University of Sunderland

Community Radio

* Exceptions may apply.  Please see Fees and Finance for further information.

Introduction

Students undertake a range of practical and academic modules which will fully equip them with both the skills and knowledge necessary for successful radio production.

The programme is integrated into the on-campus Community Radio station 107 Spark FM, although students may also find themselves working with Community Media groups elsewhere in the region or the UK. 107 Spark FM, is our own 24/7 award winning community radio station. It is the largest university based station in the UK. Working here you can gain real-life work experience in our radio studios and be heard across Sunderland on FM and worldwide on the internet. Students run Spark FM themselves with tutor support, and they are responsible for all news-gathering, programme production and advertising.

Students will be able to study a range of radio genres, including: Drama; Documentary; Radio News; Live Broadcasting and Commercial Production and will spend time developing these skills within a Community Radio station.

To go to the Radio section of the Faculty of Arts, Design and Media website click here.

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Course Content

Level 1

Core Modules:

• Introduction to Media and Cultural Studies
• Academic Research Skills
• Introduction to Radio: Production and Broadcasting
• Introduction to Sound
• Community Radio Placement

Level 2

Core Modules:

• Media and Cultural Studies
• Professional Practice for Broadcasters
• Community Radio Placement (B)
• Radio Studies

Optional Modules in:

• Radio Journalism
• Radio Production
• Live Radio

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Entry Requirements

80 points from a minimum of 1 A Level/AVCE or equivalent.

Previous experience or commitment to radio, media or community engagement may be considered.

Applications are welcomed from mature students and in particular from those already volunteering in Community Media or Radio projects within the UK.

For further information please contact the Helpline tel. no. (0191) 515 3000.

International students with an appropriately high level of spoken English would be welcomed on to this programme.

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Fees and Finance

The fees for this course are as specified in the table at the top of the page.

For information about University scholarships and bursaries please see the page Fees and Finance.

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Teaching and Assessment

A range of teaching methods are used from lectures and workshops to one-to-one tutorials and online learning.

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Work Experience

There are 2 compulsory (or 'core') placements on this programme, one at each level of study and an additional optional placement at Level 2. This means students could spend up one third of their learning time on placement.

The University already holds a Community Radio Licence and students on the course will be expected to produce work based on their radio modules which will be broadcast by the on-campus Community Radio Station allowing the students to engage with the operation of the station at some point.

Students are taught in real world situations and will spend time in the real world, working with community radio stations and projects.

We also have links to other Community, Commercial and BBC stations in the region and beyond. We are a member of the Community Media Association and the RadioCentre.

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Career Opportunities

This programme seeks to provide its graduates with a range of production, legal and contextual skills that will allow them to undertake roles not only within the growing Community Radio sector but also in the wider professional industry.

Graduates may also stay in the department for an additional year and take the BA (Hons) Radio (Top-Up) to increase their qualification to a full undergraduate degree.

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Facilities

The course is based within the University’s Media Centre, a purpose built production and teaching centre with modern, professionally designed and constructed radio studios, production spaces and digital field recorders.

*World Class Web/Design Tools*
The University of Sunderland has made a significant investment in providing students with access to the latest releases of Adobe products.

Selected PCs within the St Peter's and Murray Libraries have been pre-loaded with the Creative Suite 4 (CS4) Adobe Design Premium Suite for your exclusive use.

CS4 Creative includes key products such as Indesign, Illustrator, Dreamweaver as well as Photoshop and a range of many others.

Further information is available from:

http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/creativesuite/design/
For information regarding locations of PC or Macs within your own faculty that have access to Adobe products please contact your Faculty IT Support.

If you are interested in purchasing Adobe products for your own PC/Mac Adobe offer significant savings for student purchases via any of its approved re-sellers.

Please visit:

http://www.student-software.co.uk/

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Related Courses

• Media Production (Television and Radio)
• Media Production (Television and Video)
• Media Studies - Combined Subjects (Major, Dual and Minor)
• Media Production (Video and New Media)
• Scriptwriting (Film, Television and Radio)
• Sports Coaching

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