- 3 years
- 4 years with foundation year
Solent’s foundation year in media offers students a stimulating introduction to both the study of media and the production of media content. You'll have the opportunity to develop technical, creative and academic skills across a range of media platforms before beginning the three-year BA (Hons) Television Production degree.
Understanding that students are joining the foundation year from a range of previous experiences, the course is specifically designed to acclimatise students to the university experience.
You will be encouraged to situate your own media production within established traditions and styles whilst beginning to identify your own storytelling voice and signature style. You will lastly be introduced to the significance of the creative industries within the UK economy and will be encouraged to begin positioning yourself within this growing and exciting, but competitive sector.
Our ScreenSkills accredited television production degree will help you become a creative practitioner, ready for a fun and rewarding career in TV.
Our talented graduates have gone on to work on productions such as Strictly Come Dancing, Love Island, The Repair Shop, Sky News, Fleabag and Game of Thrones. And it’s not just TV. our Alumni have also worked on films such as Avengers Endgame, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, 1917 and many more.
In a fast-changing world, television production remains a constant. The industry has shown resilience, innovation and creativity in delivering key messages to the public during crisis. It is worth £3 billion a year to the economy, having grown more than 40% since 2008 (PACT, 2019). Demand is high for talented creatives and hard-working, trained practitioners.
This ScreenSkills accredited course is taught by experienced and passionate industry professionals, creating highly employable graduates year-after-year. With an emphasis on ‘learning by doing’ you will produce, shoot and edit original programmes.
Our students have a track record of producing award winning and broadcast quality work. You will work on dramas and documentaries, sports and music programmes, entertainment and reality TV. Build your skills with live briefs in the curriculum, and have the opportunity to get work experience on primetime television, summer music festivals and high-profile events. Develop your CV and join our expanding alumni network of industry professionals who will help you find the right career path.
Along with dynamic lectures and seminars, you will take part in workshops and masterclasses led by award-winning professionals from the TV and film industries. Recent guest speakers have had credits on Top Gear, Doctor Who, Sherlock, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Bohemian Rhapsody and many more.
With real world learning and strong links to the industry, our students have the opportunity to gain unrivalled work experience at the BBC, the Royal Television Society, Camp Bestival, Boardmasters, the Society of American Cinema Editors, Southampton Football Club, the NHS and many more. We are also the official University media partner for Glastonbury Music Festival.
Throughout your studies you will have access to cutting edge 4K camera technology, over 70 editing suites, a fully equipped outside broadcast vehicle, and three high-end TV studios based in the University's top of the range Media Academy.
This ScreenSkills accredited course will encourage, enable and empower you to become a creative practitioner. Start your journey to a successful career in TV at Solent.
Accredited by:
Why choose this course?
Student work
Course features
Professional accreditation
This course has been accredited by a professional body
Foundation year available
If you're not quite ready for a full undergraduate degree, there's alternative entry through one of our foundation years
Specialist facilities
This course has access to specialist facilities
Further studies
After successfully completing your studies, there's an opportunity to continue your studies at Solent
Top-up option
If you have an appropriate Level 5 qualification, you can top it up to a degree in just a year
Who is this course for?
This foundation year is designed to help you build basic media making skills ahead of starting a full undergraduate BA (Hons) Television Production degree at Solent.
Typical candidates either haven’t yet met the entry requirements needed to start on the first year of an undergraduate course or have spent time away from education.
What does this course lead to?
Studying this ScreenSkills accredited course is perfect if you want to be a producer, director, camera operator, production manager, editor, sound recordist, researcher, writer and more in both TV and film.
Meet the team
Our course team are all from the television industry, experienced in drama, documentary, reality and entertainment, with credits including the BBC, ITV, BFI, and BAFTA.
The University cannot guarantee any particular members of staff will teach specific aspects of the course in the future, but will endeavour to ensure the teaching team maintains their balance of experience and qualifications.
Facilities
Students on this course have access to three high-definition TV studios, with the largest capable of seating an audience of 200 people and running up to ten cameras.
Television production students will also have access to Solent's 3D Digital Cinema with Dolby Atmos sound, over 80 networked edit workstations, post production sound and colour grading suites, a range of high-end cameras and ancillary equipment – all in HD or 4K, two outside broadcast vehicles.
Come to an open day
Fancy a sneak peek? Take a look around!
Core modules
Belonging (Media Design)
You will learn to present complex creative ideas in visual and compelling ways, work with others as a member of a collaborative group, become a student of the university, and meet with staff from your progression course.
Stories (Narrative Media Project)
On this module, you will be breaking down the theoretical and practical building blocks that stories are made from in order to become a better storyteller yourself.
Projects (Online Media Project)
This module will not only be an opportunity to undertake a creative project it will also teach you all about how projects work and how to ensure you get the best out of collaboration with a project team.
Discovery (Research for Media Making)
This module will teach you to find good quality information and to effectively present it. You will be eased into the process of exploring and accessing good quality sources of information in a variety of ways.
Ambitions (Individual Media Project)
This module will give you opportunities for further exploration of your own chosen field of media practice which leads to a deeper understanding of your own individual path through your course.
My Place in the Creative Industries (Media Industries)
By undertaking your own research about the branch of the creative industries you want to work in you will begin to build an understanding of the nature of work and employment in the sector.
How you will learn and be assessed
You will learn by:
You may be assessed by a combination of:
Coursework
Individual and group projects
Individual presentations
Group presentations
Reflective accounts
Peer evaluation
Solent’s curriculum framework builds on our unique, creative and applied approach to teaching. The transformation of students’ lives is at the heart of our mission as a university, and our curriculum – informed by the latest theory – reflects this shared educational vision.
Find out moreStudy support
The student achievement team are on hand to help you succeed during your studies at Solent. They aim to contact you at key times during your time here with personalised information, advice and guidance, by email or phone.
Access Solent provides information, advice and guidance for disabled students.
All students can access Succeed@Solent, Solent's online guide to getting better grades. It offers extensive, practical information and advice on topics such as academic writing, research and presentations.
Why choose the industry?
The UK television industry brought in £13.7 billion of revenue in 2017, and in 2018 there was £1.2 billion investment in high-end television production, the highest since records began. With the expansion of digital platforms, on demand services, rise in UK production and exports around the world, there has never been a better time to work in television.
We bring in a huge array of guest speakers from all corners of the industry. Recent speakers include producers John Lloyd (QI, Blackadder), Sabrina Sutherland (Twin Peaks), Kate Beal (Woodcut Media), Rob Butterfield (Ricochet TV), Nick O’Dwyer (Landmark Films) and Samantha Brewington (IMG Productions). Along with editors Mick Audsley (Murder on the Orient Express), Mark Sanger (Gravity), John Wilson (Billy Elliot), Glenn Gathard (Guardians of the Galaxy), Eddie Hamilton (Mission Impossible), Mags Arnold (Riviera) and Andy Morrison (The Musketeers).
Tuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2022/23 academic year are:
- UK, EU (settled status) and Channel Island full-time fees: £9,250 per year
- International full-time fees: £14,250 per year
For further information, please visit our tuition fees page.
Extra course costs
While most course costs are covered by your tuition fees, some essential resources and optional extras may need to be paid for separately. These additional costs are listed below. For advice on budgeting and managing your money, please contact student.funding@solent.ac.uk.
The 2022/23 other costs are not yet available. For guidance, previous other costs have been:
Compulsory costs:
- You will be required to purchase your own media storage in the form of an SD card that meets the University's requirements. Cost approximately £25.
- It is recommended that all students have a television licence before arriving for study.
Bursaries, scholarships and financial support
Solent University offers a range of bursaries and scholarships that provide financial assistance or waive fees for tuition or accommodation. Each bursary or scholarship has specific eligibility criteria. Check out our bursaries and scholarships pages to find out more.
Graduation costs
There is no charge to attend graduation, but you will be required to pay for the rental of your academic gown (approximately £45 per graduate, depending on your award). You may also wish to purchase official photography packages, which range in price from £15 to £200+. Graduation is not compulsory, so if you prefer to have your award sent to you, there is no cost. Extra guest tickets will go on sale after results publication and will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis. The cost per ticket is currently £15. Please note, we do not guarantee there will be any extra tickets available to purchase.
Financial information videos
Student finance in under three minutes Student funding - the essentials
Entry requirements
Please select an option below:
Key entry requirements
48 UCAS tariff points from:
- A-levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma at PPP or BTEC Diploma at MP, a T-Level Pass (D or E), or equivalent.
- We will consider mature students who have not recently undertaken a formal course of study at A-level, or equivalent, but can demonstrate relevant work or voluntary experience, that's indicative of their ability to complete the course successfully.
- For further information about UK qualifications, please refer to our course entry requirement statement.
Key entry requirements
As a general guide, we look for qualifications that are equivalent to the British high school A-levels.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about EU qualifications, please refer to our course entry requirement statement.
Key entry requirements
As a general guide, we look for qualifications that are equivalent to the British high school A-levels.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about international qualifications, please refer to our course entry requirement statement.
Note to all international students requiring a visa:
All international applicants need to be aware that the English language requirements to attend Solent University, and the English language requirements to obtain a visa from the Home Office, may be different. This means that if you meet the Solent University language requirement to gain a place on the course, you may still have to meet additional requirements to be granted with a visa by the Home Office.
We strongly advise all applicants to visit the Home Office website which outlines all the requirements for a successful visa application and to take a look at this PDF document which outlines both Solent University and Home Office requirements for a number of language tests.
Any questions?
Contact our admissions team!Call: 023 8201 5066Email: admissions@solent.ac.uk
How to apply
Any student applying for the first year of a full-time/sandwich undergraduate course must apply through UCAS (University and Colleges Admissions Service). This includes mature, overseas and EU students.
Nearly all schools and colleges offer their students the facility of applying electronically through the UCAS website using 'Apply'; it may also be used by those applying independently in the UK and overseas. This facility and all course information can be found on the UCAS website: www.ucas.com.
Your application should reach UCAS by 26 January if you hope to enter a course the following autumn. Early application is advised for the most popular subject areas. Late applications may be made until the end of June. The UCAS Code for the University is S30, code name SOLNT.
Alternative entry options
Top-up route:
We welcome applications from students currently studying a Foundation Degree, DipHE, HNC, HND or modules of an undergraduate degree course at another university, who wish to enter directly into Years 2 or 3 of one of our undergraduate degree courses. Please contact our admissions team for more information: contact us
Language requirements
Applicants who do not have English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an approved level of proficiency in the use of the English language. The agreed minimum requirements for this course are:
-
IELTS 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each individual component
-
or equivalent.
Qualifications are checked before enrolment, and international students must bring their original certificates or certified copies when coming to study at the University.
Pre-Sessional English programme
The University also offers a pre-sessional English programme for international students who wish to improve their level of English before starting a degree course.
We will prepare you for your future
Suitable roles for graduates include
- OB vision director
- Producer
- Assistant producer
- Studio manager
- Senior production coordinator
- Studio bookings
- Floor manager
- Camera operator
- Camera assistant
- Freelance runner
- Casting researcher
- Third assistant director
- Assistant editor
- Head of visual effects
- VFX coordinator
We will help you start your career
The Solent Futures team is committed to getting students into great careers.
While you are studying, the team can help you with finding work experience or placements, link you with a mentor, check your CV, or offer one-to-one guidance.
If you're in your final year, we also have graduate job opportunities just for Solent graduates.
Find out moreSupport at Solent
All students at Solent University have access to a range of specialist support services. Whether you are having financial difficulty, need additional help with academic skills or want advice on setting up your own business you'll find that help is always on hand.
Most of our specialist support services are based around the Student Hub, a central space where you can access all the information and support you may need during your time at University. The Student Hub is the first point of contact if you have any queries relating to your course, including questions about your timetable, options, and assessments and extenuating circumstances.
We work in partnership with the University to build a sense of pride and confidence in your Union, University and student experience.
Find out moreFurther study
Thinking about studying further than an undergraduate degree? Alumni can get up to 50% off their postgraduate study.
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Make your application
- 3 years
- 4 years with foundation year