Below is a list of the questions we are asked by potential students most frequently. If you can't find the answer to your question below, please contact us

Tel: +44(0)116 252 5275/2748/2580

Email: mediacom-dl@le.ac.uk

Fax: +44(0)116 252 5276

Questions

• Entry Qualifications and English Language Requirements
• Fees and Payment
• Studying via Distance Learning at Leicester
• Media and Communications at Leicester
• Support

Entry Qualifications and English Language Requirements

What English Language Qualifications are accepted towards entry to the postgraduate programmes?

See Applications and Fees for details on the English Language Qualifications we require. 

Fees and payment

How do I pay my fees?

Can I pay the fee by instalments?

The course fee is divided into two annual instalments, which in turn can be paid in three termly instalments. For more detailed information about the course fees go to course fees page. 

What methods of payment are accepted?

Payment can be made by cheque, credit card, bankers draft or bank transfer. For more information about fees go to the Fees and Payments page.

Studying via Distance Learning at Leicester

How will I be assessed?

Please see the Course Assessment page. Your assignment deadlines will depend on your intake date. Please see the Course Planner for details.

Can I visit the department?

You will have the opportunity to visit the department at our annual Course Conference. Please follow this link for maps and directions to the department.

What does the fee buy?

The course fee buys units building to a five volume collection written by the world's leading communications scholars; course books and readers; audio and DVDs; personal tutorial help by telephone, fax, email; library provision by correspondence; online support. For more information about the content of the course go to the course modules page.

How long will it take to complete the distance learning programmes?

The MA programme takes 24 months, the Postgraduate Diploma Programmes take 20 months, and the Postgraduate Certificate in Mass Communication takes 12 months.

Can I complete my Masters programme in less than two years?

No. The minimum amount of time required to complete a part-time Masters degree at the University of Leicester is two years.

How many hours of study does it take per week?

Part-time study involves around 12-15 hours study per week.

Will 'Distance Learning' appear on my degree certificate?

No. All awards gained by studying at a distance are equivalent to their campus-based counterparts.

Can the postgraduate programmes be studied entirely by correspondence?

Yes. The programmes are designed for students to study from wherever they reside in the world. We have students working from home even though they live near our Leicester campus, while others take our courses as far from Leicester as Africa and the Pacific.

What do graduates have to say about studying at a distance in media and communications?

Some of our alumni have provided us with testimonials about their time studying with us. 

What are the benefits of studying by distance learning?

There are many benefits to studying via distance learning, including being able to combine your studies with your work and family commitments and gain a postgraduate qualification without having to take a career break. 

When do programmes commence?

There are four course presentations each year in January, April, July and October.

Media and Communications at Leicester

What is 'Mass Communications'?

When most people come across the term 'mass communications' they think of large-scale communications media such as newspapers, the cinema, television and radio. These media and the industries associated with them feature in much of the scholarship and academic research on which the course draws.

Technological developments in recent years appear to be making the term 'mass communication' obsolete. New technologies such as interactive video, electronic mail, and the Internet seem to be ushering in an era of greater person-to-person or small group communications and academic research is beginning to turn its attention to these developments.

In using the term 'mass communications' we are conscious of its increasing limitations as a description of the world of the media, but we believe it remains a useful term to describe the scope and breadth of much of the material in our distance learning programmes.

What is the Department of Media and Communication?

See About the Department of Media and Communication

What kind of person studies for an MA in Media?

We have students from a wide range of careers and locations studying with us. Details on some of the students who have graduated with us can be found on our alumni testimonials. 

How many students have graduated?

The first intake of distance learning students in media and communications at Leicester graduated in February 1998. To date around 700 people have been awarded MA degrees.

Why should I study with the University of Leicester?

The University of Leicester is one of the older universities in the UK. It was founded in 1921 with nine students and gained full-degree awarding powers in 1957 when it was granted its Royal Charter. There are now 8,600 students studying full-time, 1,500 of whom are postgraduates; there are over 5,200 students studying part-time or by distance learning.

As an important part of its postgraduate provision, the University runs a number of well-established distance learning courses, which attract students from all over the world. The University recognises the importance of postgraduate study, and by offering high-quality distance learning courses it is able to meet the needs of a wide spectrum of people, for whom the time and geographic constraints of a full-time or part-time campus-based course might otherwise be prohibitive, and might prevent them from achieving personal and/or professional goals.

The maintenance of the highest academic standards is a priority for the University. All distance learning courses are subject to periodic internal and external review, which is designed to ensure quality is not only maintained but enhanced.

Support

How will I be supported?

We recognise that studying at a distance can be a lonely experience. This is why we attach such importance to the Personal Tutor system. Your Personal Tutor is there to advise you on all academic aspects of the course. If you need help to do with fee payments, registration status or timetabling you should contact the staff in the Distance Learning Office (email) or, if you are working through one of our international partners, you should contact their local office.

Who will my Personal Tutor be?

A member of the academic staff in the Department of Media and Communication at the University of Leicester or its partner institutions. To find out more about our Personal Tutors go to distance learning Academics and Associate Tutors

What kind of support is provided in addition to my Personal Tutor?

In addition to the support provided to students by their Personal Tutor, the Distance Learning Office is further a point of contact and support and can be contacted by telephone, fax or email.

Study support is also provided by the active online conference which all registered students, Personal Tutors, Alumni and others can subscribe to. All you require is an email connection.

A further form of support is the 'NetLink'. This is a publication which enables students to be put in touch with each other, perhaps assisting them to form study groups or to discuss a mutual interest in a particular area of research.

Course conferences are held annually in the UK and arrangements may be made elsewhere where there are sufficient numbers of students. Conferences are open to all students. They provide an invaluable opportunity to meet fellow students and academic staff.

Can I take a break in my studies?

Yes, if personal and exceptional professional commitments prevail. The University regulations state that a part-time Masters course should be completed in a maximum of four years. Students may also take periods of suspension from their studies of up to one year at a time.

Can I move my country of residence whilst studying for the degree?

Yes, you can move anywhere at any time, the course will follow you! The only difference is that it may have slight fees implications in the second year if you move in to or outside of the UK/EC.

Next Step: Request an information pack and prospectus