Media Management MA

Postgraduate

Media student with a clipboard on a shoot in the Coventry Cathedral ruins.

Want to learn about the rapidly changing media world and develop a role where you can contribute and influence the industry? Then this exciting course may be for you.

Year of entry

2023-24 2024-25

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Part-time
Sandwich

Duration

1 year full-time
2 years part-time
16-24 months (with professional experience)

Course code

AHT056

Start date

May 2024

How to apply

Book an Open Day

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Course overview

The multifaceted and evolving nature of media demands a multi-skilled professional. Traditional media business models have been disrupted by the shift of power to the consumer through social media, mobile, transmedia and emerging technologies such as augmented reality, volumetric capture, Artificial Intelligence, big data and developments in 5G networks.

You will have the option to apply for a ‘professional experience’ opportunity², designed to further develop your skills and knowledge with the aim of maximising your employability prospects. See modules for more information.
This course develops leadership, management, creative and a set of business skills required for media management within media businesses, creative and cultural industries.
Upon graduation, you could take up roles in digital marketing and social media, media and journalism, production management in film and TV, event management, content development and management including brand.

Joint Top Modern University for Career Prospects

Guardian University Guide 2021 and 2022

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

Top 5 UK Student City (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2023

Why you should study this course

Forward-looking with opportunities to be entrepreneurial², this course will enable you to contribute to shaping global contemporary discourse on Media Management.
The curriculum embraces business management, marketing, media strategy, entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership and media practice. It seeks to develop your knowledge of management processes, including project management, milestone reporting, decision-making and budget management, as well as core business practice in areas like intellectual property and finance.
You may have opportunities to work with professionals from the creative media industries² to develop expertise in various user contexts and professional settings – from different types of media businesses, consumers, including new innovative emerging areas within the media landscape.
An exceptional student experience will be delivered as we aim to ensure you have opportunities² to engage and be active contributors in an evolving field. A core course module has a focus on future media and is a focused opportunity to understand the potential and impact for media businesses that new media technologies (VR/AR, 5G, social media etc) and the associated new business models they present.

What you'll study

The course supports you with a ‘golden thread’ of business skills that run through the core media management specialist modules. Through practical application in real-life scenarios, you should develop new perspectives and personal networks, leading to enhanced employability. The Media Management MA aims to develop creative, media savvy, digitally fluent strategic thinkers of tomorrow.

As a postgraduate provision, the course provides a path for higher-degree students in Media and Performing Arts, as well as for students in Art and Design, and Humanities who want to develop a media content focus. The course will appeal to you if you have a media background and if you’re seeking a media industry focus.

The course aims to enable you to develop the capability to support effective strategic outcomes and operations in businesses where creative activity is a part of an overall strategy. Media Management is an increasingly valuable and widely applicable profession as it helps businesses to optimise their innovation, new product development/management and stakeholder insights.

Modules

Media Businesses, Creative and Cultural Industries – 20 credits

The module aims to enable you to critically and practically advance knowledge and skills, the use of business tools and major themes in Media Management relevant to the context of the module specialism. You should develop leadership, project management and a set of business and vocational skills. The module challenges and tasks you to apply creative and business skills in your specialist area.

Compulsory

Research Methods – 20 credits

Creative Futures and Social Change – 10 credits

This module explores the changing world of work which Arts and Humanities students enter after study. New technology and the changing global economy mean that jobs and skills are changing and evolving quickly and will continue to do so. This is an exciting and new world, and this module is designed to empower students to realise their potential in it. This module provides tools for students to develop into changemakers, thrive in a changing world of work and participate in creating a better future for society. Students will be guided through a process of reflection that explores four possible futures for the world of work and how to situate their own professional identity as the future of work changes through their careers. This module is designed in collaboration with The RSA (Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce), and upon successful completion students will receive RSA digital badging.

Compulsory

Collaborative Social Challenge Project – 10 credits

This project module aims to allow you to develop your independent and collaborative working skills through a focused application and response to a specific context. Working with peers from the School of Media and Performing Arts MA courses and/or external collaborators², you will develop an interdisciplinary response to a live brief generated by addressing and engaging with a social challenge.

Compulsory

Media Consumers and Audiences – 20 credits

The module aims to enable you to critically and practically advance your knowledge, skills and understanding of media consumers and audiences. You will develop the use of specialised tools to explore major themes in Media Management with a focus on the evolving, shifting demands and changing behaviours of media consumers and audiences.

Compulsory

Final Major Project (Research and Planning) – 30 credits

The aim of this module is for you to develop a body of research-informed work in a specialism of your choosing, which demonstrates a critical awareness of current developments and trends in your area of practice/specialism. This work will form the basis of your final project.

Compulsory

Collaborative Community Project – 10 credits

This project module aims to allow you to develop independent and collaborative working skills through a focused application and response to a specific context. Working with peers from within the School of Media and Performing Arts MA courses and/or external collaborators², you will develop an interdisciplinary response to a live brief² generated by engaging with a community issue with the support or guidance of a local group or organisation.

Compulsory

Future Media – 20 credits

Final Major Project (Production and Sharing) – 30 credits

Collaborative Enterprise Project – 10 credits

This project module aims to allow you to develop independent and collaborative working skills through a focused application and response to a specific context. Working with peers from the School of Media and Performing Arts MA courses and/or external collaborators² , you will develop an interdisciplinary response to a live brief generated by exploring opportunities for enterprise within their practice² . You will explore potential routes to monetise your work and consider your role as a member of the future media and performing arts workforce.

Compulsory

With professional experience option

The professional experience opportunity² enables you to apply for optional professional experience in semester 1. If your application is successful, it will extend the duration of your master’s to either 16, 20 or 24 months. The professional experience provides an opportunity for you to develop expertise and experience in your chosen field with the aim of enhancing your employability.

Please note that the optional professional experience modules incur an additional tuition fee³, which for one semester of professional experience is £1,333.33, for two semesters of professional experience is £2,666.67, and for three semesters of professional experience is £4,000.

Professional experience may also be subject to additional costs, visa requirements being met, subject to availability and/or competitive application. Professional experience opportunities are not guaranteed but you will benefit from the support of our Talent Team in trying to find and secure an opportunity. Find out more about the professional experience option.

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

How you'll learn

The course can be studied full-time over one year and part-time over two years. The programme is divided into three 13-week semesters starting September, January and May. As well as traditional teaching methods, such as seminars, talks/lectures, workshops and tutorials, we offer skills training in image and video editing, digital publishing and content management and also organise a number of practical sessions, such as making the most out of the library, study skills and new forms of writing.

Whilst we would like to give you all the information about our part-time offering here, it is tailored for each course each year depending on the number of part-time applicants. Therefore, the part-time teaching arrangements vary. Request further information about part-time study.

Teaching contact hours

The number of full-time contact hours may vary from semester to semester, however, on average, it is likely to be around 8 contact hours per week in the first year. 

Additionally, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study of approximately 300 hours each semester, depending on the demands of individual modules. 

The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials.

As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are prepared for courses due to start in or after the 2023/24 academic year to be delivered in a variety of forms. The form of delivery will be determined in accordance with Government and Public Health guidance. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.

Assessment

A variety of assessment types are included on the course so as to facilitate your development into a professional world which may demand work to be presented, formatted, proposed or submitted in different forms. You will encounter a variety of coursework forms on the programme which may ask you to produce among other elements:

Group work
Presentations
Reports
Practical Projects
Individual Assignments

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

Entry requirements

Typical offer for 2023/24 entry.

Applicants should normally possess an honours degree (2:1 or equivalent) in a relevant subject. If the degree is in an unrelated subject, applicants need to demonstrate appropriate industry knowledge and experience in their application documentation.

Candidates with professional/industrial experience, and/or other relevant training and experience may be admitted with lower qualifications.

Non-traditional entry students are welcome: applicants without formal qualifications but professional/industrial experience may be admitted on the basis of interview and submission of supporting material. Each application will be considered on its merits and the final decision will be made by the course director.

We recognise a breadth of qualifications, speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

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Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:

Russia and Central Asia

You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

Typical entry requirements

Candidates with professional/industrial experience, and/or other relevant training and experience may be admitted with lower qualifications. Each application will be considered on its merits and the final decision will be made by the course director.

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.5 overall, with at least 5.5 in each component area

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.

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Fees and funding

2023/24 tuition fees.

Student	Full-time	Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man	£11,200 \| £15,200 (with prof. experience)	Request fee information
EU	£11,200 \| £15,200 (with prof. experience) per year with EU Support Bursary £18,600 \| £22,600 (with prof. experience) per year without EU Support Bursary	Not available
International	£18,600 \| £22,600 (with prof. experience)	Not available

For advice and guidance on tuition fees³ and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

Any optional overseas ﬁeld trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**EU Support Bursary

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.

How do you know if you need to pay UK or international tuition fees?

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the government's Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.

If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.

Facilities

We aim to facilitate ready access to high-standard professional media equipment⁴ via our Media Loan Shop, including prosumer media equipment (i.e. 4K and HD video cameras, DSLR cameras, tripods, audio equipment, lighting – Canon, JVC, Sony).

Television Studio

Where applicable, you’ll have access to our on-campus TV studio The Tank, with its specialist TV studio equipment, including large cameras, mixing facilities and fibre-optic wiring throughout.

Photography Suite

The photography suite is a superb facility that includes virtual drum scanning, photography studios, black-and-white print darkrooms, free black-and-white film processing, and a digital print bureau.

Media Loan Shop

As a student, you’ll have access to Coventry University’s specialist Media Loan Shop. This well-stocked facility offers an extensive range of specialist, professional photography and film equipment.

Careers and opportunities

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

Demonstrate a broad range of professional skills, including how to engage with ideas, stakeholders, external bodies and other professionals in a flexible manner, as well as event and project management.
Give vision, strategy and leadership to a creative team.
Think critically, intellectually and reflexively about the full range of factors that impinge upon professional and creative activities within media and digital media, including seeing across disciplinary boundaries and adapting your thinking responsively to the context.
Demonstrate knowledge of cutting-edge theoretical frameworks, concepts, ideas and business analytical tools and state-of-the-art media technologies that help make sense of the complexity of contemporary global media businesses and practices.
Apply organisational, planning and presentation skills through the appropriate use of management methods and tools.

Professional enhancement is central to our ethos therefore, we place emphasis on the development of evidence-based decision-making, high level leadership and communication skills. This is the reason we also encourage collaboration with industry practitioners and work on ‘live’ project briefs².

Preparing our master’s graduates for onward careers is central to our approach to learning and teaching on the course. This includes developing authentic assessment, collaborative opportunities, placements, and advice and guidance for onward study on PhD programmes here and internationally². Our three collaborative modules provide opportunities² to work with students in film and media production, VR/AR, as well as photography and media/communication studies⁴.

From the outset, this course is designed to prepare you for a broad range of positions in media businesses, and creative and cultural industries by providing you with the opportunity to develop a set of business skills, your digital fluency in new media technologies and your creative skills.

Where our graduates work

Our students have gone on to work in digital music services in The Netherlands, as research posts at the Five College Women’s Centre, Massachusetts USA, in PR companies in Saudi Arabia, in government organisations and broadcasters in Africa, and as producers in TV stations in China. Our graduates also regularly go on to set up their own companies across the globe.

Further study

Recent cluster graduates have gone on to doctoral study in the UK, Africa, China and America.

Graduate Immigration Route visa

Based on current information from the UK Government, international students whose study extends beyond summer 2021 may be eligible for a visa under the UK Government’s Graduate Immigration Route, which will enable students to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to two (2) years. Check the most up to date guidance available to check your eligibility and any updates from the UK Government before making an application or enrolment decision.

How to apply

UK students

To apply to study for a postgraduate course at Coventry University, you can apply online.

Full-time applications

Part-time applications

For further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.

+44 (0)24 7765 2222

ukadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

Chat with our admissions team

Complete our contact form.

International students

Full-time international students applying to start in September should apply directly to the university. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.

How to apply

For further support for international applicants applying for postgraduate degree view our International hub.

You can also download our International guide which contains lots of useful information about our courses, accommodation and tips for travel.

Get in touch with us today for further advice and guidance.

+44 (0)24 7765 2152

applications.io@coventry.ac.uk

Chat with our admissions team.

Complete our contact form.

Disclaimers

Coventry University together with Coventry University London Campus, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the “University”) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.

¹Accreditations

The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.

²UK and international opportunities

Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or International opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel COVID and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

³Tuition fees

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

For International Students, we may increase fees each year but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

⁴Facilities

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

Student Contract

By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the 2023/24 contract can be found here. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.