BA MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION STUDIES
The BA Media and Communication Studies programme will provide you with an understanding of the theories and practices of communication equipping you with an international outlook and a sound understanding of the quickly changing media world.
September 2025
Full time
Three or four years
Available
Suzhou
XJTLU undergraduate students earn two degrees: an XJTLU degree recognised by the Chinese Ministry of Education and a globally respected University of Liverpool degree.
Knowledge and skills
By the time you will graduate from the BA Media and Communication Studies programme, you will have:
- a working knowledge of theories, methodologies and terminologies pertaining to the study of media and communication
- a range of specialised skills clustered around three main areas of critical inquiry and practice (digital media, journalism and film studies)
- a set of transferrable skills such as intercultural and interpersonal communication, research, argumentation, teamwork, project management
- an aptitude for the analysis of the ideological and aesthetic significance of a multitude of media texts
- an understanding of the role played by technological advancements and economic and cultural factors in the development of media systems
- an ability to unpack the complex national, regional and global contexts in which media operate
- an awareness of your creative and critical potential and an ability to actualise it.
The BA Media and Communication Studies offers a diverse selection of modules in digital media, journalism and PR, and film studies, allowing you to develop professional expertise in both the theoretical and practical aspects of a wide range of media forms. No matter you would like to further your studies or to enter the job market, the programme will prepare you to be competent enough. You will also develop the critical thinking regarding the fundamental influences of media on individuals and society, which benefits your whole life.
Yanning Huang
Programme Director
Modules
*Programme modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change. XJTLU students are advised to log in to the e-Bridge Portal to view the effectuated module structure.
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University offers a wide range of courses in the first year, including English for academic purposes (EAP), mathematics and physics, and humanities and social sciences. Click to learn more.
Core Modules
Global Media Industries
Representation, Diversity and Identity
Audiences and Media Users
Introduction to Video Production
Rhetoric and Media Analysis
Foundations in Film Studies
Introduction to Journalism Studies
Introduction to Digital Media and Communication
Core Modules
Qualitative Research Methods
News Reporting
European Cinema
Digital Media Law and Ethics
Quantitative Research Methods
Optional Modules
China and Asia
Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature
Multimedia PR Campaigns
Hollywood Cinema
Social Network Analysis
Photojournalism
Introduction to Visual Communication
e-Marketing: Strategies and Techniques
Postcolonial Literature
Core Modules
Final Year Project: Communication Studies
Chinese Cinema
Artificial Intelligence and Big Data in Society
Investigative Journalism
Optional Modules
Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics
Chinese Theatre and Performance
Chinese as a Global Language
Cultural and Creative Industries in a Digital Economy
True Stories Told
The City in Films
Film Studies for the Digital Age
Globalisation and Science Communication
Love, Sex and Food in the Digital Age
Marketing and Distribution of Content in a Global Context
Culture And Theory In Industrial Design
Design Strategy And Ethics
US Intelligence and Foreign Policy
Public Policy and Cultural Diplomacy
Finding Solutions: Development Theory and Practice
International Communications
E-Business Models and Strategies
International Marketing
Critical Issues in Marketing
Marketing Strategy
Corporate Communication
Social Media Marketing
Technoculture
Interpersonal communication in the workplace
Intercultural Communication
I spent 4 wonderful years at XJTLU majoring in communication studies, in an environment where young adults celebrated their differences and discovered their own voices, working together to achieve amazing results. Now I work as an immigration and investment consultant in Shenzhen. The time at XJTLU for me was meaningful and crucial.
Di Wu
Alumni (Class of 2017), BA Communication Studies
Careers
Graduates of this programme are well-equipped to pursue careers in the media, cultural and creative industries. Typical employers include publishing, broadcasting and film companies, PR consultancies, advertising agencies, marketing organisations and higher education institutions, to name only some of the many possible career options. The programme also offers a solid foundation for further study. The vast majority of our students pursue postgraduate studies at prestigious universities, especially in the United Kingdom. Our students have been accepted by global top 10 programmes in media and communication, for instance at the University of Amsterdam, the London School of Economics, and Goldsmiths. Students have also gone on to study at other world-class universities, including University College London, King’s College, the University of Warwick, New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and many others.
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Overview
The BA Media and Communication Studies is a comprehensive programme consisting of three pathways (digital media, journalism and PR, and film studies) that enables you to engage critically with a diverse range of media practices.
The media have profound effects on human behaviour and social interactions. This programme takes an in-depth look at these effects, providing you with the knowledge and skills to become an informed, tech-savvy and versatile media researcher and user, able to expertly and confidently navigate the increasingly competitive job market of media industries.
You will explore a wide variety of media phenomena, situating them in a historical, socio-cultural and economic context and developing conceptual frameworks to interpret them. The programme will foster both your creativity and an analytical mindset, which you will apply in academic assignments and practical projects. You will acquire a global, critical outlook that will boost your employability and you will understand yourself and the world around you better. The programme offers you the choice of studying at the University of Liverpool for the last two years of the degree.
Why should I study Media and Communication Studies at XJTLU?