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BA (Hons) Media, Marketing and Advertising

  • Duration: 3–5 years full-time
  • Placement year: Optional 1 year
  • Course code: N721 (UCAS)
  • Institution code: A66 (UCAS)
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BA (Hons) Media, Marketing and Advertising course information

During the BA (Hons) Media, Marketing and Advertising course, you’ll develop an in-depth understanding of how to analyse consumer psychology and behaviour. You’ll apply this insight alongside your learning about media platforms to strategise for marketing plans and advertising content that's relevant, compelling and responsible.

This distinctive course equips students to become well-rounded marketing and advertising professionals, blending a deep understanding of business fundamentals with the creative vision essential for effectively positioning and promoting brands and ideas in today’s dynamic media landscape.

Three reasons to study BA (Hons) Media, Marketing and Advertising at AUB:

  1. Interdisciplinary curriculum with practical focus. This course offers a comprehensive blend of media, marketing, and advertising studies, providing you with a holistic understanding of these interconnected fields. The curriculum emphasises hands-on learning, enabling you to craft marketing strategies and create engaging advertising content across various media platforms. This practical approach ensures that graduates are well-prepared for the multi-faceted demands of the industry.
  2. Optional placement year for industry experience. The course includes an optional one-year placement between the second and final years, allowing you to gain valuable industry experience. This opportunity to apply learned skills in real-world settings not only enhances employability but also provides insights into current industry practices.
  3. Focus on ethical and responsible practices. We place a strong emphasis on creating marketing and advertising professionals who aren't only effective but also responsible. You'll critically evaluate the social and cultural implications of marketing strategies, fostering a commitment to ethical practices. This focus on responsibility is crucial in today's media landscape.

Course duration

3 years (full-time)

with placement year

4 years (full-time)

with integrated foundation year

4 years (full-time)

with integrated foundation year and placement year

5 years (full-time)

UCAS course code

N721

UCAS course code (with Foundation year)

721F

UCAS institution code

A66

Integrated Foundation year

On BA (Hons) Media, Marketing and Advertising, you have the option to take a specialised Integrated Foundation Year, or Year 0.

The Integrated Foundation year allows you to explore and develop your skills and knowledge at an introductory level, gaining a better understanding of what the subject area has to offer before joining the degree.

Placement year

All undergraduate courses at AUB offer an optional placement year, to be taken between your second and third years of study.

If you’re unsure about this optional placement, you don’t need to decide now. Once you’re here and studying with us, the course team will discuss the placement options with you, so when the time comes, you can make a decision that’s right for you.

Level 4 (first year)

In the first year you’ll cover the fundamental areas of knowledge and skills you’ll need to become a successful within an advertising or marketing role, you’ll begin by studying the foundations of advertising through understanding the way the industry works, key theoretical ideas and examples of historic and contemporary practice.

A unit in consumer insights will be foundational in providing the tools to understand different audiences and how to develop marketing campaigns that have meaning for them, creating engagement and connection that leads to brand loyalty. For many companies, the largest part of their advertising budget is spent online on social media; you’ll have the opportunity to learn through project work how to develop campaigns for social media, learning about the strategy and business as well as the creative content.

At AUB, the impact of what we do is central to our approach to education, so from the very start of the course you’ll be taught to critically question advertising practices and you’ll be tasked with ensuring your work is responsible in terms of its potential impact on people and planet.

Level 5 (second year)

In the second year, you’ll build on your knowledge, learning to use data to better understand how to tailor marketing strategies aligned to the needs, interests and behaviours of your audiences, as well as managing key aspects of digital content production.

In a core module, you'll explore PR, Branding and Advertising, building a portfolio of work that demonstrates your knowledge through devising and developing campaigns and producing advertising content for different media channels. You’ll have the opportunity to apply your learning through a live industry brief, which will provide you with experience of working within commercial constraints. In the third term of second year, you’ll be supported in developing a career plan, which will enable you to map out your journey through to the end of your degree and beyond. This forward planning will enable you to recognise and put in place the steps needed to flourish beyond your degree in securing employment, setting up your own business or moving into postgraduate study such as a Master's degree.

Level 6 (third year)

In third year, you'll be a more independent learner and be supported to develop a major project proposal that enables you to further develop your knowledge, skills and practice through a self-initiated project. This might be based on a live brief, a hypothetical project or be preparation for establishing your own business. You'll be tutored in finding the most suitable route for you and developing a research question and methodology that will create the structure for an academic, intellectually informed project with application to real-world business. At this point in the course, students are able to develop a project, with structured support, that aligns to a particular area of interest that they'd like to specialise in within media, marketing and advertising.

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APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN

Now that you've found the perfect course, it's time to apply.

Check out our handy 'how to apply' guide and our portfolio top tips.

Apply Now
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OPEN DAYS

Open Days are a great way to get a feel for undergraduate life at AUB. At an Open Day, you'll be able to explore the campus, talk to course teams and discover our industry-standard facilities.

Visit us on:

  • 6 December
  • 10 January
Book an Open Day
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AUB SHOWCASE

We're proud of our alumni, and rightfully so.

Explore the incredible work of our graduates in our online AUB Showcase.

Browse work by course, student or theme.

Discover AUB Showcase

Teaching, learning and assessment

BA (Hons) Media, Marketing and Advertising is taught through a blend of theoretical instruction and practical application. It utilises a variety of methods, including lectures, workshops, and studio-based practice. Emphasis is placed initially on hands-on learning, developing concepts through to digital construction. Students will frequently engage in individual and group projects that reflect their ideas and concepts.

Industry-standard software and hardware are used extensively to provide students with valuable, up-to-date technical skills. Regular feedback from tutors ensures continuous improvement, while guest lectures from industry professionals provide unique insights. The course encourages self-directed study, fostering creativity and independent problem-solving skills.

Independent learning is integral to BA (Hons) Media, Marketing and Advertising, empowering students to explore their unique interests and styles. Assignments often involve self-guided research, creative concept development, and problem-solving, promoting critical thinking. Students also engage in independent game projects, from conception to execution, providing a platform to apply learned skills.

Beyond studio-based learning, students are encouraged to stay updated with industry trends and software. This self-directed approach cultivates a sense of ownership, resilience, and adaptability, crucial traits for future careers in the ever-evolving industry. Ultimately, it supports the development of well-rounded, independent game artists and designers.

Each unit is assessed separately, and the assessment forms part of the unit. Assessment both provides a measure of your achievement and also gives you regular feedback on how your learning is developing.

You'll receive a final mark for each unit in the form of a percentage, which will be recorded on your formal record of achievement (transcript). Each component of assessment is graded using a notched marking scale, whereby only certain marks are used within each grade. The only marks available within any ten-point band are *2, *5 and *8 (e.g. 62, 65, 68). These marks correspond to a low, mid, and high level of achievement within each grade band.

All learning outcomes must be passed to successfully complete the unit.

On successful completion of your Honours degree course, you'll be awarded a degree classification based on your unit marks. The final classification is determined using all unit marks at Levels 5 and 6 using two different algorithms, which are detailed in the HE Student Regulations. If the two algorithms produce different results, you will be awarded the higher class of degree.

If you've joined Level 6 through either the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) route or having completed a Foundation Degree (FdA), the final classification is determined using only your unit marks at Level 6.

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