Philosophy and Media

Why choose this course?

• Your Philosophy lecturers are all active researchers
• Host of the annual Sir Francis Bacon lecture series
• Continual updating of content to reflect sought after skills

There has never been a greater need for graduates who understand the complexities of the modern world; but who can keep pace with the latest trends and debates and have the creativity and practical skills to manage emerging media technologies. 

Relevant to today's media dominated culture, you'll learn more about how various media functions and examine the philosophical issues surrounding our attempts to represent the world, as well as the legal and ethical framework in which it operates. You'll develop practical and theoretical knowledge of how various media techniques are implemented, whilst exploring and challenging the assumptions that frame the way we think, act and see the world around us. 

You'll benefit from being part of a lively and active academic community which includes active researchers of international standing, who bring their own passion for their discipline into the classroom, and dynamic teachers with extensive industry experience.  

In Philosophy, our small group teaching helps you to find your feet in the academic environment. There are plenty of opportunities to discuss critical issues with staff and fellow students. In Media, delivery varies according to the characteristics of each module. Many are taught via weekly lectures followed by seminars, which allow for more in-depth investigation, discussion and active learning amongst peers and academic experts. Workshops are standard for the practical modules, where the skills taught are enhanced by the supervision of experts in their field.  

In Philosophy, you can join an optional residential weekend each year. Through the 'Media Matters' Guest Lecture series, industry professionals are regularly welcomed onto campus to address students and give their insights into media careers. Recent speakers include Teresa Malone of The Guardian, Steven Bourner, Chief Media Officer and Strategic Lead for Higher Education in the Department for Higher Education and former student Tobi Akengbade who is now a showbiz correspondent.  

The course nurtures hands -on technical skills, original creativity, agility, critical thinking, effective communication skills, confidence, and entrepreneurial attitudes, enabling our graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing industry. Careers in film, TV, radio, and journalism are obvious career pathways but our graduates also go into employment in Public Relations, advertising, customer relations, publishing, marketing, and theatre. 

Applying for this course is easy. Simply add us to your UCAS account by using the institution and course code mentioned in 'Key information.' There is no interview for this course. We're just interested to hear why you want to study this subject at degree level. If you haven't done either or both of these subjects before, that's fine. You'll likely have hobbies or extracurricular experience that show what skills you already have that you can bring to the University. 

What's the course about?

You'll follow a flexible programme of study, which introduces you to the methods and approaches of different disciplines, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting. The courses are stimulating and innovative, allowing you to make rewarding connections between the two disciplines. There is also CV-building potential through work placements and extra-curricular activities. 

In your first year, you'll be introduced to a variety of ways in which communication can be achieved and presented to different audiences. You'll learn to think critically by examining reasoning and persuasion and how that might be inflected by the medium in which it is conveyed, including the use of rhetoric and propaganda. You'll be introduced to key theorists in media cultures and study social and political philosophy, covering topics such as freedom of speech, as well as examine the nature of knowledge and reality. There is also a philosophy module dedicated to exploring the scope and limits of film and literature in what they can represent about reality. In addition to the insights into theory, core media modules introduce you to practice, such as how to use text, graphics, or software such as Photoshop. 

In your second year, your ability to work as an effective and confident researcher is honed across both disciplines. You'll learn about research methods in the communications industry and you will be able to select areas on which to focus, such as on influential works of philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, the philosophy of mind, and social and political philosophy. There is also a philosophy of art module, which tackles the question of the relation between artistic representations (in various media) and reality. In addition, there are practical opportunities to learn about publishing and radio. 

Work placement/study abroad option: Between your second and final year, you'll have the option to study abroad or do a work placement for up to a year. Not only will this give you an amazing experience to talk about but will also give your CV a boost. If you'd rather go straight to your final year, that's absolutely fine too. You'll decide in your second year with us, so there is still plenty of time to think about this. 

In your final year, the opportunity to delve deeper into specialist areas is offered. In media, specific skills from pitching to business, campaigning for a cause or to advertise a product or service, content creation, web design or magazine production all help hone skills transferable to the world of work. In Philosophy, there is the opportunity to develop your understanding of the nature of communication in the philosophy of language module, or on the nature of the representation of women in the module on feminist philosophy. 

'Media Matters' Guest Lecture series 

Each year the School of Humanities hosts the Media Matters Guest Lecture Series featuring a range of industry professionals, giving talks on their experience in the industry. These lectures are recorded by our final year students and available on our Media Hub. Some of our previous speakers have included: 

• Lewis Wiltshire, Head of Sport, Twitter UK 
• Tobi Rachel Akingbade, showbusiness journalist who studied journalism and other media subjects at UH 
• Ren Behan, Food blogger and journalist 
• Terry Mitchinson, Welwyn Hatfield Times Editor 
• Uche Amako, UH journalism alum and sportswriter 

Your main campus is de Havilland

You'll share this campus with students from business, law, sport, education, and humanities subjects. The student housing is close to our Sports Village which includes a gym, swimming pool and climbing wall. You can get breakfast, lunch, or dinner in our on-campus restaurant or bar (in the newly built Enterprise Hub) on days you don't feel like cooking. You can also use the common room to play pool, video games or just to hang out with friends. Our Learning Resources Centres are open 24/7, which means you can study whenever suits you best. Want to pop over to the other campus? You can take the free shuttle bus or walk there in just 15 minutes.

Tawajihiya with 70% or above. High School Diploma with a minimum overall average of 3.0, 2 Advanced Placement (AP) with a minimum score of 3.0

Apply via UCAS

All applications for undergraduate university degree courses are made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

Typically, they must submit their application to UCAS by 15 January deadline to give them the best possible chance of securing a place at their preferred university. For further details, look up the key UCAS dates so you are aware of what you have to do when.

They can choose up to 5 courses to apply for. These can be at one university or spread across different institutions. The same application is used for the 5 choices so selecting similar topics will make it easier to write a focused submission.

Completing the UCAS application

If you have questions on how to apply, you can talk to staff during a university open day visit.

The UCAS application is made online. Information required include:

1. personal details and information about support requirements.
2. background details.
3. course and university choices.
4. education and qualifications overview.
5. employment details and experience.
6. personal statement.