Film and Media Studies BA (Hons)

University of Kent

Our new Film and Media Studies degree is designed for students with a passion for contemporary culture and a love of cinema. The Media component enables you to study contemporary culture while undertaking creative practice, such as filmmaking, photography, screenwriting, which in turn feed into your study of Film, from its silent beginnings to present day to develop a critical appreciation and awareness.

The programme consists of a balance between the two disciplines of Media Studies and Film, combining the core modules from each programme with a balance of options from the two.

Communication happens through still and moving images, spoken and written words, music, drawing and animation. In the 21st century the boundaries between these forms have blurred. On this programme, you examine how old and new media are creating meaning today and using our first-class resources create work of your own.

How is art different to entertainment? How do filmmakers, performers and artists express themselves using style and genre? What are the distinctions between ‘high’ and ‘low’ media? The teaching staff, leading researchers in the field, guide you to answering these questions and more. They help you understand how media shape us, and how you, through your creative practice, can shape media.

Teaching and assessment

All modules involve live lectures, small group seminars, screenings and occasionally group trips to galleries, museums, libraries and festivals. Methods of assessment vary between modules. The majority of modules are assessed solely by coursework, while others have a mix of coursework and exams.

Careers

Media Studies graduates have the same wide-ranging career opportunities as other graduates in the faculty of humanities. These include teaching, local and central government, business and the NGO sector. Our graduates also have skills and experience relevant to careers in the creative industries and media journalism, galleries and museums, heritage and tourism, and marketing and advertising.

Our Film graduates have gone to a wide variety of careers. Our alumni work in film and TV production, arts organisations, media outlets (as film journalists), and film and TV archives. You also gain the benefits of a Humanities degree, developing skills in essay writing, presentations, organisation, and critical thinking, of which can be applied to a wide variety of careers, from teaching to administration and management.