Digital Media and Communications BA Honours

In year one you will get an introduction to digital media with four compulsory modules: two theoretical and two practical.

This module develops your abilities in industry-relevant communication tasks or assets related to illustration or graphic design or fashion communication and styling or advertising, public relations and branding or digital media.

It will equip you with a range of digital and/or analogue practices, analytical approaches and tools by which to create, curate, direct and produce content required to deliver impactful communications achieving the required objectives. The module also encourages the exploration of individual style through a series of introductory projects and to explore possible career trajectories in the creative industries.

This module introduces you to the position of illustration, design, brands, and media in contemporary society and issues of equality and responsible production and consumption. It fosters critical understanding of images, texts, and objects in various contexts.

This module extends and deepens your understanding of the relationship between your developing practice and the practices that have developed at other times and at other places. Additionally, it equips you with transferable skills for autonomous learning at degree level encouraging exploration of theory and practice fostering independent research and reflective practice. Engagement with academic and contemporary media resources will enable you to develop critical and practical vocabularies in preparation for the second and third years of your degree. 

This module introduces you to design disciplines, such as design thinking, life drawing, digital design, moving image, video editing, photography, design for print, and styling. Through hands-on exploration, you will develop a diverse set of practical and technical skills applicable across different design fields, focusing on process, production, and presentation. You will engage with the latest tools, technologies and processes enabling you to develop adaptability and technological agility. You will learn the skills, knowledge and literacies needed to thrive in this environment. Also, you will learn to critically evaluate the design processes and develop appropriate solutions to communication briefs, resulting in project-specific outcomes that demonstrate your creativity and proficiency in design. 

This module encourages innovation through the exploration of design methods and cultivate conceptual thinking and creative confidence. It will enable you to generate creative ideas adept at addressing diverse communication challenges. Emphasis on visual communication ensures that you will understand the principles of design across various formats. Through hands-on exploration, you will learn to respond imaginatively and effectively to given design briefs by sourcing reference material, applying technical skills, and developing skills in experimentation and reflection.

In year two you will take four compulsory modules and you will have the option to do an industry placement.

This module introduces you to a range of methods and techniques of research in the fields of digital media and communications. It equips you with key skills and knowledge that can be applied in academic and professional projects. You will learn how to devise and develop an independent research project within the framework of digital media. The module covers areas such as basic project planning and management skills. It will guide you across the learning of techniques and methods for digital ethnography, social media content analysis, big data analytics, creative research and how these compare with more traditional media research methods such as interviews, questionnaires, and focus groups.

This module enables you to produce immersive, critical, story-led, memory creating, and experience-driven content for social media and the metaverse. It teaches you to analyse, construct and critically reflect on interactive and immersive narratives and diverse modes, practices, and applications of immersive storytelling in a multitude of contexts. It requires you to develop a critical case study response/group presentation, accompanied by an individual report. You will develop the technical and creative skills to produce experiential content that is purposefully designed for specific audiences. In groups, you will create an immersive experience by means of some combination of interactions, animations, embedded media, creative technologies, and storytelling.

This module explores how user experience design (UX) and user interface design (UI) create deeper levels of engagement. Focussing on mobile to web, you will be introduced to the elements of UX design such as wireframing, prototyping and user journey mapping. You will design user interfaces using design systems and learn to employ UX/UI patterns to create immersive experiences for graphical user interfaces (GUIs), voice-controlled interfaces (VUIs), gesture-based interfaces using UI patterns, gamification and animations. Forms of media you may produce include mobile phone apps and websites. The module also covers interactive touchscreen installations for brands and product launches and information kiosks for museums. 

This module introduces best practice for each aspect of the content creation process and invites you to consider how creative choices associated with areas such as cinematography, layout, colour and typography underpins the success of your work. You will conduct research and develop ideation approach. You will then create, edit and composite assets utilising appropriate production workflows and industry-standard software and equipment, whilst demonstrating an awareness of the legal and ethical implications of outsourced assets.  

During year three you will undertake a major project alongside three additional compulsory modules .

This module enables you to demonstrate research and creative skills developed in other parts of the programme in one major piece of work. You will undertake your own project that will be a development of a practical, creative, industry-standard project relevant to the field of digital media and communications with a critical reflection detailing the process of development and execution. You will have the opportunity to identify and engage critically with relevant critical frameworks in the field of digital media and communications, apply this knowledge in the development of a practical project, and demonstrate the relevant intellectual, professional and time management skills to bring the project to a successful completion. 

This module teaches you the creative application of digital technologies, frameworks and practical media production skills required to prepare you for a career in creative technology. You will be supported to identify and solve a real-world problem by the creative application of a new or emerging technology. Technologies will be introduced alongside their cultural and economic significance. Additionally, relevant case studies will inform the design of applications of creative technologies such as: interactive participatory environments, games, guides, tours, interactive maps and tools, smartphone applications and services. 

This module focuses on design for social innovation, the role of citizen designers as changemakers, and examines the rise of academic debate in the areas of social design, sustainable design, inclusive design, ethical design, and design futures. You will explore the potential of digital media for social change, participation, and empowerment, develop a range of creative and critical skills to address social issues, and learn to practice design in a socially responsible manner. The module requires the creative and critical application of digital media forms for the creation of a public-facing design project for social innovation and change, accompanied by a reflective design research report. Forms of media you may produce include social media campaigns, web-based projects, video and animation, community media, serious games, NFTs (non-fungible tokens), smart contracts, dApps and distributed ledger technologies, information screens, augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), extended reality (XR). 

The module provides you with a comprehensive understanding of the diverse social media networks and technologies used in the capture, design, production and management of digital content. Through professional case studies, you will learn to critically evaluate and apply appropriate technologies and tools of social media management in different contexts, a range of institutions, organisations and practices. Key legal, ethical and regulatory frameworks and a critical understanding of the types of social data utilised are vital to the module. You will evaluate and develop social media management strategies and current trends, and by working to briefs you will demonstrate the ability to understand and engage with metrics, analytical tools and different types of data. 

This course is taught through group sessions (tutorials/learning groups) using inclusive approaches, practice-led guided learning via project briefs, situated learning experiences with industry professionals and industry visits, reflection on personal and cultural experiences. You will be involved in problem-solving, task-based learning, writing in academic, creative and professional genres, creative production workshops and technical inductions to software and equipment, creative project work, tutorials and continuous developmental feedback, guided and independent study and research. 

You will typically have ten to twelve hours of timetabled classes per week, in addition to regular one-to-one tutorials with lecturers and a range of tutors from services such as the Learning Enhancement Team, Library and MDX Works. You will benefit from personalised support from your academic advisor. 

You will be studying at our north London campus in Hendon.

During your first year, your weekly timetable will typically consist of:

• 3 hours of engaging interactive sessions
• 7 hours of practical classes and workshops
• 1 hour of tutorials
• 1 hour of group work

In years 2 and 3 your weekly timetable will typically consist of:

• 2 hours of engaging interactive sessions
• 6 hours of practical classes and workshops
• 1 hour of tutorials
• 1 hour of group work

When not attending your teaching, sessions mentioned above, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, and preparing for assessments including coursework, presentations and examinations. Your independent learning is supported by the facilities available including the library and Study Hub, laptop hire, and with online materials in MyUniHub (see student support section below).

Here is an indication of how you will split your time:

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Whether you are studying full or part-time – your course timetable will balance your study commitments on campus with time for work, life commitments and independent study.

We aim to make timetables available to students at least 2 weeks before the start of term. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on-campus sessions.

You will have access to academic support services that you assist you in the following areas;

• Study Skills, including academic writing, reading and numeracy skills.
• Employability, with workshops and tutorials on CV writing, interview and presentation skills.
• Library Support, including sessions on finding, and choosing the right resources and software and
• tutorials on referencing and plagiarism.
• Progression and Support Advisors to assist you with if you experience difficulties with your studies.
• Well-being Services.

These services can be accessed through the UniHelp Desk in the Library building.

The Digital Media and Communications course is entirely coursework-based, with no exams. Assessments include production of media texts for example multisensorial discourse, images, video, website, immersive experiences, oral presentations, roleplays and simulation activities, generation, critical analysis and interpretation of (multimodal) texts, evidence of good argumentation and research in essay and report writing, independent and group project work culminating in a major project. This comprehensive approach ensures you develop practical skills to be industry ready.   

Percentage of course assessed by coursework

The balance of assessment will depend on the modules that you complete throughout your course. The approximate percentage of the course which is assessed by coursework is outlined below:

You will receive feedback on the formative assessment, and written summative assessments. Feedback on examination performance can be requested from the module leader. Feedback is intended to help you learn and progress, and you are encouraged to review and discuss your feedback with your module or personal tutor.

We will aim to provide you with feedback within 15 working days of submission.

Details of progression and pass marks for assessment can be found in the university regulations.