English with Media Studies BA(Hons) Degree

Student work

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English at Falmouth offers a solid foundation in the study of literature, and an innovative approach to the study of literary and non-literary texts, digital texts and contemporary media.

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You'll gain a historical grounding in literature from the 16th century to the present day, exploring texts and contexts to link the study of literature with readings of contemporary culture.

Learning Resource Centre

The course offers a broad range of optional units, enabling you to explore and specialise in the subjects that particularly interest you.

Latest news

Falmouth Journalists take honours at top industry awards for second year running
University College Falmouth MA International Journalism graduate Polly Fields took top prize for her radio piece "The Speed Sisters" at the Broadcast Journalism Training Council annual awards which have just been officially announced. Polly travelled to the West Bank town of Ramallah as part of her MA Project about a group of women there who have defied many middle eastern traditions to take part in the male dominated sport of motor racing.
Continuing Professional Development Unit launches business communications courses
The Continuing Professional Development Unit at University College Falmouth has launched three one-day courses in effective business writing, an introduction to social media and maximising social media for business. Further courses are in development.
MA Professional Writing student’s blog has struck a chord in Ireland and beyond

When Joan Mitchell lost her job as Irish Sales Manager for a global entertainment brand in March of this year, some degree of gloom and despondency would have been more than understandable. Especially as this was the second major blow she had experienced in six months, coming after her husband suffered a heart attack in October.
Class of 2011

UCF proudly recognises the achievements of 700 graduates, along with special recognition for the extraordinary work of; Lady Mary Holborow DCVO, Tom Henderson OBE, Peter Hodgson CBE DL, Peter Kosminsky, John Simmons, Bonnie Dean and Karen Christopher.
BESPOKE: Insight Journalism as a catalyst for community innovation and engagement

Innovative design and journalism project BESPOKE will showcase a new method for community-led innovation as part of the London Design Festival this September, housed at the V&A Museum between 17 - 23 September.
University College Falmouth’s free online screenwriting course goes viral

A free online 10 unit screenwriting course from University College Falmouth's MA Professional Writing recently went viral on the internet. The well-produced video and audio lectures, along with accompanying course materials, have been featured, shared, re-published and discussed by screenwriters and film makers around the globe.
MA International Journalism graduate wins Travel Scholarship

Jason Edwards who graduated from the MA International Journalism has been announced as the second winner of this year's University of Wales Gareth Jones Memorial Travelling Scholarship. Jason has been awarded £3000 for his investigative reporting on food poverty in America.

Latest events

Gob Squad present Performance Lecture and Live Long and Prosper
'Thu, Feb 16th, 2012, 7:30pm to 9:00pm'
A rare chance to get to know the inner workings of this collective of UK and German artists with a double bill of performance lecture and screening.
Lyric and Polis: A symposium of poetry and poetics curated by Marianne Morris
'Sat, Feb 18th, 2012, 9:00am to 7:30pm' Lyric and Polis: A symposium of poetry and poetics curated by Marianne Morris
The Wiyos
'Tue, Feb 21st, 2012, 7:30pm to 9:30pm' Live music performance from The Wiyos

Staff profiles

Our graduates

Fiona Timmons: English with Media Studies BA(Hons) student
Fiona Timmons: English with Media Studies BA(Hons) student
Fiona Timmons: English with Media Studies BA(Hons) student - Read more
Shreevatsa Nevatia: English with Media Studies BA(Hons) graduate

"Working as a practising reporter, I use the skills I learnt on my degree all the time, but I find them most helpful in the moments that I really need perspective."

For Shreevatsa Nevatia, Falmouth was so much more than just a university. It was a new way of thinking. “I started my studies in New Delhi but it wasn’t quite right for me – I wanted a new environment and a new challenge,” Shreevatsa explains. “Six months into my course the British Education Fair arrived and I found myself looking through prospectuses for a solution.”

“Falmouth’s International Office was very encouraging and the description of their BA in English with Media Studies sounded really exciting,” he continues. “Because I had already started studying in New Delhi I thought it might be too complicated to transfer, but Falmouth was really understanding and helpful. I will always be grateful for the faith they put in me, accepting me onto
the course.”

Coming from the urban spaces of New Delhi, Shreevatsa was nervous about fitting in to life in Falmouth, but his concerns were quickly quashed. “I grew entirely enchanted with places like Gyllyngvase beach and the College gardens at Woodlane,” he explains. “And I made friends who have entirely changed the way I look at things; they’ve really helped me bridge the gap and perceive my nationalistic difference positively.”

Graduating in 2005 and now a successful journalist back in New Delhi, Shreevatsa puts much of his success down to studying in Falmouth. “I remember being told when I started about the course’s transferable skills,” he notes – skills which include researching and writing to tight deadlines, working as part of a team and clearly communicating ideas. “In the 16 months since graduating, working as a practising reporter, I use these skills I learnt on my degree all the time, but I find them most helpful in the moments that I really need perspective.”

As a ‘parachute correspondent’ for the Hindustan Times, Shreevatsa has reported from conflicts where perspective and a level head are a necessity, from Afghanistan to a Red Cross Camp in Beirut, during the Israeli/Hezbollah conflict. “In Beirut I met a woman about to give birth who had been bombed out of her home. It’s often traumatic, but being a journalist helps me meet people and see worlds that would otherwise have remained alien,” he explains.

“I dread to think what my life would have been had I not done the Falmouth degree,” he concludes. “It gave me the mental resources to do what I do, to think progressively. It has benefited my professional and personal life in an invaluable way.”

Shreevatsa Nevatia: English with Media Studies BA(Hons) graduate - Read more
Beth Warmington: English with Media Studies BA(Hons) graduate

BA(Hons) English with Media Studies graduate Beth Warmington, now a Parliamentary Researcher, told us what she's up to....

Beth Warmington: English with Media Studies BA(Hons) graduate - Read more
Claire Churcher: English with Media Studies BA(Hons) student
CLAIRE CHURCHER - BA(Hons) English with Media Studies 2006 - 2009
Claire Churcher: English with Media Studies BA(Hons) student - Read more
Kate Sicolo: English with Media Studies BA(Hons) graduate

Since graduating from Falmouth I have been employed by a sub-regional charity, The Intercom Trust, as their first anti-bullying and homophobia worker. My position is unique in the country, and I primarily spend my time working with classes of young people in schools encouraging and enabling inclusion and integration, training school staff and developing policies and procedures. I recently spoke and delivered workshops at a national conference with Sir Ian McKellen and Teresa Clarke, head of policy development at the DCSF, and have written schemes of work, which are now being delivered across the UK.

Kate Sicolo: English with Media Studies BA(Hons) graduate - Read more

UCAS Code Q3P3 BA/EWM

How to apply
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We consider each application on its merits and look for evidence of commitment and motivation. For full details on the application procedure follow the link below.Read more...
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Meet staff and students and discover how study at Falmouth can fast-track your career. Open days include a welcome talk, campus tours, and presentations on our courses, information on fees, finances, admissions, accommodation, and student services. Follow the link below to book online.Read more...
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Follow the link below to download a copy of our prospectus, or complete the form to request a printed prospectus by post.Read more...
Entry requirements
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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.

Location:Tremough Campus
Length:3 years full-time

Direct line:01326 214359

admissions@falmouth.ac.uk

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

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

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The BA(Hons) English with Media Studies degree 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 & Performance.

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:

Study block 1

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

Study block 2

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:

Study block 1

Women and Film
Europe in Translation
Conflict and Catastrophe
Game Cultures

Study block 2

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

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

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.

How is the course taught?

This degree offers an exciting range of optional units, which enable you to create your own unique pathway thoughout the course and specialise in subjects that interest you and/or may be more useful for your chosen career or postgraduate destination.

The course operates on a basis of continuous assessment with no formal examinations. You'll be assessed through a combination of coursework (including short and long essay requirements, and reviews), project work, and oral assessment
(including formal presentations, managing meetings, and assessment of seminar performance). You will also undertake tasks aimed at the development of specific skills (including IT and bibliographical exercises), portfolio work, critical/theoretical evaluation and rationale, take home papers, and a dissertation.

Assessment

Coursework and project work
Oral assessment
Portfolio
Dissertation in your final year

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 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.

pdf 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

pdf 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

BA(Hons) English Reunion 2008

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

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

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.

Please see our How to Apply page for more information.