The first thing people ask about my course is, ‘What does that mean?’. Mass Communications isn’t exactly as common as English Language or Law, so if you have no idea what this course entails, let me explain...
My course is a theoretical approach to Media. It analyses the sociological aspects, it’s creative content and professional media practices. This course is perfect for those interested in media and business as you can tailor the course specific to the student. In the third year of study, students on my course get to decide a specific aspect of media to focus on: Public Relations, Advertising or Business. This is one of the reasons Mass Communications appealed to me so much, but more into that later.
A Typical Day for a Mass Communications Student:
After walking to university, my day starts with a cup of coffee at the university cafe. This is where I take the time to go over my notes from previous lectures or seminars so I am prepared for the day ahead. For each of my modules, there is a series of lectures, seminars and tutorials. My course has around 30 people, so we are not a large class at all! Consequently, we get more one-on-one time and contact hours with our professors.
Following my lessons, I spend the rest of my time at university in the library. Here I can research different topics, studies and areas for my assignments. Each module devices it’s own assignment whether that be an essay, a series of blog posts or even a portfolio. In addition, the subject of the assignments is completely subjective. To illustrate, I could be given a vague topic which I then have to decide a specific area or example to further research and analyse. In the past, I have written about David Bowie, online dating, The Big Bang Theory etc. The vast possibilities and opportunities to be creative with your assignments is another reason why I love this course!
Reasons to Choose Mass Communications...
Mass Communications is perfect for someone for loves media and wants to pursue a career in the industry. Despite being a theory based course, it allows opportunities to be creative regarding areas to study and media examples to analyse. There is a perfect balance between theory and creativity. Additionally, this course showcases media professions which people may not know about; practices beyond creating adverts, posters or music videos. This course opens up career pathways in countless areas of the industry such as PR, marketing, social media, publicity, advertising etc. The list is endless. As a result, this course is also perfect for someone who isn’t 100% sure what job they want in the future, they can discover that at university while they study.
This course also allows opportunities to take a sandwich placement year, or study abroad.
In my second year, I can personally state that I am really enjoying the course and have no regrets choosing such a niche study area. I am looking forward to begin studying my chosen topic area of Public Relations. I feel like it is the perfect style of course that suits me, and I am very excited to see where it will take me in terms of a professional career.
