Students can choose to keep their studies broad across a range of media, or specialise in web and new media, radio production, journalism, television, media photography, public relations or music industries; the course emphasises production, theory and professional studies; level 1: introduces students to publication production, broadcast production, history of the media, media texts and cultural contexts and professional studies; the first year also includes a placement; these modules provide a general grounding in the full range of media communication, both practical and theoretical; students can then choose to specialise in any of the specialist areas or continue on a broad-based course; there are over 40 production options, which cover web and new media design and desktop publishing, features, broadcast and specialist journalism, music and speech radio, photography and digital imaging, television studio, documentary, promotional and drama production and public relations; there are also over 20 theory options, which cover communication, media culture, audiences and organisations, digital technology and cultures, journalism and the popular press, photography and visual culture, advertising and promotional culture, radio, the music industry and popular music and the film and television industry and culture; the professional studies strand of the course includes a placement in the media and communications industry and prepares students for work; students study production research and academic research in preparation for a final major production project and a dissertation.