Media and Communication with Mandarin

Undertake in-depth investigation of how media and communications saturate our lives and the role that they play in society. Competence in multiple languages is key to success in the global job market, so by combining your studies with a language, you will distinguish yourself from other graduates and enhance your employability.

On this course you will explore a diverse range of modules such as photography and video, television studies, and music industry management. You’ll have the chance to ask questions about representation in the media, and the place of audiences and fandoms. You will be able to choose from modules exploring journalism, political communication, advertising and consumption, and writing for the screen, gaining a range of skills that make you attractive to global employers.

For your language studies you can choose from French, the official language in 32 countries, or Mandarin, the world’s most natively spoken language. You can start your study of languages at DMU at beginner (French or Mandarin), intermediate, or advanced level.

Our graduates have gone on to work in fields such as journalism, PR, media production, marketing and as editors at leading organisations such as Brunswick, JMM PR and AKQA (Audi, Warner Bros, Nike), Mentorn Media (Question Time), Independent New Media, Yours Magazine and Universal Pictures.

Key features

• You will benefit from Education 2030 – DMU’s new way of delivering courses, focusing on ensuring the best possible experience for our students. Through block teaching, you will focus on one subject at a time instead of several at once. This means that you will be able to focus closely on each subject and absorb your learning material in more depth, whilst working more closely with your tutors and course mates.

• Enhance your employability through a recognised competence in a foreign language, distinguishing you from other graduates and improving your career prospects.

• Gain industry experience by undertaking a work placement. Previously students have completed placements at employers such as BBC Radio Leicester and Leicester’s Phoenix Cinema.

• Benefit from close links with local media partners including BBC Radio Leicester, community media organisations and Leicester’s independent arts and cinema complex, Phoenix Square.

• Our creative technology studios feature a host of broadcast-standard radio production and audio recording studios and management systems, alongside stand-alone film studios equipped with multi-cameras, blue screen and green screen facilities.

• Gain valuable, industry-relevant experience by taking part in award-winning student group Demon Media, with The Demon magazine, Demon FM radio station, Demon TV and The Demon website. You can also become a member of the Media and Communication Society, Film Society, Media Discourse Group and reading groups

Year one
Block 1: Media: Identities and Representations

Block 2: Media Industries

Block 3: Language Module

Block 4: New Media: Design & Production

Year two
Block 1: Digital Cultures

Block 2: Researching Media and Communication

Block 3: Language Module

Block 4: Streaming Cultures OR New Media: Creative Project

Year three
Block 1: Global Communications and Strategic Advertising Management OR Media Discourse: Global Events

Block 2: Writing for the Screen OR Paranormal Media

Block 3: Language Module

Block 4: Dissertation

On this course, you will benefit from Education 2030 - DMU’s new way of delivering courses. Through block teaching, you will focus on one subject at a time instead of several at once.

You will be taught both by industry practitioners and by academics whose research puts them at the forefront of contemporary media knowledge. Assessed work will make demands on your academic and creative skills and includes writing essays, producing research and practical projects, and making presentations.

Full-time students taking four 30-credit modules would normally expect the weekly workload to be a minimum of eight hours of class contact in the form of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials plus 32 hours of personal study.

Each year the language module focuses on language competence/skills classes and a ‘cultural awareness’ class each week which introduces the history, culture, institutions, politics and literature of your chosen language. In the final year there may be an opportunity to study language for specific purposes (e.g. business language). You will take a 30 credit module in your chosen language which will equate to two hours of language classes and one hour of cultural studies per week, learning about the country and its people.