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School of Art, Design and Architecture

BA (Hons) Creative Media

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UCAS tariff 96 - 112 Contextual offers
A contextual offer is an offer to study at university that takes personal circumstances that may affect grades into account.
UCAS course code W614
Institution code P60
Duration

3 years
Course type

Full-time
Study location Plymouth

BA (Hons) Creative Media launches you on a journey to make media that shapes, reflects and changes the world we live in. Our industry-facing course develops your creative voice, engages with communities on social issues and provides a practical grounding in professional media practices. Learn from experts skilled in narrative, documentary and artistic media practices – from film, photography and animation to interactive and immersive media, projection mapping and online media production.

Careers with this subject
The key to our course design is understanding what the creative industries value, what’s attractive to employers and the diverse opportunities of creative media. Being a flexible media maker in a continually-evolving media landscape futureproofs your qualification.
Our graduates are multi-skilled, flexible practitioners fulfilling diverse roles in the global media ecosystem. We are proud of how we equip our students for an everchanging media landscape. You will graduate with:
  • confidence in the value of your creative voice
  • a fully developed professional profile and portfolio
  • industry contacts
  • experience working on collaborations beyond the University
  • experience pitching ideas, negotiating with clients, branding, marketing and promoting
  • experience designing and making for various contexts, from social media campaigns to live events
  • knowledge of the social and ethical impact of professional media
  • the ability to research and articulate ideas effectively.
Our graduates work as directors, producers, camera crew, editors and sound designers. They set up successful businesses. They become fashion and travel photographers, animators, book illustrators, web designers and curators. They are independent artists, marketing and advertising executives, media strategists, game makers and educators. Others continue into postgraduate study and become academics.
They can be found at the BBC, Disney and Radio One. Their work is found at the BAFTAs, in the National Portrait Gallery, on the cover of Vogue magazine and in the creative offices of Google and Facebook.

Key features
  • Study a range of media practices, including video, photography, sound, animation and digital media.
  • Enjoy the freedom to experiment: choose to focus on one medium, develop several or integrate across the range to find your creative voice.
  • Develop projects to suit your creative and career ambitions. Open doors to your future career by showcasing your work to the public and developing a portfolio of work. Enhance your professional profile further by engaging with our live briefs.
  • Advance your technical skills using our outstanding equipment and facilities, including a fully equipped cinema, moving image studio with green screen, photographic and sound studios, computer labs, animation rostrums and much more.
  • Learn from award-winning tutors from industry, arts practice and academic research. Benefit from strong links with the industry such as the BBC, ITV and Royal Television Society along with regional arts and community groups, giving you the opportunity to develop and realise creative collaborations beyond the University.

Course details

  • Year 1

  • You will explore what creative media means to you by making a series of short, critically framed, practical projects. You will investigate narrative expression and cultural context in disciplines including still and moving image, sound, interaction and animation. You will also work beyond the University on a live industry brief and public exhibition or screening that will introduce professional working methods and audience reception.

    Core modules

    MEDI414
    Situating Practice 40 credits

    In this module students will be required to critically evaluate the skills and experience gained in previous modules and develop strategies for the future. They will be introduced to key critical approaches to presenting work to the public and engage in practice which explores the dialogue between their work and wider contexts. This module includes group working.

    100% Coursework

    MEDI415
    Industry Brief

    Students collaborate in this module to produce a creative response to an industry brief. They are introduced to the roles and responsibilities associated with group working and delivering projects for industry clients. They critically engage with theory, practice and various technical approaches to produce creative assets for the appropriate media context.

    MEDI416
    Narratives: Still

    This module will introduce to students the creative possibilities of working with ideas of still image narrative and meaning construction in creative media. This is a practice-led module which integrates and examines various theories of and approaches to narrative, storytelling and meaning construction.

    MEDI417
    Narratives: Moving

    This module will introduce students to a range of theories and approaches to narrative and meaning construction in moving image and sound, and then apply these to an individual moving image and sound project to be developed during the module. Key to this module is the exploration of how moving image and sound can articulate meaning to an audience. This module will also provide students with an opportunity to develop and extend their technical skills and practical production experience.

    MEDI418
    Narratives: Experiential

    This practice-led module builds on the Still and Moving Image Narrative modules and introduces students to the creative possibilities of Experiential Narratives. Students explore and experiment with various theories and approaches to creating collaborative experiential narrative projects. Having learnt how to document the research and production of their own creative projects, students are now introduced to how to critically evaluate and reflect on their projects.

  • Year 2

  • You will study advanced media practice and explore critical frameworks for your work. Experimentation and developing your creative voice are at the heart of this part of the course. You will collaborate with industry partners on a socially-engaged media project and gain professional confidence. Study of media theory will enhance your academic skills and media creation process. There is also opportunity to study abroad in stage 2.

    Core modules

    MEDI514
    Experiment 40 credits

    The module provides the framework for a student lo take creative risks, broaden their practical skills, enhance their confidence and to develop their own creative voice. It provides a framework in which to research and develop one or more large-scale projects built on a sense of personal practice by means of practical experiments, underpinned by workshops, contextual research and ongoing reflection.

    100% Coursework

    MEDI516
    Common Challenge: Social Context 20 credits

    This module offers an opportunity for students to work collaboratively on projects that will develop and enhance their professional and creative skills in working towards a collective outcome. It places creativity at the core of collaboration alongside the facilitation of new ideas and practices.

    100% Coursework

    MEDI517
    Critical Dialogues

    Critical Dialogues mixes contemporary debates and media histories in a lively lecture/seminar programme. The module provides exposure to seminal media theory / practice and facilitates students to engage critically with their own work, situated in the context of established practitioners.

    MEDI518
    Immersive Storytelling

    Students experiment with interactive and immersive media to create multimodal storytelling experiences. Iterative project development and playtesting are means to explore theoretical approaches, concepts and practices central to interactive and immersive storytelling.

  • Final year

  • The final year is about your passions, interests and ambitions. You complete two major self-directed projects in independent practice and collaborative practice. Hone your research skills in a dissertation and prepare for your future career in our professional module. You have the opportunity to showcase your achievements in a substantial public exhibition. We also provide one-to-one mentoring by industry professionals and the opportunity to meet and network with potential employers.

    Core modules

    MEDI611
    Independent Practice 40 credits

    Drawing on a growing sense of practice, underpinned by tutorial support, students will develop a large scale project through an application of practical and critical skills.

    100% Coursework

    ADA600
    Common Dissertation: Critical Practices 20 credits

    The module engages students in situating practice through research, contextualisation and critical reflection, in relation to their final stage study and post University aspirations. Programmes can offer: a traditional dissertation; preparation for an extended dissertation; situating existing practice; or the construction of a new body of work as practice-based research.

    100% Coursework

    MEDI612
    Media Futures 20 credits

    This module will support students in their aspirations beyond graduation. Students will identify career/ postgraduate aims and further develop their portfolios and professional profiles to effectively promote themselves and their practice in appropriate contexts.

    100% Coursework

    MEDI613
    Collaborative and Contextual Practice

    In this module you will undertake a collaborative project, emphasis will be placed on working processes and methodologies, group interaction, the planning and completion of the project within a defined context. This module provides an important critical context arising from issues relating to collaborative practice, working from a research and development stage through to realisation in order to contribute new objects or forms of cultural production.

The modules shown for this course are those currently being studied by our students, or are proposed new modules. Please note that programme structures and individual modules are subject to amendment from time to time as part of the University’s curriculum enrichment programme and in line with changes in the University’s policies and requirements.

Entry requirements

UCAS tariff

96 - 112

Contextual offers: Typically, the contextual offer for this course is 8 points below the advertised tariff. A contextual offer is an offer to study at university that takes into account individual circumstances that are beyond your control, and that can potentially impact your learning and your exam results, or your confidence in applying to university.

Check your eligibility for a contextual offer

A level
A minimum of 2 A levels; General Studies accepted.
International Baccalaureate
26–28 points.
18 Unit BTEC National Diploma/QCF Extended Diploma
DMM.
BTEC National Diploma modules
If you hold a BTEC qualification, it is vital that you provide our Admissions team with details of the exact modules you have studied as part of the BTEC. Without this information, we may be unable to process your application quickly and you could experience significant delays in the progress of your application to study with us. Please explicitly state the full list of modules within your qualification at the time of application.
All access courses
Pass a named Access to Higher Education Diploma (preferably art and design or combined), with at least 33 credits at merit and/or distinction.
T level
Merit in digital production, design and development.
GCSE
Mathematics and English Language grade C.
Portfolio
Applicants are not required to share a portfolio with us; however, doing so may allow us to guarantee you a place or consider applications that do not meet the normal academic requirements.
Other
Equivalent qualifications may be considered.
We welcome applicants with international qualifications. To view other accepted qualifications, please refer to our tariff glossary.

Fees, costs and funding
2024-2025 2025-2026 *
Home £9,250 £9,535
International £17,100 £17,600
Part time (Home) £770 £795
Full time fees shown are per annum. Part time fees shown are per 10 credits. Please note that fees are reviewed on an annual basis. Fees and the conditions that apply to them shown in the prospectus are correct at the time of going to print. Fees shown on the web are the most up to date but are still subject to change in exceptional circumstances. More information about fees and funding.

*UK Government announcement on tuition fees

Following an announcement in November, the government has confirmed its intention to increase undergraduate tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year.

Subject to final Parliamentary approval (expected in early March 2025), the tuition fee for UK students is increasing to a maximum of £9,535 from 1 August 2025. This change applies to current and new students at the University of Plymouth. The Student Loans Company (SLC) has confirmed loans for tuition fees will be increased accordingly.

Additional costs

This course is delivered by the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business and more details of any additional costs associated with the faculty's courses are listed on the following page: Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business additional costs .

How to apply
All applications for undergraduate courses are made through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).
UCAS will ask for the information contained in the box at the top of this course page including the UCAS course code and the institution code.
To apply for this course and for more information about submitting an application including application deadline dates, please visit the UCAS website.
Support is also available to overseas students applying to the University from our International Office via our how to apply webpage or email admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

Providing rewarding experiences

You’ll have opportunities to learn work-ready skills sought by employers.

Mattie Stainton Cure the Climate project 2022 in the Roland Levinsky Building Immersive Media Lab. Image credit: Ryan Cheetham Fotonow CIC

Experience real-life projects beyond the classroom
Our strong industry links with organisations such as the BBC and ITV give you the opportunity to work on real-life creative collaborations.

Virtual Reality / Immersive Media

Achieve your creative goals with our excellent facilities and resources
From green screens and broadcast studios to animation suites and darkrooms, you'll have access to a wide range of specialist facilities.

Media Arts Berlin Trip

We love Plymouth, but we also love to explore
We're part of the ISEP international exchange programme with bespoke exchange agreements across Europe and the USA.

Student voice

The latest news, student projects and graduate stories.

Creative media project lonely not alone - campaign image for news page.
Creative Media and Media Arts news highlights

From live projects to award ceremonies, hear the latest news from our students, graduates and academics.
Image of an elephant from Rachel Singleton's Long Last Community exhibit, The Zoo
Student projects

Have a look at some of the projects our students have been involved in.
Ana Lui Golebiewska
Our graduates

Get inspired by reading some stories of life after Plymouth.

Learn from experts in their field

Connect with our community on social media

* These are the latest results from the National Student Survey. Please note that the data published on Discover Uni (Unistats) is updated annually in September.