Undergraduate Programme Specification
BA Broadcast Production
Academic Year 2021/22
A programme specification is required for any programme on which a student may be registered. All programmes of the University are subject to the University's Quality Assurance processes. All degrees are awarded by Queen's University Belfast.
Programme Title | BA Broadcast Production | Final Award (exit route if applicable for Postgraduate Taught Programmes) |
Bachelor of Arts | |||||||||||
Programme Code | BCP-BA-S | UCAS Code | P310 | HECoS Code |
100923 - Television production - 50 100924 - Radio production - 50 |
ATAS Clearance Required | No | |||||||||||||
Mode of Study | Full Time | |||||||||||||
Type of Programme | Single Honours | Length of Programme | Full Time - 3 Academic Year(s) | Total Credits for Programme | 360 | |||||||||
Exit Awards available |
Institute Information
Teaching Institution |
Queen's University Belfast |
School/Department |
Arts, English and Languages |
Quality Code Higher Education Credit Framework for England |
Level 6 |
Subject Benchmark Statements The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies |
Communication, media, film and cultural studies (2008) |
Accreditations (PSRB) |
Regulation Information
Does the Programme have any approved exemptions from the University General Regulations None |
Programme Specific Regulations There is some flexibility for students to take modules from outside the Programme. |
Students with protected characteristics Not applicable |
Are students subject to Fitness to Practise Regulations (Please see General Regulations) No |
Educational Aims Of Programme
The BA in Broadcast Production is designed to provide students with:
• A strong understanding of the skills, practices, processes, and demands of producing professional work for television, radio and online media.
• Detailed practical training in core craft skills needed for broadcast and media production.
• An intellectual training in the disciplines of television, radio, pordcast and broadcast journalism. Whilst discrete subjects, these are also complementary and mutually enriching in the broadcast sector;
• A discipline-specific perspective enabling the acquisition of knowledge and understanding of the inter-relationship between texts and contexts, a familiarity with debates surrounding culture and identity, both individual and communal, and skills in synthesising and developing ideas and arguments from diverse literary, performative, contemporary sources and visual literacy;
• A range of skills, which together foster the ability to practise self-motivated learning and increase the capacity to undertake independent learning in a progressive way.
• Exposure to, contact with and relationships with (and tutelage from) industry professionals across the fields of television, radio, journalism and interactive media.
• To provide students an opportunity to develop core production skills in the creation of the moving image and audio recording.
This degree will equip individuals with the ability to:
• Think critically, process and understand complex information and to present it in a variety of written and oral forms, particularly through production;
• Understand the different ways in which radio, television and media production practice and theory is structured and conveys meaning, as well as ways in which they work similarly;
• Evaluate primary and secondary sources;
• Interpret a variety of types of data and information;
• Pursue independent learning;
• Work well in groups and formulate arguments.
Students in the pathway benefit from a multi-disciplinary education, which gives them a large skill set and opens a wide range of career options following graduation. This degree aims to develop students' critical skills, to broaden their intellectual horizons, enhance their visual literacy and to develop an appreciation of core technical skills and to create enthusiasm for the subject.
The curricula will be delivered in accordance with the national Communication, Media, Film and Cultural Studies benchmarking statements, which reflect the chronological, cultural, and generic diversity of relevant critical theory, drawing, where applicable, on the unique character of Northern Ireland, and taking advantage of a variety of critical and pedagogical approaches.
More generally, the Broadcast Production degree aims to:
• Attract students from local, national, and international contexts, through a variety of entry routes, and deliver the best possible learning and teaching experience in an environment of equality, tolerance, and mutual respect;
• Provide students with the necessary intellectual, practical, and key skills to enable them to develop as independent, reflective lifelong learners and able employees;
The programme will thereby foster an atmosphere of intellectual inquiry in each discipline, by offering modules which encourage a stimulating interchange of ideas.
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes: Cognitive SkillsOn the completion of this course successful students will be able to: |
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Contextualise from a variety of perspectives |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Screenings of television work and independent research on film history. Methods of Assessment Written exercises, both formative and summative, such as long and short essays, segmental analysis, log-books and/or other exercises test the students’ ability to engage with, interpret, and contextualise image making strategies and critical content. |
Demonstrate a capacity for critical reflection and judgment in the light of evidence and argument |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies In many modules, students give informal presentations on specific television and radio programmes, and on key concepts within Broadcast culture. Moreover, they are encouraged to refer to media scholarship in order to form their own judgment and evaluation of the work or critical concept in question. Methods of Assessment Written exercises, both formative and summative, such as long and short essays, segmental analysis, log-books and/or other exercises test the students’ ability to engage with, interpret, and contextualise image making strategies and critical content. |
Work autonomously, manifested in self-direction, objective-setting, prioritising, self-discipline and time management |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Students are given a number of deadlines to which they are expected to work; thereby, they learn to prioritise assignments and projects, objectives, and activities generally. Methods of Assessment Working to deadlines to produce new written and practical creative media outputs. |
Understand complex tasks and present appropriate solutions in written, oral and visual form |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies These skills are introduced in the first year of study, nurtured and commented upon at meetings with the students’ tutor, with guidance as to the direction of their studies and with a view to increasing the amount of autonomous learning, which the student undertakes. Advisers of Studies also contribute to this process, though in a more general fashion, in the wider context of the subject and in the sense in which it forms a component of the degree pathways followed by the student. Methods of Assessment In class presentation; production of creative media Work in various forms; in class critiques and formative feedback sessions. |
Learning Outcomes: Knowledge & UnderstandingOn the completion of this course successful students will be able to: |
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Understand the aesthetic and formal qualities of television and radio and their relation to meanings in particular cultural forms and contexts |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, screenings, seminars, practical workshops; tutorials, group and individual project work, open and resource-based learning, multi-media and new media learning. Methods of Assessment Assessment methods in the programme aim to encourage the following: |
Demonstrate an insight into the cultural and social ways in which aesthetic judgements are constructed and aesthetic processes experienced |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Large and small group and individual learning and teaching situations; tutor-led, student-led and independent learning sessions. Methods of Assessment Practical group work in the technical realisation of broadcast journalism related moving image work online or in a linear format. |
Show an awareness of a wide range of visual techniques, cultures and modes of reception |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies The programme’s learning and teaching strategies are designed to consolidate and enhance the following skills; subject-knowledge acquisition, analysis and critical evaluation; use of a range of technology systems for accessing resources, literature, and for the acquisition of production skills. Methods of Assessment Practice classes use a range of assessments which include but are not limited to short documentary production, documentary radio, experimental film, video essays, editing projects, screenwriting, cinematography exercises and other forms of moving image and audio based media outputs. |
Understand the visual, verbal and audio conventions through which images, words and sounds make meaning in the broadcast media |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Knowledge and understanding are developed through lectures, tutorials, workshops, seminars (many of which will be enhanced by learning aids such as handouts, and key readings available online through Queen’s Online) and through the assessment and feedback process. Methods of Assessment A range of assessment methods ensures that these skills are evaluated in different ways. |
Demonstrate an understanding of professional practices and traditions, and of the possibilities and constraints involved broadcast media productions |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies A substantial aspect of the learning in Broadcast Media is through practical work. The experiential learning involved with media production has a number of core benefits. These include the development of realistic and pragmatic understandings of the challenges involved with media production. The ability to develop crucial technical skills to empower creativity; a profound and thorough understanding of the parlance of production, which leads to greater insight and ability to articulate craft processes and action in close analysis and lastly these skills enhance employability. Methods of Assessment Screening and exhibition of media outputs. The production of factual based film and radio documentary to a high level. Completion of technical training in non-linear editing. Screenwriting and project development skills. Pitching and conveying creative projects to assessed panels and in presentations. |
Learning Outcomes: Subject SpecificOn the completion of this course successful students will be able to: |
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Engage critically with creative practitioners, theorists, and be able to debate and apply these strategies within a subject discourse |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, screenings, seminars, practical workshops; tutorials, group and individual project work, open and resource-based learning, multi-media and new media learning. Methods of Assessment Assessment methods in the programme aim to encourage the following: |
Understand broadcasting forms and their historical precedents |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Large and small group and individual learning and teaching situations; tutor-led, student-led and independent learning sessions. Methods of Assessment Assessment is by a variety of traditional and innovative methods, including timed unseen written examinations, data analysis, essays, critical article reviews, portfolios, individual and group presentations, and seminar and tutorial reports and contributions. |
Analyse, interpret, and exercise critical judgement in the understanding of the subject area studied |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies The programme’s learning and teaching strategies are designed to consolidate and enhance the following skills; subject-knowledge acquisition, analysis and critical evaluation; use of a range of technology systems for accessing resources, literature, and for the acquisition of production skills. Methods of Assessment Essays and exercises; examinations; individual presentations (both oral and technology-based); logbooks and/or portfolios; research exercises; critical self-evaluation; creative practice within both an individual and group context; tasks aimed at the assessment of film making skills. |
Put to use a range of IT skills from basic competences such as word processing to more complex skills using multimedia, and develop proficiencies in utilising a range of image and audio making technologies |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Industry standard software instruction is embedding in coursework. This empowers students to take external examinations in video and audio editing to an advanced level in radio and television. Methods of Assessment Video essay and editing exams, Editing of film projects, documentaries, Advanced post production techniques such as picture grading and colour management software. |
Learning Outcomes: Transferable SkillsOn the completion of this course successful students will be able to: |
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Present knowledge and demonstrate expertise in a coherent, effective and meaningful form |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Individual and group presentations; seminars offer a variety of tutor-led and student-led learning opportunities as well as a more sustained opportunity to debate and evaluate a breadth of knowledge gained independently from directed reading and from the sharing of resources and information. Methods of Assessment Group presentations are used to encourage students to pursue their own interests and develop their understanding of a topic. |
Use libraries and online resources |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies In the first year, students are introduced to the Main Library and its extensive film (DVD & VHS) collection and given a tour of the stacks. There are introductory sessions on how to use the Library’s online catalogues. Students’ use of online resources is currently being developed, as are the resources themselves. Methods of Assessment Writing skills tutorials and lectures develop essay-writing on stylistic, rhetorical and bibliographical levels. The ability to source and collate information is assessed through the marking system for essays written as coursework. |
Write and think effectively under pressure and meet deadlines |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies The modules are in general demanding, and students learn early on how to write and think under pressure, as well as how to meet deadlines. Guidance is given in the form of advice in tutorial meetings, and also on an ad hoc basis in the classes, where the tutor responds to individual as well as collective requests for guidance and advice Methods of Assessment Assessment is by a variety of traditional and innovative methods, including timed unseen written examinations, data analysis, essays, critical book/article reviews, portfolios, individual and group presentations, and seminar and tutorial reports and contributions. Assessment methods vary in accordance with the specific learning outcomes of particular modules as detailed below and as set out in the individual module descriptions. |
Use IT, multimedia, practical skills for audio visual acquisition in film making and post production skills |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies At Levels 1, 2 and 3, students are involved in a substantial amount of production activity. Employing industry based techniques students are required to screen/exhibit work developed through the acquisition of new production and postproduction skills embedded in their coursework. This experience both enhances their media production skills and heightens their awareness of the challenges associated with producing output for a variety of audiences and in a variety of forms. This aspect of the programme also enhances their research, management, communication skills and employability. Methods of Assessment Production of high-level media outputs. These can take the form of fiction, experimental and non-fiction outputs. |
Communicate and interact effectively |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies The core activity of media production in all its forms requires teamwork and good communication skills. Methods of Assessment Working in groups and following the production cycle of television programme or radio broadcast. |
Work creatively and flexibly with others as part of a team |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Practice work in particular promotes good communication and team building skills. Working creativity, students have to create new and original creative practice work aligned to best practice in industry. Methods of Assessment Creative outputs take the form of, but are not limited too; short film, documentary, experimental film, installation, radio inserts, blogs, vlogs, other audio work. Students work in teams and are assessed for individual role and contributions with the team or through a group project mark. |
Use IT, multimedia, practical skills for audio visual acquisition in film making and post production skills |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies At Levels 1, 2 and 3, students are involved in a substantial amount of production activity. Employing industry based techniques students are required to screen/exhibit work developed through the acquisition of new production and postproduction skills embedded in their coursework. This experience both enhances their media production skills and heightens their awareness of the challenges associated with producing output for a variety of audiences and in a variety of forms. This aspect of the programme also enhances their research, management, communication skills and employability. Methods of Assessment Production of high-level media outputs. These take the form of fiction, experimental and non-fiction outputs. |
Module Information
Stages and Modules
Module Title | Module Code | Level/ stage | Credits | Availability |
Duration | Pre-requisite | Assessment |
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S1 | S2 | Core | Option | Coursework % | Practical % | Examination % | ||||||
Editing for Film and Television | FLM1007 | 1 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 30% | 70% | 0% | ||
Broadcast Analysis 1 | BCP1001 | 1 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 100% | 0% | 0% | ||
Broadcast Analysis 2 | BCP1003 | 1 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 80% | 20% | 0% | ||
Broadcast Production Skills | BCP1002 | 1 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 0% | 100% | 0% | ||
Broadcast Storytelling | BCP1004 | 1 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 100% | 0% | 0% | ||
Sound Recording and Production 1 | MUS1038 | 1 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 60% | 40% | 0% | ||
Sonic Arts | MUS2004 | 2 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 80% | 20% | 0% | ||
Film and Sound: History and Theory | FLM2014 | 2 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 100% | 0% | 0% | ||
British Cinema: Nation, Identity and Industry | FLM2026 | 2 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 100% | 0% | 0% | ||
Broadcast Journalism | BCP2001 | 2 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 30% | 70% | 0% | ||
Interactive Media and Future Broadcasting | BCP2005 | 2 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 100% | 0% | 0% | ||
Popular Genres | BCP2004 | 2 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 100% | 0% | 0% | ||
Radio and Podcast Production | BCP2002 | 2 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 100% | 0% | 0% | ||
The Television Programme | BCP2003 | 2 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 20% | 80% | 0% | ||
Radio Drama | DRA2014 | 2 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 100% | 0% | 0% | ||
Creative Enterprise in Film and Digital Media | FLM2031 | 2 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 100% | 0% | 0% | ||
Sound Design for Screen | MUS2036 | 2 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 0% | 100% | 0% | ||
Gender, Culture, and Representation – Backwards & in Heels | AEL2001 | 2 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 60% | 40% | 0% | ||
Adaptation as Interdisciplinary Practice | AEL2002 | 2 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 100% | 0% | 0% | ||
Language in the Media | ENL3004 | 3 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 70% | 30% | 0% | ||
British Film: Mainstream and Fringe | FLM3032 | 3 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 90% | 10% | 0% | ||
Gender and Media | BCP3004 | 3 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 50% | 50% | 0% | ||
Broadcast Media Project: Development | BCP3001 | 3 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 60% | 40% | 0% | ||
Broadcast Media Project: Production | BCP3005 | 3 | 40 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 40% | 60% | 0% | ||
Independent Study | BCP3002 | 3 | 20 | YES | YES | 24 weeks | N | YES | 100% | 0% | 0% | |
Work-based Learning | AEL3001 | 3 | 20 | YES | YES | 24 weeks | N | YES | 100% | 0% | 0% | |
Immersive Media | MUS3007 | 3 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 100% | 0% | 0% | ||
Media and Time | BCP3003 | 3 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 100% | 0% | 0% | ||
Rehabilitating Reality: studies and strategies of the use of fiction to strengthen fact | BCP3006 | 3 | 20 | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | 50% | 50% | 0% |
Notes
Stage 1: Students must take the all the core modules listed.
Stage 2: Students must take the core modules BCP2001 and BCP2002 in Autumn, and BCP2003 and BCP2004 in Spring, and two other optional modules from the optional modules listed.
Stage 3: Students must take the two core modules BCP3001 and BCP3005 plus three modules from the Stage 3 optional modules listed. * Students will be notified each academic year of the optional modules being offered in the following academic year. Students are advised that not all optional modules will necessarily be offered in each academic year. Also, the delivery of a module may be subject to a minimum number of enrolments as well as unforeseen circumstances (e.g. illness of a member of staff). The range and content of optional modules will change over time as degree programmes develop and students’ choice of optional modules may also be limited due to timetabling constraints.