This programme offers a contemporary and critical approach to the relationship between film, photography, and media. Through a focus on historical and modern debates, students will gain a deep understanding of the ever-evolving landscape of lens-based media. The programme will equip students with the skills to develop their own creative and intellectual practice, reflective of the dynamic and challenging film, photography, and media industries.
Digital technology has fundamentally altered the landscape of both cinema and photography, challenging understandings of these media and their relationships. The programme encourages students to consider how these media are evolving and understand them through cultural and critical frameworks.
Students also consider how critical theories can inform new and convergent modes of practice, and how such approaches can be applied within the creative industries. This programme therefore explores these connections through interdisciplinary perspectives, including: media and communications histories, film and photographic theory, multimedia practice, critical engagement with creative industries.
Overall, the programme highlights the relationship between lens-based images and broader visual culture. In doing so, it fosters a holistic understanding of how theory, practice, and history interact to shape creative-critical media practice.
[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable
Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMM5805M | Cultures of Contemporary Photography | 30 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | PFP |
| COMM5825M | Film Theory and Practice | 30 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | PFP |
Candidates will be required to study 60 credits from the following optional modules:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMM5600M | Dissertation and Research Methods | 60 | 1 Oct to 30 Sep (12mth) | PFP |
| COMM5800M | Final Independent Project | 60 | 1 Sep to 31 Aug (12mth) | PFP |
Candidates will be required to study 30 credits from the following optional modules or may take 30 credits of Discovery modules, if timetabling allows:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMM5005M | Contemporary Debates in Media and Communication | 30 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan), Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| COMM5020M | Data in Action: Methods, Analysis, and Visualisation | 30 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| COMM5170M | Television Narrative | 30 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| COMM5220M | Environment, Media and Culture | 30 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| COMM5250M | Feminism, Identity and Media | 30 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| COMM5260M | Understanding the Audience | 30 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| COMM5540M | The Reporting of Politics | 30 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| COMM5606M | Media and Civil Resistance | 30 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| COMM5705M | Identity and Culture | 30 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| COMM5785M | Platforms and Society | 30 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| COMM5801M | Urban Narratives | 30 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) |
Candidates will be required to study 30 credits from the following optional modules or may take 30 credits of Discovery modules, if timetabling allows:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMM5120M | Gender and Media Histories: Feminist Methods | 30 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| COMM5160M | Critical Studies in Visual Communication | 30 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| COMM5370M | International Film Industries | 30 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| COMM5550M | Popular Music and Society | 30 | Not running in 202627 | |
| COMM5630M | Communication and Public Opinion | 30 | Not running in 202627 | |
| COMM5785M | Platforms and Society | 30 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) | |
| COMM5796M | Climate Communication | 30 | Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) | |
| COMM5866M | Global migration, ‘race’ and media | 30 | Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) |
Last updated: 11/06/2026 16:15:22
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