Course description
Duration and Levels:
Two years, AS in year 1 leading to A2 in year 2.
NB: Daytime programmes of study are available on a full-time basis, or part-time for those in receipt of DSS benefits and needing to satisfy the conditions of availability for work.
What does the AS include?
You will be introduced to a range of key concepts (representation, audience, ideology, genre, narrative, institutions) and learn how to apply these to analyse a variety of media texts (print, moving image, websites). You will study in detail the issue of representation and how this relates to audience. For example, how men and women, teenagers, old people, the disabled are represented in the media will be examined.
What type of assessment is used?
There are two main parts to the exam (each worth 50%):
a) An exam in June involving a comparative analysis of ‘unseen’ media texts set by the Board; and an essay on representation that that uses the analysis as a starting point but which extends this by using the students’ wider knowledge.
b) Practical coursework consisting of a pre-production, a production, and a written account of the work including an evaluation of the practical. The practical can be print-based or moving image.
What do I need to get on to the AS level?
You need to have obtained five GCSEs at grades A-C, obtained in one sitting and including English Language. Note: you do not need to have studied Media at GCSE. It is useful if you have an interest in being creative.
What else can I study?
Other AS subjects that particularly complement Media Studies include: English, Sociology, Psychology, and Art.
What do I need to get on to the A2 Level?
You will need to pass the AS Level in Media Studies
