Media Studies

Media studies is for students who like to think for themselves and argue their point of view. Have you ever wondered how TV companies guarantee the success of their latest show or why different newspapers discuss the same news story but in different ways? It trains you to analyse the media you see every day. How would you like to make your own music video or a trailer for a new TV show? At St. Mary’s we have a dedicated Mac suite with access to all the latest video editing software to create high quality videos, magazines and webpages. Media studies moves you from a consumer of Media products to a critical reader.

Each year consists of 30% NEA (coursework) and 70% examination

A2
Component 1 - Written paper 2 hrs
Similar to AS but you will be expected to make critical comparisons between the texts and also be able to apply your skills to unseen texts.

Component 2 - Written Paper: 2hrs 30m
Media Forms and Products in Depth Written examination: The examination assesses media language, representation, media industries, audiences and media contexts and the in-depth study of texts both in the UK and internationally.

Component 3
The creative challenge. You will respond to a media brief set by the exam board and create two products based around this for a specific audience.

The course is a good foundation for either further study in media and communication studies or ICT related industries such as system/network design, web design programming, software design , television or journalism.

Exam Board: EDUQAS