New Media Studies
If you like to make videos, documentaries, tell stories, or write blogs, this course is for you. A mix of theory and practice, this programme explores the development of media and its evolution in the digital age.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | Institute of Art Design and Technology |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | Institute of Art Design and Technology | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
4 years full-time.
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Min Entry Requirements
2 H5 + 4 O6/H7
English: O6/H7
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
QQI FET Applicants General Information
Applicants with QQI/FETAC Level 5 or Level 6 Awards require distinctions in 3 (of 8) modules.
Careers / Further progression
What will I be able to do when I graduate?
Graduates go on to careers in media + broadcasting; production; journalism; and social media, working as bloggers, researchers and content developers. Graduates also progress to further study at Masters level in Ireland and abroad.
Further information
September 2026
Mature Students
We welcome applications from mature students, who must apply to the CAO.
More info for Mature https://iadt.ie/services/institute-student-services/access-social-inclusion/mature-students/
35
Entry 2026
Early online application (discounted): Fee €35 Closing Date: 20 January 2026 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €50 Closing Date: 1 February 2026 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2026 CAO Handbook): Fee: €65 Closing Date: 1 May 2026 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2026 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2026 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2026. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2026, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2026 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2026 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €65 applies.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2026 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
Based at the National Film School, IADT, New Media Studies examines ways to create and better understand visual and written communication in a digital culture. You will develop your creative media production skills in camera, sound, editing and writing; your digital skills in photoshop, illustrator and adobe programmes; and your critical thinking in Film Studies, Media Studies, Journalism and Cultural Theory modules.
In Year 4 you produce a substantial portfolio of work, specialising in your chosen area of New Media Studies.
What will I do?
Make short videos and documentaries for TV and social media.
Develop your skills in blogging, e-journalism and script-writing.
Develop your production skills in radio and TV studios.
Gain an understanding of the history of the development of media and its evolution into the digital era.
Develop production skills for digital and traditional media.
Develop skills in writing, blogging, newswriting, press releases.
Develop skills in story telling for social networks, podcasts, television, radio.
Acquire the skills to develop and manage a social media portfolio for cultural organisations, festivals, political groups etc.
Develop media production skills by working in the National Film School
In Year 3 there are opportunities to study abroad through the Erasmus Programme, IADT have partnerships with Universities in Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland.
In Year 3 there is the opportunity to work in the media industry with a 20-week work placement, in Ireland or abroad.
What modules will I study?
Year 1
Semester 1
Music Industries
Digital Content Creation
Media Production 1
Screenwriting
Introduction to Media Studies
Semester 2
Film Studies
Critical Theories
Cinema + Cultural Studies
Popular Cultures
Year 2
Semester 1
Newswriting
Narrative Practice
Media Production 2
Global Media Industries
Irish Cinema
Semester 2
Documentary Studies
Interactive Media
Studio Drama
Theorising the Media
Music Business
Year 3
Semester 1
Design Thinking + Communications
Advanced Music Industries
Media Platforms: News Formats
Television Drama
Media Production 3
Semester 2
Placement
Erasmus Studies S2 Y3
Year 4
Semester 1
Journalism
Media Law
Non-Western Cinema
Minor Project
Semester 2
Social Media
Climate Change + The Media
Media Production 4
Major Project
Media Criticism
Dr. Díóg O’Connell
Course Co-ordinator
Phone: +353 1 239 4742
Email: diog.oconnell@iadt.ie