Media Semiotics

Module Identifier: FM34120
Module Title: Media Semiotics
Academic Year: 2026/2027
Semester: Semester 2
Co-ordinator: Dr Roderick Munday
Reading List: View on Aspire
Other Staff: Dr Roderick Munday

Assessment

Assessment Type	Assessment details	Proportion
Semester Assessment	Essay 2: 2500 Words	50%
Semester Assessment	Essay 1: 2500 Words	50%
Supplementary Assessment	Essay 2 - to a new title: 2500 Words	50%
Supplementary Assessment	Essay 1 - to a new title: 2500 Words	50%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

To apply semiotic approaches to the analysis of mass media texts;
To gain an advanced understanding of the principles of semiotic analysis;
To gain a critical awareness of the usefulness and limitations of semiotic approaches.
to asses the usefulness and limitations of such approaches

Brief description

The primary aim is to introduce semiotic concepts and encourage an awareness of the usefulness of the method for analyzing media texts. This module seeks to challenge your understanding of the social cultural world of signs and provide you will the tools to analyse and critique the messages found in visual communication.

Content

The lectures are based on the following:

Signifier and Signified
Structural Analysis
Codes
Beyond the Literal
Practical Textual Analysis (1)
Photography and Film
Practical Textual Analysis (2)
Intertextuality and Reflexivity
Representation and the Construction of Reality
Reviewing Semiotics

Module skills

Skills type	Skills details
Subject Specific Skills	.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6