* subject to final UWE Bristol approval
This course is open for applications
Page last updated 15 November 2024
Launch your career in the media, arts and creative industries by studying a unique blend of theory, practical media-making and professional industry practices. Innovative content and evolving research methods will ensure you develop the essential skills to work in this thriving sector and beyond.
On our flexible, interdisciplinary BA(Hons) Culture, Media and Creative Industries you’ll specialise in cultural theory, media practice work, the creative industries, or blend all three.
Understand how media and communication shape, and are shaped by, culture and society, and you’ll have the power to impact them.
You’ll gain knowledge in key concepts, theories and debates relating to social justice, sustainability, power and representation within the context of media, culture and society.
Explore the historical and technological development of media and communications practices and their change-making role in social movements and civic campaigns while critically analysing established media conventions.
Apply this critical understanding to your own media and creative practices and go on to innovate and disrupt these growing global industries in your future career.
Learn from creative industry professionals with a wide range of specialisms who are active in internationally recognised research, have extensive industry expertise or both. Through small class sizes, your lecturers will give you personalised guidance, shaping your creative practice and future creative career.
Work with our external partners in Bristol’s thriving cultural and media sector, offering you strong links to key creative media-makers and cultural organisations. These include powerhouses like the Watershed, Pervasive Media Studio, Arnolfini and MShed’s collection of museums, as well as small-scale innovative, independent producers and artists.
You’ll also showcase your work to talent scouts and creative professionals at our final year Degree Show, offering potential employment opportunities after graduation.
This course will suit you if you’re interested in media and the arts and creative industries, regardless of your future career plans.
When you graduate, your skillset will prepare you for creative roles in broad media production contexts where effective communication, storytelling, media-making and industry knowledge are sought after.
Benefit from strong career prospects in both public and private sectors, from marketing and PR to charities and cultural organisations, such as museums.
In year one you'll gain a grounding in cultural and media theory by considering the intersections of culture with power, class, and social differences, and exploring the roles of audiences in the construction and negotiation of cultural meaning. You'll develop the tools needed to critically analyse cultural forms and practices, preparing you for more advanced research methods in your second year.
You'll develop a foundation in the creative practices, using technical skills and conceptual frameworks to produce critical media projects using audio and visual media within a digital environment. You'll gain core skills in project management and group work, as well as training in how to use kit such as cameras, lighting and sound equipment, and key creative software.
You'll study public relations and social purpose campaigning and begin to develop an understanding of how communications can effect change in culture and society. You'll consider the role that public relations plays in shaping meaning and understanding of key issues such as gender and climate change.
In year two you'll gain the core building blocks of research theory and methodology in preparation for your major project in your final year.
You'll build on your media-making skills and understanding and learn media practice software and procedures to advance your technical competence from those gained in your first year. You'll explore the ways in which contemporary media production, participation and consumption are shaped by specific contexts.
You'll study campaigning and activist contexts and environments and continue to develop and reflect on the professional skills needed for a career in the media, arts and creative industries.
You'll consider the role of public relations in creating, maintaining and recovering reputation, and gain both a theoretical and practical understanding of crisis communications.
In your final year you'll be able to follow your interests and specialise according to your skillset by choosing between producing a written dissertation or a significant piece of research-led media-making, such as a film or interactive video installation.
All students will study the creative and cultural industries and undertake a work placement in Bristol’s thriving arts, cultural and media sector, as well as creating a professional industry-standard communications campaign strategy that addresses a live brief set by a real client.
Students will have the option to choose between two specialist modules, either focusing on sustainability, ecologies and ethics or events and festivals for the creative industries.
The year will culminate in students exhibiting their work at the UWE Bristol degree show.
This structure is for full-time students only. Part-time students study the same modules but the delivery pattern will be different.
The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved we'll inform you.
Focusing on Bristol as a centre of arts and culture you'll test concepts, theories and ideas often using the city and its creative industries as a living brief.
Teaching is research-informed, and you’ll learn through a mix of lectures, small group seminars, specialist and technical workshops, field trips, projects, placements, student-led research and live briefs.
Collaborate with research-active academic teaching staff, many of whom work closely with Bristol's media and creative organisations. Some are also involved in research through UWE Bristol's Digital Cultures Research Centre.
Take part in research events, guest lectures and conferences and student-led and public-facing projects.
Gaining experience across various aspects of media communication and cultural theory in Year one you'll then shape your degree through your module choices.
In your final year you'll produce a major practical project or dissertation to showcase your making or writing skills.
See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.
On average you'll attend class activities for 10-12 hours a week over 24 weeks with additional time allocated for technical production workshops and working on group projects.
Outside class time we expect you to prepare course readings and complete writing and research exercises, essays, production exercises and projects.
Assessments are comprised of group and individual work, including written case study or research essays, presentations, media-making projects and client live briefs.
Industry-facing assessments include portfolios containing your own selection of documents like press releases, blog posts or campaign strategies.
Media-making projects might include still and moving images, photo books, interactive video, digital design work and a practice-based portfolio containing a film, reflective workbook and verbal critique.
In your final year you’ll choose between a written dissertation or media-making project to play to your strengths, whether that’s academic writing, practical making or both.
See our full glossary of assessment terms.
In the summer break of Year two you’ll take a compulsory work placement for up to 20 days or equivalent. You’ll source the placement yourself with support from your course lecturers and UWE Bristol’s career service.
In previous years students have completed their work placement at companies such as the BBC, Sky Sports TV, the National Trust and Disney Productions.
You’ll also get to work with external partners in your final year as part of the compulsory Creative Cultural Industries Work Placement module.
If you choose the four-year (sandwich) course, you'll spend a year away from the University on a work placement after Year two. Your placement will be at least 26 weeks long and relevant to your course.
You can choose to complete your sandwich year work placement abroad to gain international experience.
Get help to find placements and support throughout from department staff and our award-winning careers service.
You’ll explore the region through field trips that leverage Bristol’s rich cultural and media sector. This will inform and enhance your academic work at no additional cost to you.
You can also attend optional research trips to cultural events, art galleries, exhibitions or festivals to supplement your coursework-based field research.
In previous years students have taken field trips to the V&A and Wellcome Collection in London as well as more locally to MShed in Bristol.
As well as inspiring your own creative ideas and projects these visits could give you an opportunity to find out about jobs in these industries.
You'll be based at Frenchay Campus and have some classes at City Campus at Watershed and Arnolfini.
Learn in bespoke computing suites with creative media software and areas for moving and still image production.
Use HD video cameras, digital SLRs and software for photographic, video and web-based production on Apple Macs and PCs.
Our experienced technicians will build your production skills in our multimedia labs and familiarise you with emerging media platforms.
Learn more about UWE Bristol's facilities and resources.
Take a personalised virtual tour of the Journalism and Media facilities and and experience what a typical day could look like here for you.
An excellent range of options for all of the Bristol campuses and the city centre.
A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.
There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.
We provide support in the way you need it.
Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.
Study Culture, Media and Creative Industries and you’ll gain the industry expertise and experience, academic research and theory and media-making knowledge to boost your employability. You’ll graduate with the transferable skills you need for a successful creative career in the private or public sector.
Gain in-demand skills with anticipated future growth, making you a desirable graduate in growing areas such as digital marketing, project management and digital content creation. These skills include analysis, collaboration, creativity, user experience, SEO, audio and video skills.
Develop a diverse range of skills in production (digital photo and video, sound design, interactive and online media production and software), campaigning, promotion, project management and presenting. You’ll also build strong verbal and written communication skills, practice-based making skills and academic skills in critical thinking, research, argumentation and audience understanding.
Discover a vibrant mix of media arts, innovation and activism while engaging with Bristol’s creative and cultural industries. Connecting with media and creative organisations will help you to build your professional network and seek potential employment opportunities after graduation.
You’ll have several opportunities to gain industry experience through our final year work placement module and optional sandwich year. Work experience doesn’t only make you more likely to graduate with a better degree - it also advances your industry knowledge and professional development, making you a sought-after graduate.
Build strong enterprise skills, self-reliance and confidence that’ll give you the flexibility to adopt the latest digital media innovations in this future-facing field. You’ll also reflect on global issues, considering sustainable solutions to the human impact on the environment.
Your transferable skills will be relevant across broad media production contexts including marketing, PR, community media, small to medium enterprises and the heritage, museum, arts and charity sectors.
Our award-winning careers service will develop your employment potential through career coaching and find you graduate jobs, placements and global opportunities.
We can also help find local volunteering and community opportunities, provide support for entrepreneurial activity and get you access to employer events.
Visit our employability pages to learn more about careers, employers and what our students are doing six months after graduating.
*The UK Government recently proposed that tuition fees for Home students will increase by 3.1% to £9,535 from 1st August 2025. This increase is subject to Parliamentary approval and the vote is expected to take place later this year.
Any tuition fee which is impacted by this change will be updated following approval.
Please see GOV.UK for further information.
Your overall entitlement to funding is based on how long the course is that you're registered on. Standard funding is allocated based on the standard number of years that your course lasts, plus one additional year.
You'll apply for funding each year that you study and Student Finance will take into account how long the course is in each year that you apply. So if you register for the three year course and then transfer to the four year course, the number of years you can apply for funding will change. Student Finance will reassess your funding based on how many years you've been in study, not just those years for which you received student finance.
Always seek advice before taking any action that may have implications for your funding.
This refers to items you could need during your studies that aren't covered by the standard tuition fee. These could be materials, textbooks, travel, clothing, software or printing.
Read more about entry requirements.
Read more about undergraduate applications.
UK applicants
Admissions@uwe.ac.uk
International/EU applicants
International@uwe.ac.uk
UK applicants
+44 (0)117 32 83333
International/EU applicants
+44 (0)117 32 86644