About the School

The School of Arts & Media is a brand new school bringing together programmes and staff from the former Schools of Art & Design and Media, Music & Performance to create enhanced opportunities for specialist and interdisciplinary study. We are now one of the UK’s largest and most successful higher education providers in the subject areas of creative arts, design, music, performance and media including broadcasting and journalism. Since its launch in September 2012, we have been delivering an expanded portfolio of specialist undergraduate and postgraduate courses, providing new opportunities to work collaboratively across subject areas. 

Real world focus

We have an increasing number of courses taught at MediaCityUK, in a unique position that places us alongside the BBC and ITV, in a campus location that will allow our students to work side-by-side with industry professionals, preparing them for employment in the cultural and creative industries.

MediaCityUK has also helped equip the School with state-of-the-art facilities, including a high-tech Digital Performance Laboratory that is one of the best higher education facilities in the UK, if not Europe. The campus also has research partnerships with brand leaders, Hewlett Packard and Adobe, which sees students and staff testing out and using software prior to market release, putting students at an invaluable advantage upon graduation.

Our curriculum at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels emphasises professional development and encourages students to take their learning beyond the classroom with a host of placements, live projects, exhibitions, events and networking opportunities as an integral part of many of the modules. Our courses are developed in partnership with prominent industry figures and focus upon developing the skills that employers look for in their graduate recruits such as professionalism, specialist knowledge with the capacity to work across disciplines, business awareness and the ability to think creatively.

Our alumni continue to inspire our students, whilst also helping the school develop links and engage with industry. Graduates in recent years have gone on to work all over the world in New York, Tokyo and Beijing at internationally acclaimed companies such as Vogue, BBC, Saatchi & Saatchi, DKNY, The Financial Times and Arts Council England.

Engaged staff

Our lecturers are experienced professionals, practitioners and researchers, many of whom are active in the fields in which they teach, providing contemporary and practical teaching. With this ethos in mind, the School also hosts prominent figures from across the globe in the creative industries to help develop our curriculum and act as guest speakers; hosting workshops, master classes as well as offering expert advice to our students.

Research led teaching

Our research active staff conduct world-leading and internationally excellent research, which forms teaching and adds depth and quality to the student experience. Our innovative and varied research portfolio is driven by four distinct research centres:

We also offer a variety of further study and research options for those who wish to pursue their education at postgraduate taught and/or PhD level.

International opportunities

As well as delivering courses here in Salford, the School also works with partner institutions in the UK and abroad, giving students the opportunity to undertake part of their studies or a work placement away from the University. In recent years students and graduates have also undertaken projects and internships in China through our well established partnerships with Shanghai University and Zhejiang Textile and Fashion College in Ningbo, some of which have led directly to employment. We also have research partnerships with Carnegie Mellon University in the USA and we are developing an international masters course with RMIT in Australia.

Moving forward

Plans for the School in 2013 include significant development of our academic partnerships in China and the USA, the expansion of our postgraduate portfolio of courses, the development of a number of short courses and CPD opportunities, a major festival at this year’s Degree Shows in June at MediaCityUK and the twentieth Nations and Regions Media Conference in November.

We’ll be launching a new website later this year and have lots of exciting and innovative events planned, so keep checking back for further developments and news about the School and our students.