Bachelor of Arts in Media, Communication and Culture


Program Description

The Bachelor of Arts in Media, Communication and Culture (BAMCC for short) is a specialized BA degree in which students will focus on aspects of media, communication and culture. It is a three-year programme offered full-time at the Mbombela campus. The programme is designed to support the development of media, communication and culture practitioners who can think critically, apply analytical methods to various forms of communication and media, understand and work within the contested MCC space, and create written and visual content. It is designed to develop critical and creative independence, flexibility, and reflexivity in critical and production work. The programme is developed through a process of national and international benchmarking and constructive alignment to support the University in achieving its vision and mission and strategic goals, and to allow students to develop the University’s graduate attributes. Upon its completion, students may be enrolled in an Honours degree such as the Bachelor of Arts Honours in Media and Cultural Studies.
 

Admission Requirements

  • Grade 12 Bachelor university entrance with a minimum APS of 32 or above or equivalent.
  • English level 4 (50-59%); Second language on level 4 (50- 59%)
  • Maths level 2 / Maths literacy level 3
  • Diploma (360 credits) in an appropriate field will be considered

Career Prospects

Data show that the media, communication and cultural industries including media management and multi-media designer/ specialist are significant areas of employment in the Mpumalanga province and across South Africa. The proposed programme thus provides students with skills and techniques required by the media and communications industry thereby contributing significantly towards producing students who will contribute to the national economic growth via these essential professions. Career possibilities include roles like multimedia artists, art directors, digital designers, television producers, screenwriters, film editors, broadcast presenters, journalists, linguists, copyrighters, Public Relations officers and media and communication practitioners. BAMCC is designed to both empower graduates to critically engage with the media and to develop a new generation of content creators with the ability and passion to develop in-depth, reflective and critical analysis of contemporary politics and everyday life.
 

Curriculum and Credits

The curriculum blends a strong theoretical foundational, contextual knowledge in media, communication and culture, with applied modern technology skills of media and communication practice that is up to date, and sensitive to context.


First-year

Students take a compulsory End User Computing module (12 credits) and then 6 compulsory Media, Communication and Culture (MCC) modules (64 credits). Students then chose a language (English or one of the African languages offered by the University; 24 credits). Finally, students chose both semesters of an elective subject from a range of electives (24 credits). (see table 1 below)
 

Second year

Students take four core MCC modules (40 credits) and then elect to join two of three possible streams in Film, Video and TV production, Written Media production, or Creative Visual communication: Design and Layout (50 credits; 25 credits per stream). Finally, students will continue with the second year of the language taken in the first year (30 credits). (see table 2 below)
 

Third year

Students chose to join one of the two streams taken in the second year, being, Film Video and TV production, Creative Visual Communication: Design and layout, and Written Media production. In each stream, there are core and elective modules and a substantial (30 credit) final production project (see table three below)
 
Module Code Description Compulsory Credit Prerequisite
 
         
FIRST-YEAR
1st & 2nd Semesters
       
EUC111 End-user Computing Y 12 Pre
MCC 101 Introduction to Film Theories and
Analysis
Y 10 Pre
MCC102 Introduction to Media, Politics and
Development in South Africa
Y 10  
MCC 111 Introduction to News
and Feature Writing
Y 10 Pre
MCC 112 Introduction to Script
Writing
Y 10 Pre
MCC113 Introduction to
Critical
Communication
Y 12 Pre
MCC114 Introduction to
Contemporary
Culture Theory
Y 12 Pre
CST 101 Culture and Heritage
Studies
N 12 Co: CST102
CST 102 Culture and Heritage
Studies
N 12 Co: CST 101
BMN101 Introduction to Business
Management
N 12 Co: BMN102
BMN102 Introduction to Business
Management
N 12 Co: BMN101
POL 101 Introduction to Political Science N 12 Co:
POL102
POL 102 Electoral Process N 12 Co:
POL 101
SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology N 12 Co:
SOC 102
 
SOC 102 Introduction to South Africa Society N 12 Co:
SOC 101
ENC 101 Language and Meaning and Introduction to Critical Interpretation N 12 Co:
ENC102
ENC 102 Introduction to Narrative Fiction and its Poetics and Introduction to Poetry N 12 Co:
SOC 101
SWT 101 Introduction to SISWATI N 12 Co:
SWT 102
SWT102 Language Concepts and Social Aspects of Siswati N 12 Co:
SWT101
         
SECOND YEAR
1st & 2nd Semesters
       
MCC 211 Media and Society:
Theory and Analysis of Media and Film in the Global South
Y 10 Pre:
MCC 212 Cultural Studies:
Contemporary South African Media and Society
Y 10 Pre:
MCC 201 Critical Communication Studies Y 10 Pre:
 
MCC 202 Creative Communication: New Media Production Y 10 Pre:
MCC203 Principles of Production: Film,
Video and TV
N 15 Pre:
MCC204 Introduction to Production
Management: Film, Video and TV
N 10 Pre:
MCC205 Written Media Production: News
and Features
N 15 Pre:
MCC206 Script Writing N 10 Pre:
 
MCC207 Principles of Design and Layout N 15 Pre:
 
MCC208 Copywriting for Advertising N 10 Pre:
 
ENC201 English N 15 Pre:
ENC202 English N 15 Pre:
 
         
THIRD YEAR
1st & 2nd Semesters
       
MCC301 Advanced Video Film and TV Production N 15 Pre:
MCC302 Advanced Production
Management: Film, Video and TV
N 15 Pre:
MCC303 Advanced Research and Investigative Methods for Media Y 15 Pre:
MCC304 Advanced Visual Communication:
Design and Layout
N 15 Pre:
MCC305 Advanced Contemporary
Culture
N 15 Pre:
MCC306 Advanced Creative
Communication: Copywriting for
Advertising
N 15 Pre:
MCC307 Advanced Analysis and Investigative Commentary for
News and Magazine Features
N 15 Pre:
MCC308 Final Integrated Project Y 30 Pre:
 
MCC309 Advanced Audio-Visual Presentation Design N 15 Pre:
MCC310 Advanced Critical Communication Studies N 15 Pre:
MCC311 Advocacy and Documentary Film
Theory and Analysis
N 15 Pre:
MCC312 Identity and Representation in
Contemporary South African Literature
N 15 Pre:
MCC313 Advanced Multimedia
Communication and New Media
Production
N 15 Pre:
 

Enquiries

Dr. Dalifa Ngobese (Acting)
BA Programme Leader
Tel No: 013 0020370
Email: Dalifa.Ngobese@ump.ac.za