The AS/A2 Media course is been established for three years and is now an extremely popular subject. It attracts students who have good communication skills, are analytically minded and have a creative flair for producing their own media texts.

In recent years the mass media have become an important focus for exploration for students in an increasing media saturated world.

This course offers a framework of study which develops skills of analysis and interpretation of specific media texts together with a critical approach to the institutions which create and circulate them.

There is some identifiable overlap with A level Film Studies and students would not be advised to choose both subjects.  However, Media Studies combines very well with other English A levels (Language or Literature).

The AS course consists of:

MS1: MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS AND RESPONSES (50%)

In this unit, you will focus on a range of media texts and explore their genre conventions, narrative construction, technical codes and the way they appeal to their audiences. 

You will also study the representations at play within a range of texts, such as issues surrounding genre, ethnicity, age, and consider the points of view, messages and values surrounding them.

Lastly, this unit involves you considering the ways in which different media audiences are categorised and the way they can respond differently to the media.

MS2: MEDIA PRODUCTION PROCESSES (50%)

This unit is designed to enable you to demonstrate knowledge, understanding

and skills in media production processes through research, planning, production and

evaluation.

You will be required to produce three pieces of linked work.  These will comprise:

•             a pre-production reflecting research and demonstrating planning techniques of your own media text

•             a production of your own media text which has developed out of the pre-production

•             a report of 1200 - 1600 words.

The A2 course consists of:

MS3: MEDIA INVESTIGATION AND PRODUCTION (50%)

In this unit you will develop the knowledge and skills acquired at AS.  Candidates  produce three pieces of linked work:

•             a research investigation into a topic of your choice (1400–1800 words)

•             a production of your own media text (informed by the investigation)

•             a brief evaluation (500 – 750 words)

MS4: MEDIA – TEXT, INDUSTRY AND AUDIENCE (50%)

This unit designed to develop your understanding of the relationship between media texts, their audiences and the industries which produce and distribute them. You will study 3 different media industries in detail.