Any experience of UWL and other London unis for Media courses?

[Onceuponatime46]

Hello, does anyone have any experience of UWL (Uni of West London - Ealing). DD wants to go and is holding an offer, but we’re trying to get a bit more insight into the accommodation options, travels costs, general feel for the uni and area etc. we do not live near London so its a huge move. Any thoughts? Thanks

alternatively, any other London unis worth considering? Media/Comms/Marketing courses.

This is great info thanks. Will do some research.

@Camdenish Well regarded by whom? English isn’t leading to great jobs in many cases now looking at grad earnings. It’s such a tough jobs market.

We looked at UAL (LCC) - I think applications for the foundation year (for September) close some time in March (from memory). I may be wrong though, so would be good to check. I also know someone that has done a foundation year at Ravensbourne (no tuition fees).

Birkbeck has reoriented its media and journalism courses towards practical aspects, plus theory. Worth a look, as Univ if London and very central.

I guess that’s the point?

Media courses at specific institutions are more like the old polys and are designed to get you into a job. Other undergrad courses at old unis are there to prop up
the research and are not so geared towards jobs. Simplistic maybe.

But yes, too many undergrads to grad jobs.

https://www.lsa.ac.uk/l4-film-production

as an example of the sort of thing.

Isn’t Birkbeck for mature students? many of the best people in media don’t have media degrees. They have strong academic degrees and studied journalism as a post grad. Media is a new degree and was not offered by polys in the 60s.

Birkbeck takes 18 year olds now and all ages.

I love Ealing (obviously) but it wouldn’t be my top choice of place to be a student. It’s very suburban and family oriented round here. Also expensive to live. And sorry to say, but UWL doesn’t have the best reputation by any means.

Brunel offers a fantastic journalism degree and you can do the NCTJ professional exams on the side if you wish so if it’s journalism they are interested in this could be a good option @Onceuponatime46 The university has it’s own newsroom and has even launched its own local newspaper, The Hillingdon Herald, which is delivered in the surrounding area so students can get real hands on experience. It's much more practical than many journalism degrees and being able to do the professional exams at the same time is a big bonus.
https://www.brunel.ac.uk/journalism]]" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.brunel.ac.uk/journalism]]]]

Uxbridge is so dull though! Plus most top journalists have academic degrees followed by a masters in journalism or broadcasted journalism.

Hijacking a little here but can anyone recommend a good place for a journalism masters? Dd thinking of this after her undergrad. Tia.

Cardiff or City?

I don’t agree. Where journalists have done a postgrad it’s very often a course endorsed by the NCTJ (in the old days this was the key qualification whether you had a degree or not and you could study for it in much duller places than Uxbridge). It’s true to say you don’t need a degree in journalism or media studies to be a journalist, but where that degree incorporates the NCTJ qualification it becomes much more relevant. I mention Brunel because the OP is asking about courses in London.