Why study BA Media and History at Aberystwyth University?
The course
Taught by two departments (the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies and the Department of History and Welsh History), you will have an opportunity to study in great detail the following: media fandom, advertising, news analysis, website design, digital culture, children and the media, surveillance society, language and the media, media history and policy.
The History element will expose you to the various areas and time-periods in History which include Medieval and Early Modern Britain and Europe (1000-1800), The Modern Word, 1789 to the present; People, Power and Identity in Wales 1200-1999, Image Wars in Southeast Asia: Studying 20th Century propaganda; Interpreting the contemporary heritage of the British isles (1960-1980).
Facilities
At Aberystwyth University, our students benefit from our strategic closeness to the National Library of Wales. This is a copyright library which houses every book that has been published in the United Kingdom. In addition, it also home to National Sound and Screen Archive of Wales and will be home to the new National Broadcast Archive of Wales which are valuable resources for your research.
The University’s Centre for Media History, established in 2005, is an internationally-renowned centre which is also home to the international journal, Media History.
On the University campus, our facilities include the Hugh Owen Library which is open 24/7, the Students’ Union, the Sports Centre and the Arts Centre which has close and deep links with the departments of Theatre, Film and Television Studies and the department of English and Creative Writing. The multitude of facilities on Penglais campus ensures that your student experience is memorable and exceptional.
The Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies has strong links with external industry, these include the BBC Wales which houses it regional office in the heart of the Department, Boom Cymru, Avanti, Arad Goch and the Mid-Wales Arts Centre. The Department itself is modern, vibrant and has all the latest teaching facilities that media student requires, this includes a brand-new PC lab designed to assimilate the digital media industry, digital production and editing suits, a viewing cinema, a television studio and modern learning spaces.
Ein Staff
Mae holl staff academaidd yr Adran Theatr, Ffilm a Theledu yn gwneud gwaith ymchwil a/neu'n ymwneud â phrosiectau Trosglwyddo Gwybodaeth, ac mae ganddynt naill ai gymwysterau academaidd perthnasol ar lefel doethuriaeth neu brofiad proffesiynol ac arbenigedd cyfatebol.
Mae gan bob un o ddarlithwyr yr Adran Hanes a Hanes Cymru gymwysterau hyd at safon PhD, ac mae gan y rhan fwyaf hefyd TUAAU.
What opportunities are there for me?
Many of our graduates have found career paths which include: Broadcasting media; Floor managers; Camera operators; Producers and directors; Marketing; Media Planning; Education; Public relations.
What will I get from my degree?
Employability is at the heart of our teaching. We encourage our students by: Inviting guest speakers to our campus;
Obtaining work experience with the BBC, Fiction Factory and Boom Pictures.
On completion of this degree, our students become; Effective communicators; Able to work independently and as part of a team; Experience in industrial equipment such as three camera high definition digital television studios, over 40 high definition digital video cameras and digital and video projection facilities.
What work experience opportunities exist whilst studying?
Discover more about the various employment opportunities that our Aberystwyth University Careers team offer.
Enhance your employability prospects with GO Wales and YES (Year in Employment Scheme) managed by our Careers department.
What will I learn?
The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study during the three-year degree scheme.
In your first year you may explore:
- Relationship between media forms, media institutions and society;
- The theory and principles surrounding the learner and the learning environment;
- New historical skills and concepts, and a comprehensive introduction to university-level study skills;
- New historical periods, themes and subject areas, through our wide choice of Year 1 option modules; #
- The research relating to modes of communication between radio, press, advertising, mobile phone technologies and the internet;
- Key concepts and techniques of media production, directing, cinematography, editing.
In your second you may discover:
- Specific histories, traditions and roles to each medium;
- Television production;
- Television history;
- The ways in which the meaning, methods and writing of history have changed over time;
- Insight into the historian’s craft, through practice-based seminar classes;
- Experimental media production;
- Website design;
- Surveillance technologies;
- Journalism;
- Advertising;
- Scriptwriting.
In your final year you may have the opportunity to:
- Produce, direct, edit a short video which can be experimental, documentary or narrative fiction;
- Historical media archive-based dissertation;
- A special subject, in which you undertake an in-depth research, using original sources and engaging with cutting-edge scholarship;
- The best work will be entered for the Royal Television Society Student Video Awards.
How will I be taught?
Our programme is taught by lecture- workshops allowing for the best interaction and active engagement. In addition, we deliver this programme through seminars, group-based project work, screenings and technical demonstrations
You will be assessed through:
• Group-devised productions;
• Individual film and video projects;
• Research projects;
• Practical analyses;
• Production diaries;
• Creative scriptwriting;
• Formal essays;
• Examinations.
Further information
You will be assigned a personal tutor throughout your degree course, who will help you with any problems or queries, whether these are academic-related or personal issues. You should feel free to contact them at any time for help and advice.
You will also have the opportunity to complete a Personal Development Plan (PDP) at Aberystwyth. This is a structured process of self-appraisal, reflection, and planning, which will enable you to chart your personal, academic and professional development throughout your time at university. By recording your academic performance and highlighting the skills you already have and those you will need for future employability, the PDP portfolio will equip you with the necessary tools to plan effectively, develop successful approaches to study, and consider your future career options and aspirations.
