Film and Media Studies BA (Hons)

Our Film and Media Studies degree course will allow you to explore your passion. If you’re ready to take a comprehensive journey into the creative industries, the world of cinema, and the ever-expanding field of media, this course is for you! On our course you will watch, discuss, analyse and become thoroughly immersed in film, whilst consuming and commenting upon contemporary media, in all its forms. 

Media and film are both inherently progressive, and each have their key historical movements, moments and events. Through learning about these in depth you will build an understanding of the way they have shaped today’s creative and artistic industries, and how they have changed and altered perspectives. Studying film offers a window into culture, into history, and into human experience; films are powerful storytelling mediums that reflect societal values, question norms, and spark conversations. By analysing film, you will gain invaluable insights into the ways cinema shapes – and is shaped – by the world around us. You will understand how narratives are constructed, how visual and audio techniques influence emotions, and how different genres evolve. 

You will also study media and learn how it is central to how we communicate, form opinions, and engage with the world. Understanding how media is constructed helps people navigate issues like misinformation, bias, and the manipulation of public opinion, and it shapes our identities, communities, and political landscapes. Studying media will enable you to explore the ethical, social, and economic implications of this influence. Whether it's news or entertainment, understanding how media works will equip you with the skills to be ‘World Ready’: an informed consumer, effective communicator, and ethical content creator in a highly connected global society. 

This course also features practical elements of media production that allow you to develop your skills in a variety of areas, including making video content, editing, podcasting, animation and scriptwriting. As you learn and collaborate with students from other courses, you'll not only widen your social and professional network but also learn new skills that will set you up for success in your industry.

Our BA Film and Media Studies course contains core modules at each level of study.

In Year 1 you’ll explore foundational theories in film and media, as well as exploring analytical methods that you can apply to a wide range of screen examples and learn about basic elements of scriptwriting, cinematography and narrative.

You’ll also develop a range of fundamental production skills to support the practical aspects of the course, including:

• camera operation
• editing
• audio recording
• and production management.

Creativity is at the heart of your studies from the very beginning, and during your first year you’ll have the opportunity to develop ideas and make them a reality, whether that’s a script, a podcast, or video content. You can choose to produce content for one of our digital platforms, such as our website (Chester Student Media) or radio station (Chester Student Radio).

As you move into Year 2, you’ll build on the foundational skills you’ve developed and start to engage with a range of critical approaches to film and media to deepen your knowledge and understanding. You’ll study a variety of different global cinemas, from the dominant industries of Hollywood and Bollywood to small but significant film movements from around the world, including American, Asian, European and Australasian cinema.

You will continue to develop and enhance your production skills, with opportunities to create a range of digital media products. There is a focus on storytelling across various types of media, as you consider how and why stories are told in different mediums, for different audiences.

In Year 2 you will also have the opportunity to undertake a work-based placement, giving you a taste of real-world experience that is incredibly valuable to your future employability.

Once you get to Year 3, you’ll get the chance to explore a topic of your choosing in depth, embarking on a large-scale project (written or practice-based) in a particular area of creative media or film, integrating all the knowledge and skills you’ve acquired.

You will continue to hone your theoretical knowledge and critical thinking skills as you deepen your understanding of films and filmmakers and investigate how filmmaking has evolved over time.

This year you’ll also have the chance to engage and experiment with new technologies and specialist equipment including the opportunity to produce a short animation.

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

This course shares a common first year with students on the Media and TV Production course.

This means that you’ll learn alongside students studying a similar discipline, helping to broaden your knowledge and exposure to other concepts, perspectives and professions in the first year of your degree.

As you learn and collaborate with students from other courses, you'll not only widen your social and professional network but also learn new skills that will set you up for success in your industry.

In your second and third years, you will progress to studying more specialist modules within film and media, developing your skills to become a World Ready graduate.

Job Prospects

Graduates of this course could enter a range of careers in and beyond the creative industries. This could include working for independent companies or broadcasters and pursuing a diverse range of roles such as researchers, editors or film reviewers. Students could also pursue postgraduate studies.

Careers Service

The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.

Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.

We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs and postgraduate study.