Media and Sociology

BA (Hons) Media and Sociology
How are identities constructed through our engagement with media? How do disability, class, ethnicity, gender, religion, nationality, sexuality and other social divisions play key roles in both access to the media and modes of representation within the media?

Why choose this course?

Practical learning is built into your learning, you will explore how to write for different media platforms, such as journalism, promotional and PR writing, with an emphasis on digital media platforms such as web content writing, blogging and social media. You will also develop your creativity through the planning, design and creation of media projects, learning essential skills in script or treatment writing, digital video and editing. You’ll bring Sociology to life through work placements, community engagement, an active student society, fascinating guest speakers and relevant study visits to bring to life the many applications of the subject.

How you will learn

Our tutors use a varied approach to teaching which is engaging and interactive. You'll get to hear the latest insights and get advice from industry guest speakers and start to build your contacts.

You will learn in a variety of ways, including through:


- workshops


- news days


- work experience/real projects for employers


- lectures and seminars, including guest lectures from key industry figures


- fieldtrips


- multimedia presentations


- online collaboration


- class debates.


Opportunities and experiences

You’ll apply sociology to the world around you, visiting local religious centres, taking sociological walking tours of the city, going on exciting fieldtrips to bring sociology to life nationally or globally. You will not just study in Derby, you will study Derby City, the County as well as taking national and international perspectives. It is our classroom and our living laboratory!

Our media modules have a strong focus on understanding the dynamics of the media and communication industries, and you will be encouraged to consider philosophical questions of identity, ethics and responsibility in the context of global citizenship.

Careers and employability

You will be well-suited to roles in politics, content creation, marketing, communications/PR, social media, the wider creative industries, as well as law and public administration. In fact, the research and communication skills you'll graduate with, are transferable to a huge variety of graduate level jobs.

Based solely on more than 24,000 student reviews, we were named Uni Compare's University of the Year 2027, and voted 1st in the UK for employability and 2nd in the UK for course quality. Not only that, but 97% of students would recommend the University of Derby*, which we can offer you industry-relevant teaching, state-of-the-art study spaces, multi-award-winning accommodation, and a welcoming, inclusive community.

*Uni Compare 2027