Digital Media and Journalism BA Honours
London, United Kingdom
BA
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
14 Aug 2026*
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
GBP 17,600 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* International Deadline | Home Deadline – 4 September
** international | UK: £9,535
Key Summary
Book to attend an Online Open Day to find out more - Undergraduate event on March 21 and Master's event on March 4.
Our Digital Media and Journalism BA is ideal for those who want to pursue a career in journalism, focusing on stories, multi-platform news, media law and launching a publication. The course has been designed to prepare you for the fast-changing media and communication industries and digital media roles of the future. You’ll become a highly skilled media professional who can create and share messages professionally across any digital platform, to truly connect with an audience.
The course starts with a shared first year, where you will study alongside students on the other Digital Media BA pathways in Media Production, Communication, Public Relations and Advertising. Together you’ll study the broad principles of digital media to produce a portfolio of digital content, develop your research skills and gain a critical understanding of core academic concepts. You’ll gain skills in content creation, digital media production, storytelling, and research, alongside a critical appreciation of the role of media in society.
At the end of your first year, you’ll have the choice to continue with a Digital Media and Journalism BA or change to another pathway on the course to reflect your interests and aspirations.
In your second and third years, you’ll build on your practical skills and conceptual insights. You’ll develop advanced digital production skills and learn to create and pitch content for different media platforms and contexts. These include multimedia formats, for a range of different audiences, showing your ability to work within simulated newsroom environments and conditions.
You will have the opportunity to learn from industry professionals throughout the course and can benefit from our industry links by opting to complete a work placement year or expand your educational experience by studying abroad between Years 2 and 3.
Top Reasons to Study with Us
- Westminster is ranked top 15 among UK institutions for Communication and Media Studies in the QS World University Rankings 2023. The University is also ranked in the Top 15 in the Complete University Guide 2024 for 'Graduate prospects' in Communication and Media Studies.
- Employability and enterprise skills are embedded in the modules, through the use of practical tasks and problem-solving exercises that mirror the workplace and, where possible, incorporate live briefs
- Work and international experience – provided through the core module Working in Digital Media in Year 2 and the optional Placement or International Experience Year available between Years 2 and 3
- Develop sought-after skills – You’ll develop high-level skills, which are in demand across a range of sectors and professions
- Produce your own content in a professional setting. Our award-winning student-led Smoke Media offers plenty of opportunities to get involved
- TEF Silver – Our teaching, learning and student outcomes received a silver award in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Programme Recognition
This course is delivered through a partnership with BAFTA Albert Education, which provides staff and graduates with the tools and techniques needed to learn about environmentally responsible working practices and their professional relevance. The partnership will help students develop knowledge about sustainability, carbon footprinting and planet placement in programmes.
During your first year, you’ll study alongside students on the other Digital Media BA pathways.
At the end of your first year, you’ll have the choice to continue with Digital Media and Journalism or change your specialism to one of our other Digital Media pathways in Communication, PR and Advertising or Media Production. Each pathway will give you a distinctive preparation in one of the most important fields of digital media.
These pathways, along with a variety of optional modules, provide you with the opportunity to customise your degree and expertise according to your interests and career objectives.
Your final degree award will reflect this specialism, e.g. Digital Media and Journalism BA (Hons).
Year 1
- Creating Digital Content
- Creative Industries and Professional Life
- Digital Media and Society
- Media and Communication Research 1
- Storytelling across Platforms
Credit Level 4
Year 2
In Year 2, you’ll take two shared core modules, two pathway modules and two option modules.
- Working in Digital Media (shared)
- Theories of Media and Communication (shared)
- Content and Communications: Launching a Digital Publication (pathway)
- Stories, Updates and Feeds – Multiplatform News (pathway)
You'll also choose two option modules from the module list below(option module availability depending on numbers): 3D Interactive Media Development, Celebrity Culture and the Media, Design Thinking, Human-Computer Interaction and User Experience, Media and Climate Crisis, Mobile First, Politics, Journalism and the Media, Produce Your Own Podcast, Specialist News and Features
Credit Level 5
Placement Year
Digital Media Placement Year: if you choose to take the opportunity of a one-year work placement after Year 2, you’ll complete the Digital Media Extended Work Placement module.
International Experience Year: if you choose to take the opportunity to spend one academic year after Year 2 studying overseas at one of our Exchange Partner Institutions, you’ll complete the Digital Media Study Abroad module.
Year 3
In Year 3, you’ll take two shared core modules, one pathway module and two option modules.
- Dissertation or Individual Practice Project (shared)
- Digital Media Project (shared)
- Media Law, Regulation and Ethics (pathway)
You'll also choose two modules from the option module list below(option module availability depending on numbers):
Creative Advertising, Diversity and the Media, Specialist, Creative and Long Form Journalism, Specialist PR, Technology, Culture and Society, Transforming Audiences, UX and App Design, Working in Digital Media 2
Credit Level 6
Digital skills are among the most sought-after in graduates. As a result, our students are ideally placed to build successful careers across both the private and public sectors.
The University's Careers and Employability Service has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping all our students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers.
Expanding Sector
This is how much the UK’s world-leading digital and tech sector is worth (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, November 2018)
Get work-ready
Access insight talks from industry experts and gain professional experience during the optional work placement year. Our Creative Enterprise Centre will help you to develop key entrepreneurial skills.
Cross-disciplinary Course
The structure of the programme is designed so you can also work collaboratively with other students on cross-disciplinary projects.
Industry Links
We offer our students strong industry connections to employers across a wide range of digital media industries in London, one of the two pre-eminent global centres for the media. You will also benefit from access to our internationally renowned research academics, members of our Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI), whose work is at the cutting edge of research exploring the implications for digital and legacy media of issues such as globalisation, activism, artificial intelligence and fake news.
Work Experience
Work-based learning is provided through the core module Working in Digital Media 1 in Year 2. You’ll be able to choose to take an optional sandwich year between Years 2 and 3, with a maximum 40-week placement to develop your employability skills and boost your CV with relevant work experience. A sandwich year coordinator will help students identify placements by leveraging our industry contacts via our Careers Advice teams, Creative Enterprise Centre and the School Employers’ Panel, but it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to find a placement.
Job Roles
- Social media journalist
- Photojournalist
- Magazine features editor
- Digital Copywriter
- Feature writer
- News Reporter
- Digital content manager
- Social media manager
- Broadcast journalist
- Editorial Assistant
Graduate Employers
Graduates from this course will be able to find employment in a wide range of sectors and professions, including government and the not-for-profit sector as well as the creative industries.
Our graduates are able to work independently as well as collaboratively in roles that demand advanced communication and research skills, such as consultancy, research, administration and management. The programme also enables graduates to continue on to further postgraduate study.
Graduates from our media and communication courses have found employment at organisations including:
- Ogilvy
- McKinsey Consulting
- Sky TV and Online
- BBC TV News, Online and World Service
- Royal College of Art
- ITN
- The Guardian
- Financial Times
- Elle Magazine