Course summary

Would you like to gain the skills to succeed in a digital world? Social media and digital communication have become fundamental to the work and lives of people across the world; revolutionising politics, culture, society, and business. Our BA (Hons) Digital Communication and Social Media programme gives you the practical skills and indispensable knowledge you need to become part of this thriving industry. Combined with a strong theoretical spine, this highly flexible programme is transferable for any workplace or career, whether you wish to build your own brand, aspire to work for a large organisation in a digital role, or envisage doing further study. All of our students at Richmond graduate with both a UK and US degree, opening up international opportunities. Like our other undergraduate programmes, this BA is based on the American liberal arts tradition, which offers a multi-disciplinary approach. That’s why your first and second year will include Scientific Reasoning and Creative Expression, as well as Visual Culture and Advertising Practice. Choose from a range of electives which offer you the option to specialise: from Public Relations Practice to Sonic Media Production, Animation and Motion to Fashion and Media. Your journey on this programme will continue in the third and fourth year, as you study such courses as Mass Communications and Society, Creating Digital Images, Coding and Social Research (developing your research skills), providing valuable knowledge essential for any digital campaign. This programme also has a high practical content as you develop skills in Photojournalism and Web Design, providing an understanding and application of key production processes and professional practices relevant to social media, cultural and communication industries. With this programme you will become an expert marketeer and a highly effective social media user, capable of building a company’s profile. You will gain an understanding of reputation management through digital media, the role of the influencer and how to target your core audiences. This programme allows you to specialise in the areas you’re most passionate about: from marketing and PR to video production, postgraduate study to journalism, web design to building a personal brand, while teaching you essential knowledge and skills, in four key areas:

• Theories of communication

• Theories of society

• Digital media production

• Professional skills, specifically those sought by the creative industries and media in general such as PR and marketing

• Learn within the flexible Liberal Arts framework. Choose your own path – find out more about the Liberal Arts - https://www.richmond.ac.uk/about-richmond/the-liberal-arts/

• Gain all the digital skills you will need for any workplace or career, from building your own personal brand to a digital role in a large organisation

• Combine breadth of approach with opportunity to specialise in area of digital communication which interests you the most

• Benefit from the teaching of our renowned academics and guest lecturers

• Gain vital work experience through an internship in a digital role internationally or in London, a hub of the global media communications industry

• Develop strong communication skills in small classes within an international environment, alongside students from all over the world