Helston Community College

Media Studies

Is this course for me?
You'll need to be a keen consumer of a range of media throughout the course, and be prepared to learn interesting new and established frameworks for understanding issues relating to the mass media. Creative- minded students also tend to really enjoy media production work. This means being prepared to study and engage with many media texts, some of which will be outside your usual consumption. One week you may need to follow the news in both print and broadcast formats, listen to the radio, or explore websites in your study of the digital media. There is a Non Examined Assessment involving practical production - you'll need to be prepared to learn new technical skills, to be self-reliant, well-organised and motivated to succeed.

What qualifications do I need?
You will need to have attained a Grade 5 in English Language. This is due to the level of writing as well as critical thinking required on the course. There is no need to have studied GCSE Media Studies, as the course is taught from scratch and does not assume any prior knowledge of the subject.

What does the course involve?
The AQA specification has put a heavy emphasis on the importance of media in a changing world and at the fore of the digital revolution. It also provides you with the opportunity to stretch your experience of the media by looking at some texts which are historical, and some which are made for audiences in other parts of the world. You can choose to learn some web design, digital video editing in Adobe Premiere, or to use Photoshop to produce really professional-looking print products. You'll develop a good understanding of who media audiences are and why they consume what they
do. You'll learn about the media industry, who controls it, and how.

How will my work be assessed?
There will be two exam papers. These are worth 35% each - 70% of your A Level, and contain a mixture of shorter questions and longer, higher value responses. The first paper is focused around an identified theme and the theoretical framework. The practical NEA (30% of the A level) also will be linked to this theme, although students will have a great deal of flexibility in what they choose to make. The second paper has a similar question format, but focuses instead on questions relating to the twenty-four close study texts.

What can I do afterwards?
Media Studies develops you as a person. It gives you new skills and improves the ones you may already have. You'll become a better critical thinker, able to spot flaws in arguments and understand different perspectives. You'll become a more skilled writer, able to order ideas in a thoughtful and confident way. You'll learn new technical skills. Many of our media students enjoy the subjects so much they go on to study further at university. There are a huge number of related courses available at HE, such as those with a vocational heart such as Television and Film Production, Broadcast Journalism or Advertising and PR to more traditionally academic courses such as Media and Cultural Studies. If university isn't your thing, you'll still find you have plenty of skills which are attractive to employers.