Communications BA
London, Bloomsbury
This is the programme information for 2026 entry
If you require details of the previous year's programme, Communications BA (2025), click here
UCL’s Communications BA will prepare you to promote effective communication in societies, organisations, and communities. You will develop the theoretical, research, and design skills needed to optimise communication processes and outcomes in a range of professional fields. As London’s global university, you will closely collaborate with world-leading experts and scholars through a work placement and research project in a topic of your choice.
Study mode
Duration
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
Programme starts
September 2026Application deadline
14 Jan 2026UCAS course code
Entry requirements
- Grades
- AAB
- Subjects
- No specific subjects. At least two A level subjects should be taken from UCL's list of preferred A level subjects.
- GCSEs
- English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 4.
Contextual offer information
- Grades
- BBB more about contextual offers
- Subjects
- No specific subjects. At least two A level subjects should be taken from UCL's list of preferred A level subjects.
- GCSEs
- English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 4.
- Points
- 36
- Subjects
- A total of 17 points in three higher level subjects, with no higher level score below 5.
Contextual offer
- Points
- 32 more about contextual offers
- Subjects
- A total of 15 points in three higher level subjects, with no higher level score below 5.
UK applicants qualifications
For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:
Equivalent qualification
Pass in Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 30 credits at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit, all from Level 3 units
BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (QCF) or BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (RQF - teaching from 2016) with Distinction, Distinction, Distinction.
D3,D3,M1 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects.
AAB at Advanced Highers (or AA at Advanced Higher and BBB at Higher).
T Level Technical Qualification with overall mark of Distinction in any of the following specification: Digital Production, Design and Development; Digital Support Services; Digital Business Services; Management and Administration
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
International applications
Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.
Access and widening participation
UCL is committed to widening access to higher education. If you are eligible for Access UCL you do not need to do anything in addition to the standard UCAS application. Your application will be automatically flagged when we receive it.Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates
The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPC) prepare international students for a UCL undergraduate degree who don’t have the qualifications to enter directly. These intensive one-year foundation courses are taught on our central London campus.
Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.
For more information see: ucl.ac.uk/upc.
English language requirements
The English language level for this programme is: Level 2
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Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.
A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.
Course overview
The Communications BA addresses the growing demand for expertise in effective and inclusive communication within a socially, culturally and linguistically diverse population. To meet their goals and responsibilities, individuals and organisations need to connect with, listen to, inform and persuade people. This requires critical understanding of and practical skills in contemporary communication.
This degree is designed to introduce theories and strategies of communication and media. It covers areas such as:
- Developments in the landscape of communication in recent decades
- Visual, multimodal and multisensory communication
- Digital media and technology
- Intercultural communication
- Online communication
- Inclusive communication
During your time on the course, you will:
- Learn how to communicate effectively with people, groups, communities and organisations
- Learn how to make complex information attractive and engaging
- Learn how to Influence public opinions and promote behaviour changes that have a positive impact on people’s lives.
- Develop social research and digital media production skills
- Have the opportunity to develop knowledge in different domains of application. For example, health and wellbeing, education, inequality, social justice, development and sustainability.
What this course will give you
The Communications BA is delivered by the Department of Culture, Communication and Media within IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, ranked No.1 in the world for Education for 11 consecutive years (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024). You will be based at our Bloomsbury campus in the heart of London.
As London’s global university, we are well-placed to facilitate contextualised learning through our local, national, and international networks, and through our partnership across the public, commercial and third sectors. Our links are a rich resource for enabling a student learning journey that strongly embeds employability experiences. You will have the opportunity to take part in a work placement in your second year of study.
A key benefit of the course is the applicability of learning for a range of communicative and professional settings. We see our students as future leaders in communication, equipped to drive positive change across a wide range of fields. This programme will equip you with a critical understanding of current research, knowledge, and skills in communication to engage with diverse audiences.
The programme emphasises research-led teaching that will include a variety of assessments tailored to careers in communications. The programme offers core modules in communications and media studies, applied linguistics, multimodal and intercultural studies. Modules will be taught by leading experts, each bringing unique disciplinary perspectives and experiences to create a diverse learning environment for our students. There is also a wide choice of optional modules through which you will be able to pursue your own interests.
Teaching and learning
In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
Upon successful completion of 360 credits, you will be awarded a BA (Hons) in Communications.
Modules
Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.
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Each year you will take compulsory and optional modules that explore communication from the perspectives of communications and media studies, applied linguistics, sociology, psychology, multimodal studies, and intercultural studies.
In Year 1, you will take compulsory modules that introduce key issues, theoretical perspectives, approaches and practices in contemporary communication. In Year 2, you will be introduced to the toolkit of a communication practitioner, exploring various communication methods to engage with wider publics. You will also have the option to take a work placement. From Year 2 onwards, you can choose from a wider range of optional modules in Social Sciences based on your own interests. In Year 3, you will work closely with a staff member to develop a research project of your choice. You will learn about how to design, conduct and disseminate communication research, as well as how to use creative and multimodal approaches for public engagement and outreach.
Year 2 compulsory modules:
Understanding Public Discourses
This module uses analytical tools from linguistic and discourse analysis to explore how language works and how it is put to work in various forms of public communications. It introduces key frameworks of analysis to demonstrate how these can shed light on what is going on in different communicative situations and the potential effects specific linguistic choices might have. The frameworks are applied to a range of public discourse types (e.g. media reports, public information campaigns, advertisements, political speeches, policy documents), to explore issues of power, agency, persuasion, and framing among others.
Researching Communication: Methodology & Methods
The module will also introduce the issues of research philosophy, research paradigm, epistemology and ethics. It will include the investigation of the advantages and disadvantages of, and similarities between quantitative methods (survey for example) and qualitative methods (interview, focus groups, ethnography, discourse analysis, for example). The module will explore key processes in research design, including sampling, data collection, including questionnaires, interviewing and focus groups, and photo-elicitation, and data analysis including generalisation, descriptive and inferential analyses, thematic analysis and framework analysis. It will also explore the visualisation and presentation of data through the use of data analysis software.
Year 3 compulsory modules:
Dissertation in Communication
The final year dissertation is an opportunity to undertake an in-depth investigation of a topic of students’ own choice. It allows students to develop and apply research skills acquired during the BA Communications. Individual supervisory support will help students to develop their confidence in articulating their ideas and structuring their arguments.
Compulsory modules
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
Your learning
You will learn through a combination of methods and strategies, including lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials, supervised independent and project work, and practical work. These varied methods provide different opportunities to develop strategies of communication and information design, alongside the development of your social research, creative writing and digital media production skills.
A work placement will provide you with the opportunity to engage with an organisation in the public, private or third sector. You will apply your learning, critical and communicative skills to contribute to solving problems in real world contexts.
Typical contact hours vary between 8-15 hours per week, depending on the year of study and module choice, and include lectures, seminars, practice-based activities and e-learning activities. You will also display a level of independent study (25-30 hours per week), for example, by engaging with key topics and required readings in preparation for the discussions promoted in the programme.
Assessment
You will be assessed through a variety of methods, allowing you to produce both academic and industry outputs specific to the fields of study. These methods may include: essays; reviews and reports, including those from placements or simulated work environments; creative writing outputs; digital and multimodal artefacts and presentations; campaign design materials, dissertation research or report; exams; and strategy documents
Accessibility
Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.
Visit us
Online - Open day
Communications information video
Watch this video to find out more about Communications at UCL, including entry requirements, course structure and other helpful information. Recorded Spring 2024.
The foundation of your career
The programme has been designed to equip you with skills to help prepare you for careers in areas such as:
- Public and media relations
- Strategic communication
- Events management
- Social media management
- Media analysis
- Marketing and market research
- Copywriting
- Information design
- Multimedia content creation
- Campaign planning and management
- Internal communications
- Public engagement
- Community outreach
Employability
You will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to develop and deliver effective, accessible, influential, interpersonal and public communications.
You will have a good understanding of theories and strategies of communication and information design. You will also have social research and digital media production skills.
In addition, the optional placement module provides the opportunity to gain work experience in the public, private or third sector.
Fees and funding
Fees for this course
| Fee description | Full-time |
|---|---|
| Tuition fees (2025/26) | £9,535 |
| Tuition fees (2025/26) | £33,000 |
Fees are for Undergraduate 2025/26 entry and are for the first year only. Fees for subsequent years may be subject to increase: Student Terms and Conditions. UK fees are in line with the Government announcement on fee cap increases and are subject to the passing of secondary legislation. Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2025/26 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.
Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website.
Additional costs
A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) may be required depending on your placement. The exact cost will depend on the placement setting and type of certificate required (approximately £50).
If you choose to take the placement module, you will have to travel to your placement site. Depending on the location of the placement, the travel costs are estimated to be between £10-£100 per return trip. It is estimated that when undertaking a placement, you will need to make between 1 and 10 return trips to the placement site. The work placement is not a compulsory module but an option that you can choose as part of your degree.
For in-person teaching, UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide. If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).
Students who need support with DBS costs can apply to the department and this will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Funding your studies
Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.
Scholarships
The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.
Next steps
Your application
We are seeking students who aspire to lead in shaping the role of communications and media in our everyday lives and workplaces. We expect candidates to have a strong desire to make a contribution to society. We want motivated candidates who are keen to develop their knowledge, critical thinking and problem solving-skills; and who are willing to work hard both individually and collaboratively with others.
How to apply
Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.
Selection
For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application.
Got questions? Get in touch
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