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Foundation Year in Media

If you have a passion for media but don't have quite the right qualifications to study at degree level, then this specialist one-year course is for you

Foundation Year in Media

Code
See How to apply tab
Start
September 2024
Duration
1 year full-time +
3 years full-time
Attendance
Full-time
Fees
£9,250 (UK) *
£16,600 (INT) *
Course leader
Baljit Binning

Why choose Foundation Year in Media at Middlesex?

Do you have a passion for games design, film, digital media, communications, advertising, PR branding, creative writing or journalism, but you're not quite there yet with the qualifications to study at a degree level?

Are you eager to pursue a career in this exciting and ever-evolving media industry, but not sure where to start? Then look no further than this specialist one-year course.

Designed for students like you, this Foundation Year in Media will equip you with the essential skills and knowledge needed to succeed and get to the next level.

Our foundation year will give you a head start in building your confidence and equipping you with the skills you need to excel in your chosen field.

With strong links to London's media and gaming industries, you'll get unparalleled access to industry professionals and insider knowledge that will help you stand out from the crowd.

Plus, after completing our foundation year, you'll be well-prepared for your degree. So why wait? Take the first step towards your career today!

What you will gain

This comprehensive programme will equip you with the necessary skills you need to succeed, while also helping you clarify your future learning and career goals. With a strong emphasis on practical learning and hands-on experience, you'll gain a solid fundamental insight into theory and practice that will set you up for success.

And the best part? After completing the course, you'll be ready to take the next step in your media career and enrol in one of our outstanding three-year degrees. Whether you're interested in BSc/BA Games Design, BA Film, BA Digital Media and Communications, BA Advertising, PR and Branding, BA Creative Writing and Journalism. You'll be in the right space to make the right next choice.

At Middlesex, we know that building a strong community is key to success. That's why we offer more than just a foundation course - we offer a network of support that will help you thrive both academically and socially. As a media foundation year student, you'll have the opportunity to connect with former students who may now already be working in the industry and who understand exactly what it takes to succeed. Our regular meet-ups provide the perfect space to share your experiences, ask questions, and make new friends with similar interests. And with the Middlesex University community behind you, you'll have all the support and guidance you need to attain success.

What you will learn

The Foundation Year in Media is taught by the same lecturing staff and industry experts who teach our degree courses. You'll be taught in online seminars, webinars, lectures and use student interaction and co-creation to learn new material.

Collaborative online tools for creative media production are at the core of our teaching and you'll learn through carefully considered creative and academic content.

This course will allow you to develop transferable skills in media, communication and critical thinking. At the core of our approach to online learning and teaching is student interaction. In all of our programmes, you'll have the opportunity to interact with each other.

When you join us on this one-year foundation course, you'll be able to:

  • Gain the fundamental written and oral communication skills required to study media-based subjects at undergraduate level
  • Develop confidence and competence in using academic language
  • Increase your critical abilities and knowledge of genre-specific vocabulary
  • Develop essential skills in digital media production and the use of industry-standard software within the Adobe Suite
  • Experiment with your ideas, develop creative story worlds, write stories and/or features, prepare scripts, treatments/outlines, and/or scenes to plan your creative project work across a range of disciplines
  • Work on a final media project which relates to a particular specialism and degree progression pathway.

3 great reasons to pick this course

  • Industry standard studio facilities
    Motion capture studio, green screen room for virtual production and digital workstations
  • Build your portfolio
    Build an exciting and varied portfolio and develop your own independent thinking and aesthetic style
  • Learn from professionals
    Our supportive tutors and technicians have extensive experience of working in the creative industries

Keep informed

Sign up to receive the latest information about studying at Middlesex University London.

Our communications are designed to support you in deciding your future and keep you up to date about student finance, employment opportunities and student activities available at Middlesex University.

You'll study four modules over the year. You'll start by studying the first three modules, and then, in the last few weeks of the year, develop your Media Portfolio Project and ShowCase your work.

The year is delivered through induction workshops, demonstrations, tutorials, lectures, critique sessions and portfolio review meetings. You'll also benefit from the visiting speakers, as well as visits to exhibitions, screenings and exclusive events.

Modules

  • Modules

    • Exploring Media (30 credits) - Compulsory

      This module explores and develops written and oral communication skills required for media subjects, through a range of media disciplines. From journalism to games design, you will acquire the basic principles of critical thinking and analysis to support your creative work and project development.

    • Digital Production Intensive (30 credits) - Compulsory

      This module is structured to cover a wide range of digital production tools and resources. Short project briefs will enable key learning to be applied in manageable projects, some individual, some in groups. With introductions into camera, sound, post-production, digital imagery, 3D modelling and scripting, you will see the possibilities of the various media disciplines at undergraduate level, and make choices as to which specialism might best suit you.

    • Media Stories (30 credits) - Compulsory

      This module allows further development of writing, presentation and organisation skills. Having begun to experience the potential of the resources at hand, in this module you experiment with your ideas, develop story worlds, write stories and/or features, prepare scripts, treatments, and/or scenes to plan your creative project work across a range of disciplines. The module is workshop based and will feed into your preparation for the portfolio projects.

    • Media Portfolio Project (30 credits) - Compulsory

      Having experienced a range of opportunities in media, you then propose and develop your portfolio projects in the final weeks of the programme. You prepare your work for progression onto undergraduate programmes in this module. The programme team will support students to identify their strengths and facilitate your progression onto the most appropriate degree programme.

More information about this course

See the course specification for more information:

Optional modules are usually available at levels 5 and 6, although optional modules are not offered on every course. Where optional modules are available, you will be asked to make your choice during the previous academic year. If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, or there are staffing changes which affect the teaching, it may not be offered. If an optional module will not run, we will advise you after the module selection period when numbers are confirmed, or at the earliest time that the programme team make the decision not to run the module, and help you choose an alternative module.

To find out more about this highly regarded course, please download the Foundation Year in Media specification (PDF).

  1. Teaching and independent learning
  2. Coursework and Assessment
  1. UK entry
  2. International
  3. How to apply

Fees

The fees below are for the 2024/25 academic year:

UK students1

Full-time: £9,250

Part-time: £77 per taught credit

International students2

Full-time students: £16,600

Part-time students: £138 per taught credit

Additional costs

The following study tools are included in your fees:

  • Free access to resources, learning materials and software you need to succeed on your course
  • Free laptop loans for up to 24 hours
  • Free specialist software for your course
  • Free printing for academic paperwork
  • Free online training with LinkedIn Learning.

The following course-related costs are not included in the fees, and you will need to budget for these:

  • Cover the cost of getting to London for field visits – around £10

Scholarships and bursaries

To help make uni affordable, we do everything we can to support you including our:

  • MDX Excellence Scholarship offers grants of up to £2,000 per year for UK students
  • Regional or International Merit Awards which reward International students with up to £2,000 towards course fees
  • Our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.

Find out more about undergraduate funding and all of our scholarships and bursaries.

Fees disclaimers

1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase undergraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

2. International fees: Tuition fees are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.

MDXworks

Our employability service, MDXworks will launch you into the world of work from the beginning of your course, with placements, projects and networking opportunities through our 1000+ links with industry and big-name employers in London and globally.

Our dedicated lifetime career support, like our business start-up support programme and funding for entrepreneurs, has put us in the top 20 UK universities for business leaders and entrepreneurs – Business Money 2023 and a top 10 university for producing CEOs (Novuana, 2023).

MDXcelerator Student Start-Up Support

Want to be your own boss? You'll have the chance to pitch your business to gain mentoring and grants of up to £15,000.

Global network

You’ll study with students from 122 countries who’ll hopefully become part of your global network. And after you graduate, we'll still support you through our alumni network to help you progress in your chosen career.

The Sheppard Library

Our library is open 24 hours a day during the term and includes:

  • Over 1,000 study areas with rooms for group study and over 600 computer spaces
  • 350,000 books and e-books and more than 24,000 online journals

Free laptop loans, Wi-Fi and printing.

Student support

We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health and disability support.

Additional needs

We'll support you if you have additional needs such as sensory impairment or dyslexia. And if you want to find out whether Middlesex is the right place for you before you apply, get in touch with our Disability and Dyslexia team.

Wellness

Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.

Work while you study

Our Middlesex Unitemps branch will help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above. Visit the Middlesex Unitemps page.

Financial support

You can apply for scholarships and bursaries and our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.

We have also reduced the costs of studying with free laptop loans, free learning resources and discounts to save money on everyday things. Check out our guide to student life on a budget.

Baljit Binning
Programme Leader


We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.

Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.

Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.

At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.

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