Media Studies
Cambridge International AS & A Level Media Studies (9607) at BNDS, cohort 2026–2028: G11 = AS year (2026-27), G12 = A2 year (2027-28). 5 × 45-min lessons/week, with EN/ZH scaffolding throughout and a strong China-context strand (WeChat/Bilibili/Douyin/iQIYI, NRTA vs BBC, Dying to Survive, Ne Zha). Graded per BNDS Assessment Framework.
Components
| C1 Foundation Portfolio | C2 Media Texts & Contexts | C3 Advanced Portfolio | C4 Critical Perspectives | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marks | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
| Weight | 50% AS / 25% AL | 50% AS / 25% AL | 25% AL | 25% AL |
| Nature | Coursework: media product + process evidence + reflection | 2h exam: A = unseen TV-drama extract analysis (25); B = contexts, one of two, case-study-based (25) | Coursework: promotional campaign across video + print + web + ~2000-word evaluation (2028-30) | 2h exam: A = media debates, two of three × 15; B = Changing media environments, 30, ≥2 media forms |
C3 briefs (2028-30): music promotion / film promotion / documentary / short film — each = one major video task (group ≤4 allowed) + two individual minor tasks, including a website home page that must stay live and unchanged through moderation. Case studies must be majority contemporary (≤ ~5 years before the exam year). AI-generated images only with your role demonstrated and justified.
Course shape
| Semester | Content |
|---|---|
| S1 autumn 2026 (G11) | Media language → textual analysis → C1 launch, production, full completion by Nov 27 |
| S2 spring 2027 (G11) | C1 Cambridge submission (~end Apr); film-industry case study (C2 B); Paper 2 ≈ Thu 2027-05-06 |
| S3 autumn 2027 (G12) | Postmodern media + Power topics; C3 launch + production |
| S4 spring 2028 (G12) | C3 completion + submission (~end Apr); Changing media environments; Paper 4 June 2028 |
Dates for S2–S4 are provisional and may shift when the school publishes the calendar for those periods. See the Course Map for detail.
Subject knowledge
The concept layer. Each page marks what Cambridge prescribes, what it merely suggests, and what it leaves out.
The spine — Four Key Concepts → Language · Representation · Industry · Audience
Reading texts — Technical Elements · The Viewing Protocol · Narrative · Media Vocabulary (Cambridge’s 56-term glossary)
Making texts — Production Craft · Process Evidence and Reflection
A2 content — Media Regulation · Postmodern Media · Power and the Media · Media Ecology
Method — Case Study Method · Theory Provenance
Theory