The Foundation Year in Media is offered as an entry route to a media degree for those who don't yet meet the entry requirements for degree-level study.

Why study the Foundation Year in Media at Middlesex University?

You enrol on a four-year course, which includes the one-year foundation course. If you complete this year successfully you progress directly onto our three-year media degree courses listed below. The number of students who progress to degree study are very high - in fact some of these students have gone on to become some of our most successful graduates.

The Foundation Year is for you if:

• you do not have the right qualifications for a full degree
• you feel you are not yet ready for degree-level study
• you have limited or no technical experience, and wish to gain confidence in technical areas of study
• you are returning to study and feel you need some help to get up to speed with the demands of learning before embarking on a degree.

The Foundation Year in Media is taught via a blended approach by the same lecturing staff who teach on our degree courses. You'll be taught in online seminars, webinars, virtual lectures and use student interaction and co-creation to learn new material. Collaborative online tools for creative media production is at the core of our teaching and you'll learn through carefully considered online materials and specialists; essentially practice together what you have learned during synchronous and asynchronous online activities.

We actively encourage you to get involved in events to feel part of the Middlesex community. With the support of former Media Foundation Year students, we hold regular social meet ups where you can get to know each other and share your experiences. We provide opportunities for you to collaborate on projects with other students across the degree programmes and every year, we have opportunities for you to work on live briefs designed by professionals in their fields.

This course will allow you to develop transferable skills in media, communication and problem-solving. At the core of our approach to online leaning and teaching is student interaction. In all of our programmes, you'll have the opportunity to interact with each other and complete classwork using online collaborative tools.

Course highlights

• 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 skills as well as your critical thinking and knowledge of a media-specific vocabulary
• Develop essential skills in digital media production and the use of industry standard software within the Adobe Suite
• Opportunity to experiment with your ideas, develop 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.

How to apply

If you are interested in studying the Foundation Year in Media you must apply to one of our four-year degree courses. Please have a look at the How to apply tab for further information about how to apply. Successful completion of the foundation year guarantees entry onto your chosen media degree.

We offer the following courses:

What will you study on the Foundation Year in Media?

You will study four modules over the year. You study the first three modules at the same time, and then, in the last few weeks of the year, develop your Media Portfolio Project. The year is delivered through induction workshops, demonstrations, tutorials, lectures, critique sessions and portfolio review meetings. You also benefit from the visiting speaker programmes, as well as visits to exhibitions, screenings and events.

As a student of this course you'll receive a free electronic textbook for every module.

Modules

We’ve made sure that the skills and knowledge that you’ll gain on your course will not change during the coronavirus outbreak. If you’re applying to start this course or progressing into year one, two or three this autumn, your module information is below.

Teaching

Teaching and learning - changes to students in 2020

If you’re starting university in 2020, we’ll be teaching you in different ways to make sure you get the best learning experience possible. You’ll learn through live sessions with teaching staff and have the chance to study independently too, with access to all the online resources you need through our globally available student portal.

We’re planning different scenarios for teaching so we can be flexible. While we’re social distancing, we currently plan to teach your course fully online through a mixture of live interactive sessions and independent learning. This will ensure you’re equipped with the same skills as on campus study, and offer you an engaging learning experience where you can meet and network with your lecturers and fellow students through online platforms. We are also exploring opportunities for face-to-face interactive sessions with smaller groups of students and staff where possible and we can make the appropriate arrangements. You will still be able to access bookable study spaces on campus, and any of the facilities and support services which are open, as well as our extensive online support.

The table below shows current plans for your learning across a typical week, including scheduled live online teaching and an indication of what we hope to teach face to face, where you can make it to campus. While some weeks might look different to this, due to how we schedule classes, the table gives you an idea of what to expect based on the overall number of teaching hours on your course.

You’ll receive final arrangements for your teaching and a full course timetable before you start.

Read more about our scenarios for returning to campus and what they might mean for your teaching and learning experience, and how you’ll be able to access student support.

Future plans for teaching

We’re developing our timetable for face to face teaching  with current government advice on social distancing to keep you safe. If social distancing requirements are lifted, we’ll start to safely move back towards our usual teaching arrangements with more opportunities for face to face learning. Some learning and support might stay online in this scenario. If more restrictions are put in place, or there is another lockdown, we’ll be prepared to deliver your learning and support fully online, with alternative arrangements made for any required placements. We’ll always give you notice of any changes that we make.

Definitions of terms

• Live learning – Live learning will cover everything you’ll do with teaching staff like lectures, seminars, workshops and other classes, and we’ll schedule all of this for you. This might include some study outside your regular timetable, like taking part in discussion forums or online blogs where you’re supported by academic staff.
• Independent learning – Independent learning is all the studying you’ll do outside your live learning sessions with teaching staff. This self-paced study will give you the chance to learn, prepare, revise and reflect in your own time as you need to, and you’ll have access to on-demand resources and materials to help you do your best.
  • Self-paced study – Self-paced study will give you the chance to learn wherever and whenever you want to and at your own pace, outside your live learning sessions. This independent learning could include reading and reflection, preparation for classes, revision or homework along with access to other online activities such as quizzes.
  • On-demand resources – You'll have access to on-demand resources like pre-recorded video lectures and workshops as part of your independent study. You’ll be able to review and revisit whenever you need to at your own pace.

Support

You’ll have a strong support network available to you to make sure you develop all the necessary academic skills you need to do well on your course.

Our support services will mainly be delivered online and you’ll have access to a range of different resources so you can get the help you need, whether you’re studying at home or have the opportunity to come to campus.

You’ll have access to one to one and group sessions for personal learning and academic support from our library and IT teams, and our network of learning experts. Our teams will also be here to offer financial advice, and personal wellbeing, mental health and disability support.

More on teaching for your subject in 2020/21

Read our guide to what’s been happening in your subject area recently and more about what to expect this autumn.