the university and the course you choose, the yearly fee may vary between £3,500 and £9,000. The average living cost per academic year is around £7,000.

Regarding job opportunities, though some courses send students to intern at media houses, a media course is usually not an automatic passport to a job.

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