Bachelor of Arts (Global Media)

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Course Overview
Key Facts
Course Outline
Further Education
Why Choose This Course?
Course Fees
Find Out More

Entry Points (2024)

357

Course Overview

Our Global Media programme is designed for students eager to engage critically and creatively with the rapidly evolving world of media and communication. This programme examines the cultural, political, and aesthetic impact of media and digital technologies on our increasingly interconnected world.

As a Global Media student, you'll explore how media and communication technologies drive globalisation, shaping our social, political, economic, and cultural landscapes. You'll investigate how these technologies transform information exchange, influence our work and worldviews, and redefine relationships between nations and communities.

Our curriculum provides you with both theoretical and ethical frameworks, as well as practical tools, to analyse today's highly digitalised and mediated national and global cultures. You'll gain insights into historical and contemporary contexts of global media, preparing you for roles as communicators, researchers, analysts, or advocates in international settings.

A key strength of our programme is the interconnection of theory and practice. You'll balance critical analysis with experiential learning, including some hands-on work in media skills. This approach allows you to develop both analytical skills and creative abilities, building a comprehensive understanding of the media landscape.

Throughout your studies, you will learn how to build a professional portfolio showcasing your growth and achievements.

The kinds of careers that graduates in this field have gone into include media-related roles in tech companies,the civil and public service, in NGOs, marketing and communications and a wide range of other areas in media production.

Join us to develop the knowledge, skills, and ethical awareness necessary to thrive in an interconnected world, where media and digital technologies play a pivotal role in shaping our shared future.

Applications and Selections

Who Teaches this Course

Requirements and Assessment

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

Minimum Grade H5 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at O6/H7 level in the Leaving Certificate, including Irish, English, another language, and three other subjects recognised for entry purposes.

Additional Requirements

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Duration

4 years

Next start date

September 2025

A Level Grades (2024)

universityofgalway.ie/alevels

Average intake

QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes

5 (More Info)

Closing Date

NFQ level

Mode of study

ECTS weighting

Award

CAO

GY135

Course code

Course Outline

In First Year you will register for Global Media and choose two Arts subjects from the Joint-Honours subject groupings.

Only the following subjects are available:
Sociology and Politics, History, Economics, Philosophy, English, French, Spanish, Italian, IT or Gaeilge. In second year you can choose to take either a Single Honours or Joint Honours degree. If you choose. Single Honours you will continue with Global Media to degree level.

Year One Core Modules

Digital Literacy Essentials
History of Media
Introduction to Media and Communication
Pop Culture, Media and Society

Indicative Modules for Year Two

Power without Responsibility
Online and Social Media: Theory and Practice
Understanding Media Audiences
Media and Visual Cultures
Media Production
Communication Design
Designing User Experiences

Year Three

Students will have the opportunity to undertake an Erasmus or study abroad exchange and/or an internship.

Indicative Modules for Year Four

Media Research Methods
Media Law and Ethics
Global Political Economy of the Mass Media
Advanced Media Production
Independent Research Project
Bursting the Western Bubble: Alternative Media Systems and the Global South

Assessment methods include continuous assessment, project work and exams. You will spend an average of 40 hours a week attending lectures, tutorials and practical classes and undertaking independent study.

Curriculum Information

Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).
Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Glossary of Terms

Credits: You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
Module: An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
Subject: Some courses allow you to choose subjects, where related modules are grouped together. Subjects have their own required number of credits, so you must take all that subject's required modules and may also need to obtain the remainder of the subject's total credits by choosing from its available optional modules.
Optional: A module you may choose to study.
Required: A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
Required Core Subject: A subject you must study because it's integral to that course.
Semester: Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year, so a three-year course will have six semesters in total. For clarity, this page will refer to the first semester of year 2 as 'Semester 3'.

Year 1 (60 Credits)

Year 2 (60 Credits)

Year 3 (60 Credits)

OptionalAJ3101: Media internship (full year) - 60 Credits - Semester 5
OptionalAJ3102: Media Internship (S1) - 30 Credits - Semester 5
OptionalAJ3104: Study Abroad / Erasmus Exchange (Full Year) - 60 Credits - Semester 5
OptionalAJ3105: Study Abroad / Erasmus Exchange (S1) - 30 Credits - Semester 5
OptionalAJ3103: Media Internship (S2) - 30 Credits - Semester 6
OptionalAJ3106: Study Abroad / Erasmus Exchange (S2) - 30 Credits - Semester 6

Year 4 (60 Credits)

Further Education

You’ll be qualified to undertake further study in a range of MA programmes at University of Galway, including:

• MA (Journalism)
• MA (Global Media and Communication)
• MA (Film Studies)

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

The curriculum in the global media programme bridges theory and practice, providing you with both critical thinking skills and practical media competencies. You will gain insights into how media shapes international relations and cultural exchanges, insights that can help prepare you for work in diverse, multicultural environments. The programme will help you develop a strong sense of ethical responsibility, an ethic which is crucial for navigating the complex landscape of global media. Your hands-on experience in building a professional portfolio will help you showcase your skills to potential employers. This programme will also help you stay ahead of the curve by studying emerging trends in digital technologies and their impact on global communication. Along the way you will cultivate analytical, creative, and technical skills that are highly valued across various industries and you will learn how to thrive in the rapidly evolving media landscape.

Galway has a vibrant media sector both on-campus and off-campus with strong media production, film and television companies based in the West of Ireland as well as a student run radio station, Flirt FM, on campus.

By choosing our Global Media BA programme, you'll not only gain a deep understanding of how media shapes our world but also develop the practical skills and ethical awareness necessary to become a leader in this exciting and ever-changing field. Join us to unlock a world of opportunities and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of global communication.

Who’s Suited to This Course

Learning Outcomes

Transferable Skills Employers Value

Work Placement

You will have the opportunity to undertake a work placement in a company such as a media organisation; in a production company; volunteering; in the technology sector; or in the public sector. You can choose to either do a one-semester or full-year internship. The programme will also facilitate students to undertake their own placements internationally.

Study Abroad

You can undertake a semester of Erasmus study in a European university or study abroad exchange in a non-EU country. University of Galway has specific partnerships with universities, including in Sweden, Spain, Austria, the USA and Canada. If you are undertaking a modern language as part of your degree you are expected to spend at least a semester studying in that language.

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

€6,276 p.a. (€6,416 p.a. including levy) 2025/26.

Fees: Tuition

€3,276 p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Student Contribution

€3,000 p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Student levy

€140 p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Non EU

€20,500 p.a. (€20,640 p.a. including levy) 2025/26.

EU Fees are comprised of Tuition + Student Contribution Charge + Student Levy* €140. *Payable by all students and is not covered by SUSI. Further detail here.

For 25/26 entrants, where the course duration is greater than 1 year, there is an inflationary increase approved of 3.4% per annum for continuing years fees**.
**Excludes Full-Time EU Undergraduate fees. These are fixed and do not change.

Find out More

Dr Kelly Fincham
School of English, Media and Creative Arts
Email: kelly.fincham@universityofgalway.ie

Web: College of Arts, Social Sciences, & Celtic Studies

What Our Students Say

Meret Stursberg | BA in Global Media and Soc & Pol

This course gave me the opportunity of exploring media - something we all use on a daily basis in our personal lives - from different perspectives. The programme allows a deep dive into understanding the different aspects of how media and framing impacts the way we view the world, how we are shaped by but also actively shape technology, how different media systems are globally connected, and how new developments such as AI can become a useful tool while also presenting challenges to society. Overall, this interesting course deepened my critical thinking, provided training in journalistic and research practices, and even outside of my studies I constantly engage with the course material while reflecting on my own media usage. This programme is at the pulse of time and lecturers draw connections to current political and cultural developments to showcase theoretical lenses and allow students a lot of participation, so that they can shape the module experience. In a time where media develops quickly, there is a need for more media education and literacy and this programme aims to fill this gap!

Colin Bracken | Currently on Third Year Placement for 24/25

BA Global Media has allowed me to try my hand at various subjects that I wouldn't normally have taken an interest in; but the freedom to choose up to 6 modules ranging from graphic design to radio production has meant that I now have a basic understanding of Photoshop, Canva, newspaper journalism, website design, and social media algorithms. All this experience in a 12-16 hour lecture week also allows students of BA Global Media to take full advantage of extracurriculars. The opportunity to undertake work placement in 3rd year also allows students to gain experience in a sector that interests them, either choosing from companies that already collaborate with the university, or sourcing their own.