Do I need my own equipment to study BA Media Production?

For on-campus students no — broadcast-grade kit is loaned for project work. Online and distance students need a recent phone or basic camera, a USB microphone and a laptop capable of running editing software. We supply software access throughout the degree.

Is BA Media Production a journalism degree or a filmmaking degree?

BA Media Production sits between the two. It centres factual production craft — news, documentary, podcast, social video — rather than narrative film. Students wanting pure filmmaking should consider a BA Film; students wanting pure reporting should consider BA Journalism.

Can I study BA Media Production online?

Yes — partially. Core production craft modules run online with live tutor sessions and remote critique. Studio and gallery operation require on-campus blocks; distance learners typically complete two intensive production weeks per year in London.

Will BA Media Production prepare me for a career at the BBC?

It builds the working production craft BBC and other UK broadcasters recruit for at entry level. The BBC's own Production Trainee Scheme and other broadcaster entry routes are competitive; many BA Media Production graduates apply successfully after building a portfolio.

What sort of final project will I produce on BA Media Production?

A final-year portfolio of three to five substantial production pieces in your chosen specialism — typically a documentary, a podcast series, a short factual film or a social-first video series. Industry guests review the portfolio at year-end.

BA Media Production in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The BA Media Production at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a three-year UK honours degree for students who want to learn how a story actually gets made — researched, shot, recorded, edited, packaged, scheduled and delivered. You will work across television, radio, podcast, digital video and social-first formats, with three years inside a working student production environment in central London.

The degree is built around Royal Television Society and Society of Editors practice. You graduate with a production portfolio, a working understanding of every role on a small production team, and the technical and editorial discipline a working broadcaster or independent production house recruits for.

Key Features

Three-year working studio — produce television, radio and podcast content every term.
Cinematography and field-recording modules using broadcast-grade kit.
Post-production training — Adobe Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, Pro Tools, Reaper.
Newsroom and gallery operation — running orders, vision-mixing, autocue, studio direction.
Media law and ethics at a working level — Ofcom Code, defamation, contempt.
Final-year production portfolio presented to industry guests from UK broadcasters and indies.

What You Will Learn

The BA Media Production is structured around the working practice of a multi-platform producer. You graduate able to take an idea from brief through to delivered piece, sit comfortably in any production role on a small team, and explain to a commissioner why a budget went where it went.

Story development — angle, premise, treatment, pitch document.
Cinematography and field sound — composition, lighting, recording in unpredictable conditions.
Studio operation — desk, gallery, audio, vision mixing, autocue.
Post-production — Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, Pro Tools, Reaper, basic motion graphics.
Podcast and audio documentary craft — interviewing for long-form, structure, sound design.
Social-first production — TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts as primary delivery formats.
Media law and ethics — Ofcom Code, BBC Editorial Guidelines, defamation, contempt.
Production management — budget, schedule, kit, contributor agreements, music clearance.

Who This Course Is For

School leavers drawn to making things — programmes, podcasts, video, packaged stories.
International students seeking a UK honours degree in production taught in the heart of London broadcasting.
Career-changers from teaching, theatre, marketing or community arts moving into media production.
YouTubers, TikTokers and podcasters with audience but no formal training looking to industrialise their craft.

Career Pathways

Graduates of BA Media Production go into entry-level production roles at broadcasters, independent production companies, podcast networks, digital publishers and brand-owned content teams. Typical first roles include:

Production Runner (independent production company, broadcaster)
Assistant Producer (current-affairs, factual entertainment, news)
Junior Editor (post-production house, broadcast newsroom)
Podcast Producer (independent network, BBC Sounds)
Social Video Producer (newspaper video desk, social-first publisher)
Production Assistant (drama, factual, entertainment)

Graduates progress to a Master's in Media Production, Documentary Journalism, or a specialist craft Master's in directing, editing or sound design.

Entry Requirements

Three A-Levels at BBC or above (or international equivalent — IB 28 points, BTEC DMM, or accepted national qualification).
GCSE English Language at grade 5 or equivalent English proficiency test.
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
A short personal statement and a creative portfolio (a short film, podcast, video or written script).
Mature applicants (21+) without standard qualifications may apply with a portfolio and short interview.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.