Digital Communications & Social Media BA

Would you like to gain the skills to succeed in a digital world? Social media and digital communication have become fundamental to the work and lives of people across the world; revolutionising politics, culture, society, and business.

Our new BA (Hons) Digital Communication and Social Media programme gives you the practical skills and indispensable knowledge you need to become part of this thriving industry.

Combined with a strong theoretical spine, this highly flexible programme is transferable for any workplace or career, whether you wish to build your own brand, aspire to work for a large organisation in a digital role, or envisage doing further study.

All of our students at Richmond graduate with both a UK and US degree, opening up international opportunities. Like our other undergraduate programmes, this BA is based on the American liberal arts tradition, which offers a multi-disciplinary approach. Thats why your first and second year will include Scientific Reasoning and Creative Expression, as well as Visual Culture and Advertising Practice.

Choose from a range of electives which offer you the option to specialise: from Public Relations Practice to Sonic Media Production, Animation and Motion to Fashion and Media.

Your journey on this programme will continue in the third and fourth year, as you study such courses as Mass Communications and Society, Creating Digital Images, Coding and Social Research (developing your research skills), providing valuable knowledge essential for any digital campaign.

This programme also has a high practical content as you develop skills in Photojournalism and Web Design, providing an understanding and application of key production processes and professional practices relevant to social media, cultural and communication industries.

With this programme you will become an expert marketeer and a highly effective social media user, capable of building a companys profile.  You will gain an understanding of reputation management through digital media, the role of the influencer and how to target your core audiences.

This programme allows you to specialise in the areas youre most passionate about: from marketing and PR to video production, postgraduate study to journalism, web design to building a personal brand, while teaching you essential knowledge and skills, in four key areas:

• Theories of communication
• Theories of society
• Digital media production
• Professional skills, specifically those sought by the creative industries and media in general such as PR and marketing

This wide-ranging course will empower you with essential skills for the future, giving you everything you need to succeed in a fast-moving and ever-growing industry.

At Richmond our undergraduate degree programmes, which are based on the US educational approach, are offered on a four year pathway. Every undergraduate degree student will first enter our Liberal Arts programme before specialising in their Major.

This programme can also be taken as a three year pathway depending on previous qualifications. The entry requirements for all undergraduate programmes at Richmond are the same, regardless of your chosen Major.

Academic Entry Requirements

Below is information on our entry requirements for both 4 years and 4 years with foundation programmes.

• A Levels: 96 UCAS points
• US High School Diploma (or equivalent): 2.5 GPA minimum (on 4.0 scale)
• International Baccalaureate: 24 IB points (year 1)
• BTEC National Diploma: MMM
• Completion of Year 12-13 International equivalent secondary school qualification with a minimum grade average of grade of C including mathematics and English.

• GCSEs: 5 at grade C or above / grade 4-9 (or equivalent)

We understand that not every student is in the same situation, if you have any questions about your qualifications, please get in touch with us [email protected].

The University offers personal development seminars, leadership opportunities and access to work experience, volunteering and internships. There is also a dedicated, personalised service for assistance with CV writing, interview preparation tips and much more.

Throughout your studies, you will have the opportunity to build links with industry experts and Richmond alumni, connecting you to a vast and influential worldwide network.

Internships
We offer career support and advice through our Careers & Internships Office that will assist and guide you in your study choices to make sure you stand out from the crowd when you graduate. Whether you are interested in gaining work experience in London or internationally, we will be here to help you find the best possible opportunities.

Through internships you will gain business acumen, beneficial work experiences and transferable skills which will give you a competitive advantage in a fast-paced working environment.

Work while you study across 5 continents through our partners Connect123 and CRCC Asia with destinations in Spain, Argentina, South Africa, China, Japan, Vietnam and Australia.

You apply one of three ways, either apply directly through us, apply through UCAS and for our US students, via the Common Application ($50.00).

In order to submit your application you will need the following information

• Details of your education history, including the dates of all exams/assessments
• The email address of your referee who we can request a reference from, or alternatively an electronic copy of your academic reference
• A personal statement this can either be emailed as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online
• An electronic copy of your in process or completed high school (secondary school) transcript and graduation certificate

Visit our How to Apply webpage for more information regarding Entry Requirements, admissions processes and to start your application.

When to apply
We encourage you to complete your application as early as possible, even if you are completing your undergraduate programme of study. In this case you will be offered a place that is conditional on successfully completing a specified qualification and English language qualification if applicable.

If you would like your application to be considered for a Richmond bursary, an early application is strongly recommended.