Programme Specification for the 2025/6 academic year
BA (Hons) English and Media and Communications with Employment Experience Abroad
1. Programme Details
| Programme name | BA (Hons) English and Media and Communications with Employment Experience Abroad | Programme code | UFA4EGLCMM03 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study mode(s) | Level 1 |
Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Campus(es) | Streatham (Exeter) |
NQF Level of the Final Award | 6 (Honours) |
2. Description of the Programme
English and Media and Communications at the University of Exeter is a challenging and flexible degree that builds on two internationally-renowned centres of excellence in research and teaching. Our teaching grows out of our wide-ranging, world-leading research interests and we provide a supportive and high-quality environment for learning.
Through critical and creative approaches, the programme provides you with a sense of the range and variety of literary works and introduces you to theoretical approaches that enable you to engage critically with texts understood in their historical and cultural contexts. Your Media and Communications modules will allow you to develop deep knowledge and understanding of a variety of historical, theoretical, and methodological approaches to the study of media and communication technologies and the production, dissemination, and reception of media texts. From early print media, through the broadcast era, to the current era of networked digital media, these modules will allow you to interrogate the ways that media and communication technologies mediate social realities in specific historical and cultural contexts. Employability skills are embedded within the modules, and you will hone practical and professional skills that will prepare you for work across a range of jobs in the creative industries.
English modules are taught by staff with expertise in literature from the Middle Ages to the present, in cinema throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, and in creative writing practices in poetry, prose and screen-writing. Media and Communications modules are taught by experts in a wide range of research fields, including critical media studies, celebrity studies, media anthropology, data and infrastructure studies, internet studies, migration studies, cultural policy, video game studies, gender and sexuality studies, cultural sociology, and much more. Students on the programme benefit from access to world-leading resources, such as the Digital Humanities Lab, the Foreign Language Centre, and the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.
The programme covers a wide range of material allowing you to develop and follow your own interests with the provision of modules by active researchers who are at the forefront of their respective fields.
Advice and guidance on your programme can be sought from your personal tutor and programme director. All staff offer regular office hours that you can drop into without a prior appointment for this purpose.
This programme is studied over four years. The first two years and the final year are university-based, and the third year is spent gaining employment experience at a suitable location abroad.
This Employment Experience Abroad variant of the programme is a great way to incorporate graduate-level work placement or placements undertaken outside of the United Kingdom directly into your programme of study, to reflect critically upon these experiences, and for them to count towards the assessment of your degree. There is no better way to gain valuable employment experience that can be rewarded and recognised clearly by future employers. With preparation, support and approval from the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences including in foreign languages if required, you can also demonstrate adaptability and resourcefulness by organising suitable placements in areas of employment related to your interests and potential future career. This variant of the programme also provides a great way to demonstrate to employers your adaptability, cultural awareness, independence and resourcefulness. Experiencing the differences and similarities of education and people in another culture will increase your confidence and broaden the ways in which you see and relate to the world and the world of work.
You are required to find your own placement with suitable employers and organisations with preparation, support and approval from the College of Humanities. If you are taking this variant you are strongly encouraged to take HUM2000 or HUM2001 (Humanities in the Workplace) at stage 2 and must participate in the pre-departure briefing sessions for Humanities Employment Experience Abroad.
Advice and guidance on your programme can be sought from your personal tutor and programme director. All staff offer regular office hours that you can drop into without a prior appointment for this purpose.
3. Educational Aims of the Programme
The programme will offer you a structured framework of study in which you follow a balanced and complementary range of modules, with sufficient choice to ensure that you are able to follow an individual pathway of learning. The programme further aims to:
- engage you imaginatively in the process of understanding and analysing complex and sophisticated literary and non-literary texts.
- promote a sense of the complex social, cultural, and aesthetic interactions between the production and reception of literary and non-literary texts.
- encourage you to acquire the critical tools necessary to reflect upon the production and reception of texts.
- provide an intellectually stimulating and satisfying experience of learning and studying, whilst encouraging a sense of the distinctive social and cultural importance of English.
- provide you with opportunities to acquire and develop deep knowledge and understanding of the historical development, character, and content of a wide variety of media and communication technologies
- to equip you with the ability to critically evaluate and to synthesize a range of theoretical approaches and practices related to the study of Media & Communications in a range of texts and contexts
- to develop an appreciation of a range of methodological approaches to the academic study of Media & Communications
- to develop the necessary media and communication skills necessary for a variety of careers across the cultural sector, including the media, cultural, and heritage industries
- to provide opportunities for you to reflect critically upon graduate career planning and strategies
- to foster critical and analytical skills, including graduate research skills
4. Programme Structure
The BA English and Media & Communications with Employment Experience Abroad is a four-year full-time programme of study at Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) level 6 (as confirmed against the FHEQ). The programme can also be studied part-time in up to seven years. This programme is divided into four stages. Each stage is normally equivalent to an academic year.
5. Programme Modules
The following tables describe the programme and constituent modules. Constituent modules may be updated, deleted or replaced as a consequence of the annual programme review of this programme.
Media & Communications modules https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/studyinformation/modules/?prog=comms
English modules https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/studyinformation/modules/?prog=english
The following tables describe the programme and constituent modules. Constituent modules may be updated, deleted or replaced as a consequence of the annual review of this programme. Details of the modules currently offered may be obtained from the University website:
https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/studyinformation/
You may take optional modules as long as any necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, where the timetable allows and if you have not already taken the module in question or an equivalent module.
You may take elective modules up to 30 credits outside of the programme in any stage of the programme as long as any necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, where the timetable allows and if you have not already taken the module in question or an equivalent module.
Stage 1
Stage 1: 30 credits of compulsory English modules, 60 credits of compulsory Media & Communications modules and 30 credits of optional English modules.
Compulsory Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAS1035 | Beginnings: English Literature before 1800 | 30 | No |
| CMM1001 | Perspectives on Communications | 30 | No |
| CMM1004 | Communications Research Methods | 30 | No |
| HAS1905 | Employment Experience HASS | 0 | No |
Optional Modules
a You must select 30 credits from this list of optional English modules; EAS1040 is only available in Term 2 to Combined Honours students.
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Stage 1 CH Option Modules 2025-6 [See note a above] | |||
| EAS1016 | Digital Cultures: Narrative, Creativity, Industry | 15 | No |
| EAS1037 | The Novel | 15 | No |
| EAS1038 | The Poem | 15 | No |
| EAS1041 | Rethinking Shakespeare | 15 | No |
| EAS1044 | Imagine This: Prompts for Creative Writing | 15 | No |
Stage 2
Stage 2: 60 credits of optional English modules and 60 credits of Media & Communications modules.
Compulsory Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMM2002 | Communications in the Workplace | 30 | No |
| HAS2905 | Employment Experience HASS | 0 | No |
Optional Modules
Subject to choosing 120 credits for the stage overall, you must:
b Select 60 credits from this list of optional English modules.
English modules in stage 2 are divided into three groups:
Group 1, modules concerned with pre-1750 literature;
Group 2, modules concerned with post-1750 literature;
Group 3, modules not concerned with a particular historical period.
Combined Honours students may not take more than one module from each group.
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media & Communications Stage 2 CH Option Modules 2025-6 | |||
| CMM2010 | Professional Writing | 30 | No |
| CMM2012 | Communications and the Climate Crisis | 30 | No |
| CMM2014 | Design Thinking | 30 | No |
| CMM2016 | Economies of Engagement: Gamification and Platform Cultures | 30 | No |
| CMM2017 | Internet Foundations and Frontiers | 30 | No |
| CMM2018 | Media and the Law: Regulation, Governance, Ethics | 30 | No |
| EAF2502 | Shots in the Dark | 30 | No |
| English Stage 2 Pre-1750 Option Modules 2025-6 [See note b above] | |||
| EAS2026 | Desire and Power: English Literature 1570-1640 | 30 | No |
| EAS2036 | Theatrical Cultures in Early Modern England | 30 | No |
| EAS2071 | Chaucer and His Contemporaries | 30 | No |
| EAS2080 | Renaissance and Revolution | 30 | No |
| EAS2102 | Satire and the City: English Literature 1660-1750 | 30 | No |
| English Stage 2 Post-1750 Option Modules 2025-6 [See note b above] | |||
| EAF2510 | Adaptation: Text, Image, Culture | 30 | No |
| EAS2029 | Revolutions and Evolutions 19C Writings | 30 | No |
| EAS2103 | Modernism and Modernity: Literature 1900-1960 | 30 | No |
| EAS2106 | Romanticism | 30 | No |
| EAS2116 | Empire of Liberty: American Literature of the Long Nineteenth Century | 30 | No |
| English Stage 2 Neutral Option Modules 2025-6 [See note b above] | |||
| AHV2018 | Comics Studies: Histories, Methodologies, Genres | 30 | No |
| EAS2031 | Creative Writing: Building a Story | 30 | No |
| EAS2032 | Creative Writing: Making a Poem | 30 | No |
| EAS2089 | Creative Industries: Their Past, Our Future | 30 | No |
| EAS2090 | Humanities after the Human: Further Adventures in Critical Theory | 30 | No |
| EAS2113 | Culture, Crisis and Ecology in a Postcolonial World | 30 | No |
Stage 3
120 credit compulsory placement module
Compulsory Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| HUM3997 | Employment Experience Abroad | 120 | Yes |
Stage 4
Stage 4: 30 credits of compulsory dissertation, 90 credits of optional modules (including 30-60 credits of English modules, and 30-60 credits of Media & Communications modules)
Compulsory Modules
Subject to choosing 120 credits for the stage overall, you must:
c Select a Dissertation in either Media & Communications or English: CMM3002 or CMM3003 or EAS3003 or EAS3122 (you cannot choose more than one module from this group).
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMM3002 | Communications: Dissertation [See note c above] | 30 | No |
| CMM3003 | Communications: Practical Research Project [See note c above] | 30 | No |
| EAS3003 | Dissertation [See note c above] | 30 | No |
| EAS3122 | Creative Writing Dissertation [See note c above] | 30 | No |
Optional Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media & Communications Final Stage CH Option Modules 2025-6 | |||
| CMM3005 | Gender, Sexuality and Media | 30 | No |
| CMM3006 | Digital Inequalities | 30 | No |
| CMM3007 | Critical AI Studies | 30 | No |
| CMM3008 | Imagining Tech Futures for the Common Good | 30 | No |
| CMM3009 | Selling the Self: Influencer Culture and Digital Capitalism | 30 | No |
| CMM3010 | Social Media and Migration | 30 | No |
| DRA3102 | Audio Dramaturgy: Theatre of the Ear | 30 | No |
| EAF3501 | American Independent Film | 30 | No |
| EAF3515 | Something to See: War and Visual Media | 30 | No |
| EAF3518 | Queering British Film and Television | 30 | No |
| EAF3519 | Cinema in the Anthropocene | 30 | No |
| EAF3522 | Film, Philosophy, and the Internet | 30 | No |
| EAF3523 | Perspectives on Animation | 30 | No |
| English Final Stage Option Modules 2025-6 | |||
| EAS3100 | Hardy and Women Who Did: the Coming of Modernity | 30 | No |
| EAS3128 | Writing the Short Film | 30 | No |
| EAS3131 | Advanced Critical Theory | 30 | No |
| EAS3152 | Heroes and Exiles: English Poetry of the Age of Beowulf | 30 | No |
| EAS3167 | James Joyce's Ulysses | 30 | No |
| EAS3191 | Writing for Children and Young Adults | 30 | No |
| EAS3194 | Resource Fictions: Oil, Water and Conflict in the World-System | 30 | No |
| EAS3219 | Virginia Woolf: Fiction, Feeling, Form | 30 | No |
| EAS3225 | 'Reader, I Married Him': The Evolution of Romance Fiction from 1740 to the Present | 30 | No |
| EAS3228 | Romance from Chaucer to Shakespeare | 30 | No |
| EAS3241 | Harlem and After: African American Literature 1925-present | 30 | No |
| EAS3254 | American Literature in Magazines, 1945 to present | 30 | No |
| EAS3255 | Food, Environment, and Literature in Early Modern England | 30 | No |
| EAS3256 | The Poetry of Place | 30 | No |
| EAS3311 | Piracy in Early Modern Literature, 1570-1730 | 30 | No |
| EAS3408 | Poetry and Politics | 30 | No |
| EAS3409 | Ghosts, Witches and Demons: the Renaissance Supernatural | 30 | No |
| EAS3414 | Jane Austen: In and Out of Context | 30 | No |
| EAS3415 | The Development of British Children's Literature | 30 | No |
| EAS3417 | Sex, Scandal and Sensation in Victorian Literature | 30 | No |
| EAS3421 | Picturing the Global City: Literature and Visual Culture in the 21st Century | 30 | No |
| EAS3500 | American Counterculture in Literature | 30 | No |
| EAS3501 | Fiction Matters | 30 | No |
| EAS3502 | Shakespeare and Crisis | 30 | No |
| EAS3507 | Writing Song Lyrics | 30 | No |
| EAS3509 | From Pen to Printed Page: Exeter's Literary Archives | 30 | No |
6. Programme Outcomes Linked to Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods
Intended Learning Outcomes
A: Specialised Subject Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
1. Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of the historical development of a range of media & communication technologies. | ILOs 1-6 are acquired through lectures, seminars, workshops, study groups, tutorials and other learning activities throughout the programme. The degree of specialisation of subject knowledge increases during the programme, culminating in the dissertation. Modules at stage 3 are most closely related to the research specialism of the staff teaching the module. The precise method of teaching varies according to each module. On team-taught modules you will normally engage in both lectures and seminar groups. In smaller options you will normally spend most of your contact time in seminar groups and workshops. Your learning is further developed through engagement with assessments, following guidance from tutors and lecturers and through feedback on work submitted | The assessment of these skills is through a combination of presentations and participation in seminars, annotated bibliographies, web-based assessments, audio-visual and written essays, exams, other written reports/projects, and a dissertation or large-scale practical project. Essays, exams, and presentations are especially significant within the programme because they assess each of the skills in ILOs 1-6. |
Intended Learning Outcomes
B: Academic Discipline Core Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
7. Apply critical skills in the analysis of communication technologies and media texts. | ILOs 7-11 are developed throughout the programme in all modules, with the emphasis becoming more complex as students move from stage to stage. They are developed through lectures and seminars, written work, and oral work (both in presentation and seminar discussion). They will culminate in the substantial and independent research skills demonstrated within the dissertation or large-scale practical project. | The assessment of these skills is through a combination of presentations and participation in seminars, annotated bibliographies, web-based assessments, written and/or audio-visual essays, exams, other written reports/projects, and a dissertation or large-scale practical project. |
Intended Learning Outcomes
C: Personal/Transferable/Employment Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
12. Apply advanced literacy and media & communication skills in appropriate contexts including the ability to present sustained and persuasive written and oral arguments. | Personal and key skills are delivered through all modules, and developed in lectures, workshops, study groups, tutorials, work experience and other learning activities throughout the programme. | The assessment of these skills is through a combination of presentations and participation in seminars, annotated bibliographies, web-based assessments, essays, exams, other written reports/projects, and a dissertation or large-scale practical project. ILOs 12-17 are also strongly developed over the course of the portfolio of assessed essays and other audio-visual and/or written work produced through the programme. These assessments work on the principle of offering formative feedback to support the development of your work within as well as between modules. Feedback on one assignment is intended to inform the next piece of work you undertake on the module; the next piece of work on the programme, or the future learning of graduates. ILO 18 is associated especially with the range of group presentations taking place in modules during the programme. Group presentation assessment brings into focus an important range of skills for students, including sharing workloads, responsibility for tasks, team working, collaborative and communicative skills. Individual contributions to group work are also assessed individually, most often in the form of a reflective presentation report. ILOs 19-20 are also accomplished during the course of ‘real-time’ formal assessments such as presentations and end of module exams, which occur through the programme. |
7. Programme Regulations
Classification
Full details of assessment regulations for all taught programmes can be found in the TQA Manual, specifically in the Credit and Qualifications Framework, and the Assessment, Progression and Awarding: Taught Programmes Handbook. Additional information, including Generic Marking Criteria, can be found in the Learning and Teaching Support Handbook.
8. College Support for Students and Students' Learning
All students within Communications have a personal tutor for their entire programme of study and who are available for at least three hours a week at advertised ‘office hours’. There are induction sessions to orientate students at the start of their programme. A personal tutoring system will operate with regular communication throughout the programme. Academic support will be also be provided by module leaders. You can also make an appointment to see individual teaching staff.
9. University Support for Students and Students' Learning
Please refer to the University Academic Policy and Standards guidelines regarding support for students and students' learning.
10. Admissions Criteria
Undergraduate applicants must satisfy the Undergraduate Admissions Policy of the University of Exeter.
Postgraduate applicants must satisfy the Postgraduate Admissions Policy of the University of Exeter.
Specific requirements required to enrol on this programme are available at the respective Undergraduate or Postgraduate Study Site webpages.
11. Regulation of Assessment and Academic Standards
Each academic programme in the University is subject to an agreed College assessment and marking strategy, underpinned by institution-wide assessment procedures.
The security of assessment and academic standards is further supported through the appointment of External Examiners for each programme. External Examiners have access to draft papers, course work and examination scripts. They are required to attend the Board of Examiners and to provide an annual report. Annual External Examiner reports are monitored at both College and University level. Their responsibilities are described in the University's code of practice. See the University's TQA Manual for details.
14. Awarding Institution
University of Exeter
15. Lead College / Teaching Institution
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS)
16. Partner College / Institution
Partner College(s)
Not applicable to this programme
Partner Institution
Not applicable to this programme.
17. Programme Accredited / Validated by
0
18. Final Award
BA (Hons) English and Media and Communications with Employment Experience Abroad
19. UCAS Code
Not applicable to this programme.
20. NQF Level of Final Award
6 (Honours)
21. Credit
| CATS credits | 480 |
ECTS credits | 240 |
|---|
22. QAA Subject Benchmarking Group
Level 1
23. Dates
| Origin Date | 01/01/2020 |
Date of last revision | 18/02/2025 |
|---|
