English with Media Studies BA(Hons)

Why study BA(Hons) English with Media Studies at University College Falmouth?

BA(Hons) English with Media Studies course leaflet (1.35 MB)

BA(Hons) English with Media Studies will equip you with an understanding of literary texts, media forms and contexts. You'll explore how literary theory has informed the study of media and the impact these forms can have on culture and identity. You can choose from a range of media options covering themes such as audiences, new media and interactive technologies, screen genres, gaming, globalisation, celebrity culture and consumer society.

Putting you in the heart of a thriving creative community, BA(Hons) English with Media Studies at Falmouth will provide plenty of opportunities to collaborate with and be inspired by other students in the School of Media.

"The course has far surpassed my expectations. It has a great combination of classic elements and a contemporary twist that offers an interesting insight into both the literature and culture of today's society" Fiona Timmons: BA(Hons) English with Media Studies student

What will I get out of the course?

The BA(Hons) English with Media Studies course is innovative and contemporary. It combines textual analysis and cultural studies to give you a comprehensive understanding of the debates concerning the impact and uses of media on the way we interpret the world around us.

The course will also equip you with the theoretical and philosophical tools to enable you to make a sophisticated and informed analysis of literary and non-literary texts - as well as the analytical, theoretical, textual and contextual proficiency to make you an exceptional and very employable graduate.

"Studying English with Media Studies at Falmouth has introduced me to new ways in which to see and interpret the world... thoughts, opinions and meanings that I had previously been unaware of. I am suddenly thinking and feeling both critically and creatively and the constant encouragement to be different and push the boundaries of my writing makes it all the more interesting." Logan Mather, BA(Hons) English with Media Studies student

Tell me more about the BA(Hons) English with Media Studies course

"For me the main advantage of English with Media Studies was the flexibility offered within the programme of study and the numerous opportunities to focus your attention on a specific area. This allowed me to build a really solid knowledge base of salient cultural theory which I have now developed in my job. EWMS at Falmouth gave me the theoretical grounding to converse with the academics and students that I meet every day." Kate Sicolo, BA(Hons) English graduate now working for The Intercom Trust

By choosing to study for a degree in English at Falmouth you will:

• Benefit from being taught by friendly and approachable staff who are experts in their respective fields.
• Benefit from courses that are unique, distinctive and highly flexible, offering everything you'd expect from a traditional English degree, but also equipping you with a fresh and innovative approach to your chosen discipline.
• Study literature and culture from the 16th century to the present, introducing you to a substantial number of authors and texts from different periods of literary history.
• Be able to tailor your degree to your own specialist interests and for your chosen career or postgraduate destination.
• Develop theoretical and philosophical tools to enable you to make sophisticated and informed analysis of literary and non-literary texts.
• Be assessed through a combination of coursework, project work, formal presentations, portfolio work and dissertations.

"I was overwhelmingly impressed by the dedication and commitment of the teaching staff on this course. It was heartening to see how the staff knew the students, and how much pastoral care was provided... The course team is to be congratulated, not only on their academic efforts, but also for the learning culture that they have developed." Dr Nick Freeman External Examiner and Senior Lecturer in English, University of the West of England

Course publications

WiTH magazine

At University College Falmouth, we believe all good writing is creative and that it underpins and informs all the subject areas on offer to our students. Our students’ work is rooted in writing and reading, discussion and debate, close reading, contextualisation and creative response.

WiTH magazine came out of a growing excitement among our students body about what they had written, and a desire to share and showcase it with others in the University College. Eight issues of the magazine have been produced in recent years.

WiTH6 (456.97 KB)

WiTH8

Professorial lecture series

Falmouth's Professorial lecture series aims to produce an engaging and challenging public programme that stimulates the intellectual curiosity of our staff, students and alumni, our research collaborators, our industry partners, our local communities and other supporters. Recent lectures relevant to students in the School of Media include Andrew Chitty and Emily Bell.

Andrew Chitty

Seven myths that drive the digital economy

Andrew has been a pioneer in the converging worlds of TV and digital media since the mid 90s when as Editor of BBC2's The Net he was responsible for the BBC's first website and virtual world. Since 1998 he's built Illumina Digital into the UK's leading cross platform production company winning a raft of awards including 4 BAFTAS, 8 RTS Awards, The UN award for e-learning and even a Golden Ladle for the world's best cookery site. In 2008 Illumina joined All3Media, the UK's largest independent production group.

Andrew has been active in policy and industry groups, co-authoring OFCOM's paper New Options for Public Service in the Digital Age and has advised Lord Stephen Carter as a member of the ministerial steering board for the Digital Britain Report. He is a council member of PACT, trustee of TRC Media in Glasgow and a past board member of Skillset. Andrew is currently Chair of the National Skills Council for Digital Media.

A video of Andrew Chitty's lecture can be viewed online here

Download the transcript of Andrew Chitty's lecture (175.81 KB)

Emily Bell

Back To the News Future: Journalism 10 Years from Now

Director of Digital Content for Guardian News and Media, Emily set up www.mediaguardian.co.uk in 2001. www.guardian.co.uk has won multiple awards, including the prestigious Webby for Best Newspaper on the web in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Oxford graduate, Bell is one of the rising stars coming through from a younger, more web-focused generation of senior media figures.

A video of Emily Bell's lecture can be viewed online here

A decade of English at Falmouth

In 2008, graduates celebrated the tenth anniversary of BA(Hons) English with Media Studies at Falmouth. Over the last decade, the course has grown from a small part time course to one of the largest undergraduate departments at the institution, with over 200 full time students currently studying either English with Media Studies or English with Creative Writing.

The reunion event included a small showcase of work from 2008 graduates and the official launch of our student anthology: ‘WiTH' magazine. A jazz band then welcomed alumni into the beautiful Italian Garden of Tremough House for drinks, a barbeque and party.

Photographs from the event can be viewed here

Facilities

Our high-specification Media Centre enables you to experience all aspects of English with Media Studies to the highest possible standard. The Learning Resource Centres at Woodlane and Tremough provide extensive resources for study, creativity and inspiration within an integrated learning environment for all students, including:

• On site borrowing from three libraries - giving you access to over 140,000 books
• Exhaustive electronic resources
• A video/DVD/streaming library with over 17,000 titles
• An extensive slide collection

Course outline

Level 1

• Introduction to Literary Studies
• Introduction to Media Studies
• The Craft of Writing
• Critical Practices
• The Knowing Self: Literature and Culture (1540 - 1688)
• Media, Culture and Society

Level 2

• Freedom and Experiment: Literature and Culture (1688 - 1832)
• Cultural Theory and the Politics of the Popular
• Making Nations: Literature and Culture (1832 - 1914)
• The Politics of Subjectivity and Identity

Plus one option from each study block:

• Narrative and Sexuality
• Comedy and Performances of Culture
• Film Genres
• Trauma and Transformation: Ordinary Lives and Reality Genres

• Television in Transition
• Gothic Cultures
• Representing Utopia
• New Media Cultures

Level 3

• Dissertation
• Aftermaths: Literature and Culture (1914 - 1968)
• To the Millennium and Beyond: Literature and Culture (1968 - Present)

Plus one option from each study block:

• Women and Film
• Europe in Translation
• Conflict and Catastrophe
• Game Cultures

• Masculinity as Spectacle
• Researching Popular Culture
• Representations of Crime
• Literature and Science in Western Culture

Answers and advice about the course

If you have any queries about the course please visit our HelpMe Forum

HelpMe Forum

For further information about BA(Hons) English with Media Studies at University College Falmouth, please email admissions@falmouth.ac.uk or telephone Admissions on 01326 214359.

Career opportunities

Our students graduate with extensive transferable skills, helping them enjoy success in a wide range of careers including:

• Publishing
• Journalism
• Law
• Advertising
• Public relations
• Marketing
• Web editing
• Screen writing
• Novel writing
• Arts administration
• Teaching (at all levels)
• Research assistants
• Civil Service
• Specialist training or postgraduate study

Course entry requirements

A minimum of 220 UCAS points, equivalent Level 3 qualifications or relevant experience. All applicants to the English courses will be invited to a two-part interview. No portfolio is required.

For further information about BA(Hons) English with Media Studies at University College Falmouth, please email admissions@falmouth.ac.uk or telephone Admissions on 01326 214359.

Interview dates and selection process

Interviews will commence in late February.

The interview will include small group interviews followed by individual interviews and a tour of the campus. Applicants are not expected to bring samples of their writing to interview but will be asked to discuss their knowledge of, commitment to and enthusiasm for the subject.

Location: Tremough Campus

Related courses

• English with Creative Writing BA(Hons)
• Public Relations BA(Hons)
• Journalism BA(Hons)