Broadcast Production: TV & Radio
Award
BA (Hons)
Duration & study mode
4 years full-time
School
Business & Creative Industries
Location
Ayr
Additional information
Ucas code
P391
Course starting dates
-
Ayr: September
UWS’s BA Broadcast Production: TV and Radio degree will prepare you for success in the broadcast industry.
Led by experienced teaching staff, the course combines theory and practice-based learning to give you a thorough understanding of television, radio and other modern digital media.
You’ll work in UWS’s radio and television studios, which feature the latest broadcasting facilities and digital sound and video editing suites, helping you develop the practical skills in demand.
Our Programme Leaders have recorded Zoom sessions to help you discover all there is to know about our courses. From professional accreditation to programme modules and career opportunities, our Programme Leaders will help answer all your questions. You can find them on our YouTube Channel or by clicking the link below.
Broadcast Production Programme LeaderThis course is professionally accredited by ScreenSkills - the industry-led skills body for the screen industries.
You will have the opportunity to broadcast on the campus radio station as part of your course of study. Students have undertaken placement/work-based learning with organisations such as QTV Sports, Thames Scotland and STV.
This degree prepares you for entering the dynamic media and creative industries. National broadcasters, such as the BBC and a range of media companies at home and abroad, have employed UWS graduates.
Paul has worked in broadcast television production for over twenty years, in London, San Francisco and Glasgow. As a freelance producer/director he has made over one hundred hours of television. This has included documentary, obdocs, reality tv, factual entertainment, drama-documentary, talk shows, quiz shows, features and children’s television.
Most recently he was asked to Edit Produce the first episode in the six part series 'Inside Central Station' for the new BBC Scotland channel. In the channel's first week, this was the most watched original programme outside of the channel's opening night. Other highlights include producing and directing a drama documentary about murderer Peter Manuel, shown on BBC Alba’s opening night. Also his own production company made the Edwyn Collins documentary Home Again that was shown on BBC Scotland, BBC4 and BBC2. It has also been shown at film festivals in Spain, Chile and Argentina.
He has a list of primetime network credits as producer, director and series producer. Most recently he has worked as Edit Producer on the BAFTA winning Antiques Road Trip. He has worked as a Storyline Editor on broadcast drama scripts.
Bettina worked in the Broadcast Industry for over 14 years in London and Berlin. Working as a freelancer on mainly factual programmes for major UK and US channels such as Channel 4, BBC and National Geographic, her roles included self-shooting producer and director, production manager and edit producer. She also worked on several docu dramas as the series drama producer responsible for the re-enactments.
Documentaries and series she worked on include science documentaries such as BAFTA award winning "Inside Nature's Giants" for Channel 4, "Monster Moves: Mountain Mission" for National Geographic as well as history drama docs such as "The Great Escape: The Reckoning" (Channel 4) and "America's Secret Space Heroes" for Smithsonian Channel and long running "Locked Up Abroad" series for National Geographic and Channel 5 UK.
Areas of expertise are in documentary filmmaking with the focus on science, history and docu-drama and the way the visual stories unfold.
She is interested in feminist theories as well as representation and production culture and ethical filmmaking approaches.
She started working as a part-time member of staff at the UWS in January 2021.
Nick Sheridan is an award-winning broadcast journalist and presenter with over a decade of experience in television news.
Graduating with a degree in Journalism from Dublin City University in 2010, he presented and reported for Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTÉ News, for three years before moving to Glasgow, presenting and reporting news coverage for STV News.
In 2016 he was awarded the Prix Circom Rising Star Award, Europe’s largest and oldest broadcasting award.
In 2018, he left STV to join the BBC as a camerajournalist, travelling the country shooting, presenting and editing his own material before being appointed Consumer Affairs Correspondent. Eventually, he was appointed as a presenter across BBC Scotland television and radio.
He is also a familiar voice on the airwaves as a regular presenter of Drivetime, Lunchtime Live, Good Morning Scotland and The Sunday Show on BBC Radio.
His first book, “BREAKING NEWS: HOW TO TELL WHAT’S REAL FROM WHAT’S RUBBISH” was published in December 2021 and was called ‘a perfect read for any budding young journalists out there,’ by TV presenter Konnie Huq.
His second book, “THE CASE OF THE RUNAWAY BRAIN” was published in August 2022.
Graham Jeffery is Professor in Arts and Media Practice and Director of the Protracted Crisis Research Centre at UWS. His work spans participatory and community arts and media practices, creative learning, cultural policy and urban and community development.
He is currently leading a three-year British Academy funded project: Waste, Water and Wellbeing: lessons from the interface of formal/informal urban systems in Dharavi, Mumbai. His work in in the creative media sector includes music and sound for award-winning short films, and exhibitions, performances and events that act as public platforms for debating key issues in urban development, social justice and sustainability.
Graham has also worked as a teacher, composer and facilitator in a wide range of contexts, including with London International Festival of Theatre, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and East London Dance, as well as in policy advice and consultancy for Creative Scotland and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. He has led numerous action research projects with diverse communities in different places around the world. He keeps a blog at www.generalpraxis.org.uk.
Originally Kate worked with ICM Partners, one of the world's leading talent agencies as a literary agent developing dramas. She then moved on to work at Hartswood Films, researching for documentaries and went on to interview the last surviving British POWs from Colditz.
She has mostly worked freelance as a producer and director in documentary and factual entertainment television, mainly focussed on arts and culture. As a practitioner, she has produced and directed, scripted, filmed and researched programmes for primetime BBC, Channel Four, Five, Sky One, STV and Discovery. She wrote scripts, managed large budgets, tight schedules and expert crew.
Kate still very much enjoys being hands-on with cameras and edits. At UWS , she has developed video content for Cop26 and BBC 5050 and she is currently developing a UWS online channel.
Dan Twist is a BAFTA Scotland and RTS Scotland award-winning TV Producer with over twenty years experiencing working in the British TV and media sector. Dan has worked in TV development production for Factual, Features, and Entertainment series. Recently, Dan was the Producer for Channel 4 documentary film, Billionaire Blooms at Christmas.
In 2019, Dan became a Channel Executive at Channel 4 in the Nations and Regions department. Where he supported the independent TV production companies in building relationships with the channel, he also nurtured diverse talent and supported production companies’ growth fund grant applications. Dan joined the lecturing staff part-time in 2021, where he continues to blend working in the industry with lecturing and academic research.
Dan's research interest is in media production cultures, factual formats development and Multiplatform. He teaches modules Production for Multiplatform and American TV.
We welcome Scottish, UK and international students and consider all applicants on an individual basis.
Don’t worry if your qualifications are not listed here, we take a range of factors into account when assessing your application and are happy to consider other alternative combinations of qualifications and experience.
If you are applying with an EU or non-EU qualification, please check our Undergraduate Entry Requirements page which gives more information about country-specific entry requirements.
All applicants will be expected to submit a strong personal statement and reference together with evidence of confident use of English and creative output. Applicants may be invited for interview and/or audition.
* for more information on standard and minimum entry requirements, see the drop-down section below
For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level. The qualifications below must have been gained within two years of the start of your course.
General English language requirements at UWS: International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training)
Exceptions to this level of IELTS scoring exist for some accredited or professionally-recognised courses (see section below for more details).
SOCIAL WORK DEGREES
For our BA (Hons) Social Work and MSc Social Work programmes, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
All stated English tests are acceptable for admission for both home/EU and international students for this programme:
For our research degrees (MRes, MPhil, PhD, DBA, DProf) applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For Health, Nursing & Midwifery courses that lead to, or require professional registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council, applicants are required to have an IELTS or Occupational English Test (OET)*.
For such courses, the IELTS score is as follows:
* Note that the Occupational English Test (OET) will now be accepted in addition to IELTS as proof of a Nurse's English Language Competence (Nursing & Midwifery Council, 2019).
For our BSc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science, BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science and MSc Advanced Biomedical Science programmes, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For our Certificate of Higher Education courses, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
TOEFL IBT*: 78; no sub-test less than:
* Please note that TOEFL is still acceptable for admission to this programme for both home/EU and international students.
For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use TOEFL to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level courses. We therefore still accept TOEFL tests taken in the last two years for admission to this programme.
West African Senior School Certificate of Education (WASSCE) including acceptance of WAEC Scratchcard*
*UWS will accept a WAEC scratchcard confirming that an applicant has achieved C6 or above as evidence of meeting English language requirement from Nigeria if the student graduated within the last 5 years. After 5 years applicants would be required to provide the WAEC Certificate.
Applicants who do not meet the minimum English language requirements have the option to study one of our preparatory and pre-sessional English courses. The UWS courses available are:
On our course pages, you will find details of our entry criteria listed as Standard Entry Requirements and Minimum Entry Requirements. These are the academic qualifications that, depending on your personal circumstances, you will be required to meet to allow your application to be considered for a place at UWS.
Competition for places on many of our courses can be very high and even if you meet the standard or minimum qualifications stated, there is no guarantee that your application will progress to the next stage of the admissions process. We review individual applications very closely and place great importance on your personal statement and academic reference as well as your academic qualifications before making selection decisions.
Our Standard Entry Requirements are the grades that you will need to achieve to allow you to be considered for entry to a specific programme of study.
Our Minimum Entry Requirements are applicable to those applicants who have not had an equal opportunity to demonstrate their academic ability at school or college and are known as ‘widening access’ applicants. We also sometimes refer to this type of applicant as receiving a ‘contextual’ offer. We may be able to provide you with a contextual offer if you fall into one of the categories below:
If you fall into any of the first four categories above, please mention this on your UCAS application. We will automatically apply category 5 if it applies to you.
If you have already achieved the required grades for either our standard or minimum entry criteria, we may be able to offer you an unconditional offer for some course areas. If you have not yet achieved these grades, we may be able to make you a conditional offer, which will rely on you achieving further qualifications before you can be accepted on to a programme of study.
Further details of our Admissions processes can be found as follows:
This course combines theory and practice and is tailored to the current broadcasting industry. The course is professionally accredited by ScreenSkills, having undergone a rigorous assessment process conducted by industry experts.
You will work in our radio and television studios using the latest broadcasting facilities and digital sound and video editing suites.
You will be introduced to the theory and practice of TV, film and radio production, and script-writing.
You will begin to focus on your chosen specialisms, developing technical and creative skills in areas such as radio, broadcast drama, documentary, and creative writing.
You will choose to specialise in one of two major strands: television production or radio production. You will also enhance your research skills ahead of your final year research project.
You will study genres of particular interest, focusing in particular on creative and research projects that bring together all of the skills and concepts you’ve learned throughout the course.
This course also gives you the option of taking a language module, which can count towards your degree. These modules cover multiple languages and range from absolute beginner to near-native speaker level. The cost of your language module is included in the tuition fees. Find out more
A range of teaching and learning methodologies are used within the degree. This includes lectures, seminars, workshops, group work, enquiry-based learning and student-centred learning. In the latter case, the emphasis is on independent work by students that is coordinated and guided by tutors. BPTVR students are as likely to be taught in TV and Radio studios as in lecture theatres. As students progress the level of autonomous work increases culminating in the final year project where students carry out their own individual project – linking the creative and theoretical - with supervisory guidance.
Find out more about the structure, learning outcomes, compulsory and optional modules in this course.
Graduates from this programme have gone on to work for national broadcasters, such as the BBC, and a range of national and international media companies.
This degree prepares you for entering the dynamic media and creative industries. National broadcasters, such as the BBC and a range of media companies at home and abroad, have employed UWS graduates.
Many graduates continue onto further post-graduate study – choosing such courses as the UWS Masters in Creative Media Practice, studying for journalism post-graduate courses or opting for teacher training.
£1,820 Cost of study per year (paid by the Scottish Government via SAAS*)
£9,250 Cost of study per year (for four years but you will not pay more than £27,750)
£9,250 Cost of study per year (for four years but you will not pay more than £27,750)
£14,500 Cost per year of study
£305 Cost per 20-credit module of study
£1,550 Cost per 20-credit module of study
£1,550 Cost per 20-credit module of study
£2,420 Cost per 20-credit module of study
£1,820 Cost of study per year (normally paid by the Scottish Government via SAAS)
£9,250 Cost of study per year (for four years but you will not pay more than £27,750)
£9,250 Cost of study per year (for four years but you will not pay more than £27,750)
£15,250 Cost per year of study
£305 Cost per 20-credit module of study
£1,550 Cost per 20-credit module of study
£1,550 Cost per 20-credit module of study
£2,540 Cost per 20-credit module of study
The cost of attending university is an investment in your future career.
In addition to tuition fees and living expenses, some courses involve extra costs like study materials, field trips, equipment and uniforms.
Fortunately, there is a great deal of financial support available to help students meet the cost of their study. This ranges from:
The sections below provide details of additional costs that your course may involve along with any financial support that may be available.
You can also find additional information in our Undergraduate Money, Fees & Funding section.
Students on certain degrees will incur some additional costs not covered by their tuition fees. These could be for things like specialist equipment, study materials and textbooks, work placements, graduation, membership of relevant organisations or costs related to carrying out fieldwork.
For students on course with an element of fieldwork, there may also be extra costs for travel and accommodation.
Note: The library will hold some copies of the textbooks but not enough for every student. Students can purchase second hand copies when possible or use older versions if advised by the module cordinator. Students can also sell their copies after the course. This helps manage the cost.
Technology & equipment (Optional)
Purchase of external hard drive and SD cards for filming/storing work. Variable but inthe range of £20-100.
Travel costs (Mandatory)
Travel costs for field trips and to attend off-campus lectures at Film City, Glasgow. These are variable and depend upon where you are travelling from.
Technology & equipment (Optional)
Purchase of external hard drive and SD cards for filming/storing work. Variable but inthe range of £20-100.
Travel costs (Mandatory)
Travel costs for field trips and to attend off-campus lectures at Film City, Glasgow. These are variable and depend upon where you are travelling from.
Technology & equipment (Optional)
Purchase of external hard drive and SD cards for filming/storing work. Variable but inthe range of £20-100.
Travel costs (Mandatory)
Travel costs for field trips and to attend off-campus lectures at Film City, Glasgow. These are variable and depend upon where you are travelling from.
Technology & equipment (Optional)
Purchase of external hard drive and SD cards for filming/storing work. Variable but inthe range of £20-100.
Travel costs (Mandatory)
Travel costs for field trips and to attend off-campus lectures at Film City, Glasgow. These are variable and depend upon where you are travelling from.
Graduation fees (Mandatory)
These fees are set annually by the University and are subject to review. For session 19/20 these were set at £10 Registration Fee.
Tuition fees are calculated based on where you are from and what you are studying. Some courses also involve additional costs, such as mandatory field trips, equipment or studying abroad.
Find out how much it will cost you to study at UWS as an undergraduate student.
Scottish students studying at undergraduate level at UWS are entitled to various funds and support towards tuition fees and living costs.
English, Welsh and Northern Irish students studying at undergraduate level at UWS are entitled to various funds and support towards tuition fees and living costs.
EU students studying at undergraduate level of UWS may be eligible for SAAS funding, as well as support to meet the costs of childcare and various sources of additional funding.
There are several scholarship and incentive schemes available to international students studying at undergraduate level at UWS, as well as support to meet the costs of childcare and various sources of additional funding.
UWS administer a range of discretionary and childcare funds. These are designed to support students who are experiencing financial difficulty or struggling to meet the costs of childcare.
Becoming a student can have an impact on your entitlement to certain benefits. It may mean you are no longer eligible to claim a benefit you have been receiving, or your new income from student funding may affect the amount you are able to receive.
If there isn’t a statutory source of funding for you or your course, or you are in need of additional financial support, you may wish to consider more alternative sources of funding such as trust funds and scholarships.
At UWS, we believe financial restrictions should never be a barrier to your education.
The WEST (Widening Education and Supporting Talent) Scholarship Programme aims to remove the financial barriers that stop talented students from progressing throughout their degree to graduation.
Choosing to become a student can have a big impact on your budget and you may need to reassess your spending to account for a reduced income. We’ve put together some guidance to help you manage your money and make the right financial choices for you and your family.
All UK and EU applicants for undergraduate study, not applying through an agent or partner, should apply through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service)
The on-time application deadline for 2022/23 entry is 25 January 2023, 18:00 (UK time). For some courses it may still be possible to apply beyond this period, subject to suitable vacancies remaining. The final deadline for late applications via UCAS is 30 June 2022, 18:00 (UK time). Beyond this deadline, you may be able to apply via ‘UCAS Clearing’ if the course you are interested in has remaining places.
Please refer to our Undergraduate Application Guide to find more information on when and how to apply to study at UWS.
Students from non-EU/non-EEA countries can apply directly to UWS via our dedicated online application system. The latest we can process your application is 6 weeks before the course start date to allow for visa processing times. For more information on when and how to apply to study at UWS please refer to our International Undergraduate Application Guide.
For part-time & online study, you should apply directly to the University through our online application system, not through UCAS. Please select the part-time mode of study when submitting your application. Before you begin your application, it is important to read the part-time application step-by-step guide for a smooth process.
To come to UWS as a visiting student on a study abroad or exchange programme, you must apply entirely through our online system.
An ATAS certificate is not required for overseas students applying for this course.
Do you have a question about applying for this course? Get in touch. We are here to help!
We will always try to make sure that we publish accurate course information but we do not accept responsibility for any mistakes or omissions. We will also try to make sure that we deliver our courses in line with our published information. However, we may not always be able to do so and you can find further information about this in our enrolment terms and conditions.