The Student Room Group

Is doing a media degree worth it?

At this point, I know it's crucial to have university in mind and think about your options, and I already have my application nearly paid and sent of. However, I'm still unsure whether if I should continue with my education. I've heard all the news reports about graduates are struggling for jobs now and the subject I'm applying for is especially hard to break into. Not only that, there are the issues with the rise in payment for fees and bills due to the new government laws and inflation and because of where I live, it would be impossible to not move out to attend uni.

I've talked to my lecturers at the college I'm currently studying at and they say to gain a degree in media will definitely improve my prospects of a better job. Yet I'm still a wavering on the lines. What do you guys think?

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Reply 1
I want to do it, but I just would like to know what the thoughts and opinions of the current students who do the subject. At the moment, I'm looking into the television production side of Media.
Reply 2
Do not waste your time doing media studies.

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Reply 3
Original post by Elmi
Do not waste your time doing media studies.


Media studies =/= Media and film production.

OP: It depends on what career you want to pursue. If you want to work full time in television production, then check to see what requirements companies have, and if they ask for a degree, then get a degree. Even if they don't need a media degree, you can still go for it and improve your employability through internships and work experience.
Do what you enjoy and find interesting. A media degree can spring you of in a lot of directions, I wouldn't be too concerned with a lack of Job prospects. A degree in the field would put you at a greater advantage when applying for work. I say go for it! Don't listen to what others have to say especially on TSR as if you're not studying medicine or law at Cambridge, Imperial or UCL your an automatic failure. Follow your passion or you may come to regret it.
Reply 5
Media studies isn't just defined to film and TV work, I am set to study media and communications next year and there are so many job prospects with that. You can go into advertising, PR work, preproduction work on films and TV programmes, research, social media work, editing.. Not just filming, it depends on what you like within the subject and what you're good at.
What courses are you looking at applying for? :smile:
Reply 6
Please don't do media, do something more academic, trust me the famous directives and people in tv production don't have media degrees...
Reply 7
It's a good question, one that every media students (and similar) applicant should ask themselves before they fill in their UCAS application form. It might be best to consider the facts first:

1. You do not need a media degree to get work in the media.

2. You will not learn anything while doing a media degree that will be particularly useful to you in a practical sense when/if you do get a job in the media

3. Degrees are good things to have. You do improve your general employability, including your employability in "the media", if you do get one.

4. If you do a degree you should always study a subject that you are interested in/are good at.

Based on all this, I always recommend to people that they do the best/most academic subject that they can, at the best University they can get in to. So choose English at Manchester over Media Studies at TV Production at the University of Gloucestershire.

Hope that helps!
Reply 8
Personally, I wouldn't do media studies; not even humanities :no:
But hey - go for what suits you, in your opinion :yes:
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 9
Thanks guys, it's really helped a lot. The unis I have in mind are Edge Hill, Hertfordshire, Teeside and Plymouth. I'm leaning towards Edge Hill at the moment, but after some research, Teeside came up trumps, with more people recommending it and getting a job almost straight away. Not only that, Hertfordshire and Teeside are part of the Skillset Media Academy, which is the degree's extra accreditation. Who's gone to any of these universities'? What are your thoughts?
(edited 10 years ago)
If your like me than your not too sure as to what side of the media you want to go into... I know how you feel!

Don't listen to anyone who disregards it; it is such a useful degree to have and I'm sure you'll thrive upon it! :smile: I've applied to do media and communications at Coventry and goldsmiths and am beyond excited :smile: a lot of people have been warning me off it and telling me to do something like business or law, but I wouldn't enjoy it and would find it boring therefore failing it.

People don't realise it but you get so many skills from the degree (media studies, media and communications etc.) and knowledge and the chance to put your studies into practice via work placements, and this is what employers are looking for!

I hope to work within the BBC once I've completed (and started in 2014 hahah) my degree- something which many people probably think I can't do with this degree... Think we need to prove them wrong!

Your choices of uni's are all good :smile: I think you should disregard all the uni league tables and chose the uni's which best suit you and in your opinion teach your course the best :smile:

Hope this helps and good luck in the media! X


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Reply 11
I agree with a few posts on here. My head is saying go down the medical route with biology and psychology but my heart is telling me to do something media related because I enjoy media and love behind the scenes of radio, television and magazines and how they operate. I also am doing science related alevels because I love my sixth form and the teaching (although they don't offer anything as close to media) - does doing science related subjects put me at an disadvantage? I would've chosen English but it isn't exactly my strongest..

P.S. Good luck with Media! I'd say go for it! I personally feel like I've chosen the wrong a levels but like the post above said, you're the one studying it not others so you'll be putting in the work. Go with your heart!
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by ak96_x
I agree with a few posts on here. My head is saying go down the medical route with biology and psychology but my heart is telling me to do something media related because I enjoy media and love behind the scenes of radio, television and magazines and how they operate. I also am doing science related alevels because I love my sixth form and the teaching (although they don't offer anything as close to media) - does doing science related subjects put me at an disadvantage? I would've chosen English but it isn't exactly my strongest..

P.S. Good luck with Media! I'd say go for it! I personally feel like I've chosen the wrong a levels but like the post above said, you're the one studying it not others so you'll be putting in the work. Go with your heart!


Awwww bless you! No of course your a levels don't put you at a disadvantage! I chose economics, politics, sociology, English language and music technology (I'd dropped media and told the university that I did so!) and still got an unconditional offer; some people who took media and film studies etc didn't event get that!

So don't worry, all the universities care about really are your expected grades for your subjects and your passion for what course your hoping to take at uni


Jeannie :smile:
Reply 13
Original post by jeannienicolas
If your like me than your not too sure as to what side of the media you want to go into... I know how you feel!

Don't listen to anyone who disregards it; it is such a useful degree to have and I'm sure you'll thrive upon it! :smile: I've applied to do media and communications at Coventry and goldsmiths and am beyond excited :smile: a lot of people have been warning me off it and telling me to do something like business or law, but I wouldn't enjoy it and would find it boring therefore failing it.

People don't realise it but you get so many skills from the degree (media studies, media and communications etc.) and knowledge and the chance to put your studies into practice via work placements, and this is what employers are looking for!

I hope to work within the BBC once I've completed (and started in 2014 hahah) my degree- something which many people probably think I can't do with this degree... Think we need to prove them wrong!

Your choices of uni's are all good :smile: I think you should disregard all the uni league tables and chose the uni's which best suit you and in your opinion teach your course the best :smile:

Hope this helps and good luck in the media! X


Posted from TSR Mobile


Original post by ak96_x
I agree with a few posts on here. My head is saying go down the medical route with biology and psychology but my heart is telling me to do something media related because I enjoy media and love behind the scenes of radio, television and magazines and how they operate. I also am doing science related alevels because I love my sixth form and the teaching (although they don't offer anything as close to media) - does doing science related subjects put me at an disadvantage? I would've chosen English but it isn't exactly my strongest..

P.S. Good luck with Media! I'd say go for it! I personally feel like I've chosen the wrong a levels but like the post above said, you're the one studying it not others so you'll be putting in the work. Go with your heart!


Thanks for your responses and the advice, I feel a lot more confident in what I have chosen now. Luckily, most of the courses I've picked are to do with the production element, which is where I feel most comfortable. I'm doing a BTEC in that subject area, as well as have a few other AS levels under my belt, so I should be alright.

I haven't heard from any of my chosen Universities yet, not with the festive Holidays and all, but with January around the corner, the wait shouldn't be to long now. Good luck with your applications and I hope you get to do both what you want to do and what feels right.

P.S. Hope you had a Merry Christmas and may you have a Happy New Year! :smile:
Hey, just wondering if you ended up doing a media degree? I'm considering it but I'm not 100% sure for the same reasons you addressed
Original post by Kelliewarren
Hey, just wondering if you ended up doing a media degree? I'm considering it but I'm not 100% sure for the same reasons you addressed




What is it about media that you enjoy? I enjoy media too, recently started my A Levels and want to pursue a career in that field but I was told a media degree or specific type degrees aren't good because if you can't find a job in that field or find you don't want to, you are stuck in a rut. I've chosen to do an English BA when my time comes as I enjoy literature and screen writing.
Thanks for the advice! That's how I feel, if I go with media I'm worried I wouldn't get any where professionaly with it. If I pursue it, I would like to eventually go into the film side of it all, television, presenting etc. If I'm honest, I enjoy media as a whole so whatever route it leads me to I believe I'll enjoy, even advertising. I'm just stuck at the moment on following a dream and going down the creative route or going down the academic route so I am stable when I'm older. I'm also battling with the decision of having a gap year due to this confusion of what to take. It is possible I might mix psychology and media together, however I feel if you're gonna do something, do it all, not half. Good luck with your A levels! It's good that you have decided what you're going to do at university at an early stage since it feels like such a rush when it comes to it, however your decision could change later down the line.
As someone who is currently doing a media degree (because I find the field fascinating and it's been a subject I've loved since S3), I feel like a lot of people disregard it rather unfairly for not being 'academic' or general enough for a good job.
Typically media students have fairly good employment rates since the degrees tend to produce the skills employers look for (communication skills, cooperation, online/IT knowledge, etc) and yes, while you don't need a media degree to work in the media, it can really help depending on your course and university as you can gain opportunities you may otherwise miss out on, like connections for work experience and placements (which are important for putting yourself ahead of your classmates).

Honestly, just go for what makes you happy. Remember that while your degree is important for the future, if you're putting yourself thousands of pounds into debt over 3/4+ years for a piece of paper, you may as well get the knowledge of something you actually want to study out of it :wink:
Original post by Kelliewarren
Thanks for the advice! That's how I feel, if I go with media I'm worried I wouldn't get any where professionaly with it. If I pursue it, I would like to eventually go into the film side of it all, television, presenting etc. If I'm honest, I enjoy media as a whole so whatever route it leads me to I believe I'll enjoy, even advertising. I'm just stuck at the moment on following a dream and going down the creative route or going down the academic route so I am stable when I'm older. I'm also battling with the decision of having a gap year due to this confusion of what to take. It is possible I might mix psychology and media together, however I feel if you're gonna do something, do it all, not half. Good luck with your A levels! It's good that you have decided what you're going to do at university at an early stage since it feels like such a rush when it comes to it, however your decision could change later down the line.


Aw your welcome, I'm sure you'll do great! Media is so sought after. Years ago it was easier to get your big break working for a newspaper and now they want degrees. I mean even I don't know what I want to do, it's not easy because I get told different things. I knew that if I chose to study a media based degree, it'll be hard to obtain a career as where I live, it's not the best for media. Good luck in your ventures, I wonder what the OP is doing now?
Reply 19
Original post by SharletG
Media studies isn't just defined to film and TV work, I am set to study media and communications next year and there are so many job prospects with that. You can go into advertising, PR work, preproduction work on films and TV programmes, research, social media work, editing.. Not just filming, it depends on what you like within the subject and what you're good at.
What courses are you looking at applying for? :smile:


Hi, I doubt you'll see this as your initial post was years ago and you've most probably now completed your degree, but I wanted to know how you found your degree as I'm planning on studying media and communications later on this year at uni. :smile:

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