Harness your creativity with a degree in Communications

The human race would be nothing without communication. Our entire world is built around it; the biggest industries, technologies, businesses, and entertainment platforms all place communication at the heart. And creative corporations are no different.

Business and the arts are undeniably entwined. One would simply not work without the other and without communication the whole system would fall apart. If you want your day to day life to be focused on interacting with people while working within the creative sector, a degree in communications is the perfect fit. Communication skills are essential to the smooth running of all industries.

A communications course offers the best of both worlds. Here, you will explore your creativity while gaining a deep-held understanding of the industry you wish to enter, driven by a blend of both creative and practical insight.

Effective communication is at the forefront of everything we do. It is central to our lives from everyday conversations with friends to professional etiquette; from corporate relationships with clientele, to promotions on social media. Communication is so integral to our lives, yet so often neglected. Its standing in academia is too often overlooked, yet it holds grand importance in understanding the wider world.

Communications students look at the mechanisms behind human engagement and interaction to advance the world’s knowledge and influence over such a basic but important manmade tool. Communications teams are crucial to the success of numerous creative industries, especially in the ever-expanding digital media realm which, according to Top Universities, has seen growth in demand for graduates with sound communication skills. As the digital age thrives, increasing numbers of opportunities for Communications graduates arise.

So, whether your interests lie in media, fashion, journalism, architecture, photography or somewhere else entirely, a communications course is vital in understanding the mechanisms behind much-loved creative industries.

Decided on a Communications qualification but not sure where to go? Well, we’ve found five of the best schools for Communications in the UK that will all serve as the ideal starting block for you…

UNIVERSITY FOR THE CREATIVE ARTS

The University for the Creative Arts (UCA) equips students with the skills needed to thrive in the buzzing creative sector. Here, employability is taken that step further with the help of the Business School for the Creative Industries – the first of its kind in the UK. This exciting venture builds on a long tradition of collaboration with employers to cultivate leadership, entrepreneurial and problem-solving skills.

UCA’s Business School for the Creative Industries offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, including many degrees in the field of communications. From BAs in Advertising and Marketing through to MAs in Global Media Management and Creative Marketing & Advertising, these innovative courses give students the communication skills needed to succeed whatever their chosen field. And UCA’s broad portfolio of courses in subjects like Fashion, Animation, Graphic Design, Architecture, Performing Arts, Media, Photography, and Film allow students to communicate and express themselves through art, design, and creativity.

Students at UCA develop the innovative, high-level business and practical understanding needed to embrace the specialised leadership challenges and opportunities within diverse creative industries. Learning here is problem-based and commercial, combining theory and research with valuable hands-on expertise.

GOLDSMITHS UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

The extensive programmes within the Media and Communications Department at Goldsmiths aim to pose hard questions about the media, and help provide the answers.

Goldsmiths gives students the academic knowhow and intellectual prowess needed to stay topically-relevant and meet the demands of our fast-evolving 21st century world. The department aims to be 50 percent practice, 50 percent theory, so students gain a rounded understanding of their subject discipline. Goldsmiths is known to provide a balanced approach to both the critical and creative sides of the business.

The department is constantly evolving; from new academic buildings, to exciting collaborative projects – it is undoubtedly a lively and creative space.

This university recognises that you don’t just do one thing in the dynamic communications sector. You need a set of skills which are applicable to many different roles. Goldsmiths graduates are now leading teachers and researchers, and working at numerous big-name employers including the BBC, The Times and Oxfam.

LEEDS ARTS UNIVERSITY

Leeds Arts University, the only specialist arts institution in the North of England, boasts a range of specialist undergraduate courses and two esteemed postgraduate programmes. This school might be small but it’s also mighty. The university’s tight-knit community and specialist arts focus means students gain a very individualised and integrative education. Leeds Arts has two specific communications degrees – although many have strong footholds within this globally-relevant discipline.

The Visual Communication course encourages those who have something to say to learn to express their ideas effectively. Students can explore many different facets of the arts to gain a well-rounded understanding of communications across multiple fields of study. Students learn universally-applicable skills involving research, collaboration, project management, problem solving, and critical thinking among the more obvious communication skills.

New to 2018, the Fashion Branding with Communication course is ideal for those who love the sound of the above but know their primary passion lies in fashion and branding.

Studying in one the most popular locations for creative businesses in the UK is likely to reap its rewards come graduation. The exposure you will gain here is likely to result in promising employment opportunities.

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY

Cardiff’s school of English, Communication and Philosophy offers numerous undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. The school wishes to push students academically while maintaining a supportive and nurturing environment.

This department encompasses all subject areas by thinking across the disciplines and creating integrative courses. Staff and faculty are devoted to providing graduates with the skills they need to prosper within creative fields and beyond. Courses instil both the practical skills and insightfulness needed to explore the contemporary world of the arts.

The Language Communication Research MA is especially esteemed. Based in the Centre for Language and Communication Research, the programme is perfect for those who wish to further their knowledge, and pursue a career in languages or linguistics with a strong focus on communications.

The school embraces all challenges in the arts which present themselves in the 21st century, equipping students with a strong skillset in communications-related subjects. Faculty believe that their high-quality research can, and will, advance the modern world.

QUEEN MARGARET UNIVERSITY

Based in Edinburgh, the Division of Media, Communication and Performing Arts (DMCP) strives to combine creative practical work, critical academic study and work-based learning. The department is well-connected, with links to local and global businesses, professional practitioners, and Edinburgh’s creative hub of organisations and festivals.

They run up-to-date, contemporary undergraduate and postgraduate courses that are both practical and challenging. DMCP communications students don’t do all their learning in the classroom. The department hosts a range of specialist facilities and resources to allow students to utilise their skills and expand their academic horizons.

The department are also globally connected, with international partnerships in Australia, Sweden, Canada, and the USA. Annually, many undergraduate students embark on overseas exchanges where they can practice their communication expertise in a new and challenging environment.

Here, faculty are all working practitioners who aim to share their specialist knowledge with aspiring students. They ensure, come graduation, that pupils possess the high-level communication skills that are highly sought-after in the majority of graduate roles.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International

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