Everything you need to know...
International/EU: £14,415 per year (£1,200 for placement year)
Come to an open day
Find out more at our undergraduate open days. Book now for your place.
Course summary
- Conduct your own interviews and vox-pops.
- Cover a range of real events including courts and council meetings.
- Produce tightly written work to deadline and word count.
- Learn media law and ethics, including industry codes of conduct.
- Integrate digital journalism into all your practical work.
The course is suitable if you don’t meet the entry requirements for our full degree course, or you’d like extra preparation before starting degree-level study. You'll learn with experienced practitioners and develop your interests. After completing your foundation year, you’ll have the skills and knowledge you need, and progress directly onto the full degree, on which you’ll create content for a variety of media platforms, using audio, photography and video. You’ll also learn how to use social media professionally and set up your own professional website.
View our students' work
Find out more about the Media Arts and Communications department and view the work of some of our students.
How you learn
All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.
Learning takes place in lectures, interactive workshops, seminars and screenings, where key topics and concepts are introduced and explored. You are encouraged to work in teams and small groups as well as developing an individual approach to your learning.
You learn through
- lectures
- interactive workshops
- seminars
- screenings
- essays
- examinations
- group and individual presentations
- practical work
There are opportunities to study abroad at one of our partner universities with the possibility of funding through the Erasmus+ programme (until 2023) or the Turing Scheme.
Applied learning
Work experience
You have opportunities for work experience throughout the full degree course, through our strong links with the creative industries. Previous students have
- helped produce programmes for Radio 5 Live
- worked at BBC Radio Sheffield
- run the website for Doncaster Rovers
- worked as editorial assistants for the Independent, Vogue, Heat and Gay Times
- written for the Huffington Post and Buzzfeed
- covered elections for TV station Sheffield Live
Field trips
We have had students working at Sheffield Doc/Fest – one of the top three documentary film festivals in the world – attending exclusive workshops with international industry experts.
Our annual Creative Industries Pathway event brings you face-to-face with leading figures across the media industry, while our annual Grad Talk connects you with recent journalism, media and PR graduates who can pass on invaluable tips about how to progress from university to career.
Networking opportunities
We have a lively guest lecture programme, where our contacts across the media give one-off talks. It's been described as one of the best in the country by the magazine industry body the Professional Publishers Association. Recent guest lecturers have come from online and print magazines, radio and television newsrooms, local and national newspapers, PR companies and marketing agencies.
The entire course, in terms of both content and approach, is geared towards producing employable professionals within the vibrant national and international creative media industry.
Future careers
Previous graduates from the course have worked
- as feature writers at magazines including Closer, Which? and Gay Times, as well as at a variety of B2B (business to business) magazines
- for broadcasters including BBC World Service, BBC local radio, ITV, Liverpool FC TV, Sky and TalkSport
- in PR and marketing roles for Sheffield Wednesday FC, Everton FC, Manchester, Warrington and Nottinghamshire councils, Oxford University Press and HRH the Prince of Wales
- in social media and digital roles for Amnesty International, Irwin Mitchell and Johnston Press
- as freelance journalists
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | Campus facilities | Keeping safe on Campus
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEquipment and facilities
You will have access to state-of-the-art facilities including a new TV studio and radio studios, regularly refurbished and updated with the dedicated support of the Creative Media Centre support staff.
Learn more about your department
Media, Arts and Communications Facilities Tour
Take a look around the media, arts and communication facilities at Sheffield Hallam University with lecturer Saskia Wilson.
Entry requirements
All students
UCAS points
- 80
With at least 32 points from one A level or equivalent BTEC National qualifications. For example:
- CDD at A Level.
- MMP in BTEC Extended Diploma.
- A combination of qualifications which must include an A level grade C or BTEC grade M.
GCSE
- English Language or Literature at grade C or 4 or equivalents*
- Maths at grade C or 4 or equivalents*
You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.p>
• An Access to HE Diploma with at least 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2. At least 15 level 3 credits must be at merit grade or above from a QAA-recognised Access to HE course, or an equivalent Access to HE certificate.
We may also accept you, if you have limited qualifications but can show evidence of ability and a genuine commitment to studying Media Arts and Communication.
We treat the foundation year as part of the Media Arts and Communication degree programme. Offers made to students will be for four years of study (or five years of study including a placement). This is made up of the foundation year plus one of our Media Arts and Communication degrees.
Some applicants may be invited to attend an informal interview with the course leader to ensure that the programme is suitable for themselves and their aspirations.
If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills, or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.0 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.
Please note the University will only admit students who are aged 18 or over at the point of enrolment.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page. You can also watch a video guide on how to apply.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.
You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.
Year 1
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Creative Synergies In Media Production | Credits: 40 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Media In Context | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Media Project | Credits: 40 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Preparing For Independent Practice And Study | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Year 2
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Audio Visual Journalism | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: History Of Journalism | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Media Law And Democracy | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Media, Power And Society | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Multimedia Storytelling | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Social Media And Web Journalism | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Year 3
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Ethics And Responsibility | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Feature Writing | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Radio And Sound Production | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Researching And Reporting | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Tv And Video News Skills | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Life And Style Journalism | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Podcasting | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Year 4
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
| Module: Placement Year | Credits: - |
Final year
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Applied Project / Dissertation For Journalism | Credits: 40 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Digital Journalism And Data Visualisation | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Covering The Courts | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Magazine Creation | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Magazine Publishing | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Moral Panics | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Radio Broadcasting | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Tv Journalism And Production | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time undergraduate study in 2022/23 is £9,250 per year. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.
† If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2022/23 is £14,415 per year. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.
Financial support for home/EU students
How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.
Additional course costs
This link allows you to view estimated costs associated with the main activities on specific courses. These are estimates and, as such, are only an indication of additional course costs. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
Additional costs for Media, PR and journalism courses (PDF, 227.1KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
