Media & Communication (with Foundation Year)
 Media Communication (Major).jpg)
UCAS Code: Combined honours only - See combinations tab|Duration: 4 years|Full Time|Hope Park
UCAS Campus Code: L46
Work placement opportunities|International students can apply|Study Abroad opportunities
About the course
Liverpool is a lively city rich in culture and a centre for media creativity. It’s a great place to study Media and Communication. This is an exciting time to explore this field, as media's impact on society is rapidly growing.
At Liverpool Hope, we will help you understand how media connects to society, history, culture, and industry. The course will encourage you to view digital and social media in new ways. You’ll analyse how these platforms have changed traditional communication, and will learn to be an adaptable and professional communicator. You’ll develop original ideas and create engaging journalistic, digital, and social media content.
The Media and Communication course aims to prepare you as an industry leader focused on building trustworthy and ethical media. You will gain advanced skills in journalistic, digital, and social media communication. You'll also gain transferable skills in critical analysis and creative practice for many careers. Our curriculum is taught by experienced tutors known for their research and industry expertise in journalism and digital communication.
Course structure
Teaching on this degree is structured into lectures, where all students are taught together, seminars which have smaller groups and are usually focused on practical media production, and tutorials which typically have no more than 10 students in the first year.
In your first year of study there are approximately 6 teaching hours per week, which reduce to approximately 5 teaching hours in your second and third years. (You will have an equivalent number of contact hours in the other subject in your combination.)
On top of teaching hours, you are also expected to spend a number of hours studying independently each week, as well as studying in groups to prepare for any group assessments you may have.
Assessment and feedback
Throughout your studies, you will have a number of assessments including written exams, essays, and applied skills (journalistic, digital and social media communication) through cross-platform media portfolios.
You will be given written feedback on your assessments, and you will have the opportunity to discuss this with your tutor in more detail.
Foundation Year
The Foundation Year is a great opportunity if you have the ability and enthusiasm to study for a degree, but do not yet have the qualifications required to enter directly onto our degree programmes. A significant part of the Foundation Year focuses upon core skills such as academic writing at HE level, becoming an independent learner, structuring academic work, critical thinking, time management and note taking.
Successful completion of the Foundation Year will enable you to progress into the first year (Level C) of your chosen honours degree. Further details can be found here.
Year One
Studying Media and Communication at Hope allows you to explore the subject from both a theoretical and practical perspective. This media and communication course combines academic study with applied skills in journalism, digital media, and social media communication. By linking theory with practice, you will become a well-rounded student of media and communication.
Media, Society, and Power
In this module, you will explore the relationship between media and power, and its impact on individuals and society. You will study models of communication, examine how mass media shapes public understanding, and analyse the past, present, and future of media and communication. The module also considers how traditional forms of media such as print, radio, and television influence today’s digital and social media, helping you anticipate future developments and their implications.
Cross-Platform Media Practice
This module develops your professional communication skills in journalism, digital media, and social media. With a cross-platform approach, you will gain practical experience that reflects the rapidly changing media landscape. You will be encouraged to generate creative editorial ideas and build confidence as a communicator across digital and cross-platform environments.
Year Two
In the second year of this media and communication course, you will build on the theoretical knowledge and applied skills from year one. You will study the media in greater depth, explore how media industries such as social media and music operate in the real world, develop essential media research skills, and refine professional communication abilities in editorial production and design.
Media Industries in the Digital Age
This module explores the power of media corporations and examines how industries are adapting to the digital age and developments in Artificial Intelligence. You will study sectors including music, social media, publishing, advertising, format television, and film, while considering the social, cultural, and political influence of media corporations and the ethical implications of news marketisation.
Media Research Skills
Develop crucial research skills to generate new insights into media. You will learn techniques such as discourse analysis, content analysis, interviewing, surveys, and focus groups. These skills are transferable to the workplace and will enable you to undertake original research on topics that interest you.
News Media and Design
This module advances your technical and creative skills in media content production. You will create original editorial content and use Adobe software to design and enhance your work. You will strengthen professional writing and design abilities, enabling you to cover a wide range of editorial topics from popular culture and current affairs to media and sport.
Year Three
The third year of this media and communication course allows you to consolidate your learning and refine your skills in your chosen area of interest. You will have the opportunity to take optional modules and complete an individual research project or integrated dissertation.
Media, Democracy, and Popular Culture
Explore the evolving relationship between media, democracy, and popular culture. This module examines media in relation to gender, identity, political communication, celebrity, fandom, satire, and public interest journalism in the digital age. You will analyse how media representations of popular culture exercise power and influence democratic societies.
Specialist Media Practice Module
Choose a practice-based module to develop your professional skills. Options include Advanced Digital and Editorial Development or Digital Reflective Practice. Both modules allow you to pursue your interests and create original work, building expertise for your future career.
Individual Research Project / Dissertation
Complete a 5,000-word Research Project or a 10,000-word Integrated Dissertation. The Research Project lets you explore topics in media and communication that interest you, while the Integrated Dissertation combines your majors to produce research addressing both areas. This project prepares you for professional or academic pathways in media, journalism, digital communication, or related fields.
Entry requirements
There may be some flexibility for mature students offering non-tariff qualifications and students meeting particular widening participation criteria.
Careers
Graduates of the media and communication course have gone on to careers as film education officers, BBC radio reporters, local and magazine journalists, academic proof-readers, screenwriters, teachers, speech and language therapists, and roles in the public sector.
This media and communication course provides a broad foundation in media theory while allowing you to develop specialist skills in news media, digital media, and social media communication. Alongside classroom learning, you will have opportunities to enhance your practical skills and knowledge, preparing you to succeed and make an impact in the media and communication industry.
Enhancement opportunities
SALA
The Service and Leadership Award (SALA) is offered as an extra-curricular programme involving service-based experiences, development of leadership potential and equipping you for a career in a rapidly changing world. It enhances your degree, it is something which is complimentary but different and which has a distinct ‘value-added’ component. Find out more on our Service and Leadership Award page.
Study Abroad
As part of your degree, you can choose to spend either a semester or a full year of study at one of our partner universities as part of our Study Abroad programme. Find out more on our Study Abroad page.
Tuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2026/27 academic year are £9,535* for full-time undergraduate courses.
If you are a student from the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, your tuition fees will also be £9,535*.
The University reserves the right to increase Home and EU Undergraduate and PGCE tuition fees in line with any inflationary or other increase authorised by the Secretary of State for future years of study.
*subject to Council approval.
Additional costs
On top of tuition fees, you will need approximately £100 to purchase core textbooks.
You will also need to consider the cost of your accommodation each year whilst you study at university. Visit our accommodation pages for further details about our Halls of Residence.
Scholarships
We have a range of scholarships to help with the cost of your studies. Visit our scholarships page to find out more.
International tuition fees
The International Tuition fees for 2026/27 are £14,500.
Visit our International fees page for more information.
Course combinations
This course is also available with Foundation Year as a Combined Honours degree with the following subjects: