Film Studies BA (Hons)

Develop your skills as a professional film-maker, critic, event organiser, writer or industry analyst through the academic study of cinema, to prepare you for a career in the creative industries.

You deserve a positive teaching and learning experience, where you feel part of a supportive and nurturing community. That鈥檚 why most students will enjoy an innovative approach to learning using block teaching, where you will study one module at a time. You鈥檒l benefit from regular assessments - rather than lots of exams at the end of the year - and a simple timetable that allows you to engage with your subject and enjoy other aspects of university life such as sports, societies, meeting friends and discovering your new city. By studying with the same peers and tutor for each block, you鈥檒l build friendships and a sense of belonging.

Overview

Watch Senior lecturer Dr Ellen Wright as she discusses the expertise of film academics at DMU, the opportunities you'll have on the course and why Film Studies is important.

In an increasingly media-focused world, this course will develop your existing passion for film and TV into a prospective career, helping you acquire a skillset required for many technical and creative roles.

You will gain a strong theoretical understanding of film history and theory, and explore areas such as Disney, Warner Bros and the business of the Film Studio, Cinemas of the World and Fan and Material Cultures. You will also develop practical skills in diverse areas including film making, film reviewing, screen archives and film festival planning.

This course combines practice and theoretical study, giving you a strong theoretical understanding, as well as transferable skills such as communication and critical analysis. Our graduates go on to work in a variety of fields, including film and TV, but also finance, public relations and tourism.

Key features

Learn in a real cinema environment thanks to our partnership with Leicester’s Phoenix Cinema and Arts Centre, while benefiting from placement opportunities and the chance to organise and manage an annual film festival.
Select a route through this degree in Creative Writing, Drama, English Literature, History, Journalism or Media. These carefully chosen routes will complement and enrich your understanding of your main subject, alongside broadening your skillset to give you a wider range of career paths upon graduation.
Benefit from experts in our prestigious Cinema and Television History Research Institute, as well as guest lectures from established film directors, exhibitors, writers, distributors, and journalists.
Graduates have gone on to work for high-profile employers including the BBC and Odeon Entertainment in varied roles including research, teaching and writing for film, public relations and film journalism.
Gain valuable international experience as part of your studies with our DMU Global programme. Students have been able to immerse themselves in Hollywood’s fan culture, tour iconic cinemas in Berlin and attend the famous Cannes Film Festival.

Benefit from block teaching, where most students study one subject at a time. A simple timetable will allow you to really engage with your learning, receive regular feedback and assessments, get to know your course mates and enjoy a better study-life balance.

Watch: Film Studies graduate Georgina Griffiths talks about her exciting future after graduating from DMU

News stories

New exhibition at LCB Depot explores Indian film heritage

Media expert awarded British Academy funding to examine inequality in TV and film industry

Hurray for Hollywood! DMU Global takes to the skies again with Film Studies students' trip to LA

Leicester's extraordinary links to Leonardo da Vinci and Bill Gates inspire DMU film festival

Ambitious film project by DMU alumni set to challenge the status quo

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UK
EU/International

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: P303

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with placement

Fees and funding:

2025/26 tuition fees for UK students: £9,250

How to apply

Order a prospectus

Book an Open Day

Submit a study-related enquiry

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: P303

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with placement

Fees and funding:

2024/25 tuition fees for international students: £15,750

Find out more about available funding for international students.

How to apply

Order a prospectus

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

Normally 104 UCAS points from at least two A-levels or
BTEC National Diploma/ Extended Diploma at DMM

Plus, five GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including English or equivalent.

Alternative qualifications include:

Pass in the QAA-accredited Access to HE course with at least 30 level 3 credits at Merit or equivalent, with English GCSE required as a separate qualification.

We will normally require students to have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course.

International Baccalaureate: 24+ points
T Levels Merit

Portfolio Required : No

Interview Required: No

Mature students

We welcome applications from mature students with non-standard qualifications and recognise all other equivalent and international qualifications.

English language

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential. English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

UCAS tariff information

Students applying for courses starting in September will be made offers based on the latest UCAS Tariff.

Contextual offer

To make sure you get fair and equal access to higher education, when looking at your application, we consider more than just your grades. So if you are eligible, you may receive a contextual offer. Find our more about contextual offers.

Structure and assessment

Year one

Block 1: Filmmaking 1 – Introduction to Moving Image Production
Block 2: Film History and Theory 1 - Foundations of Film Studies: Concepts, Analysis, Film History
Block 3: The Film Industry 1 - Disney, Warner Bros and the Business of the Film Studio OR you can select to study one route from the list below:
- Media: Media, Culture and Society
- Journalism: Understanding Journalism
- Creative Writing: Writers Salon
- English Literature: Introduction to Drama: Shakespeare
- History: Global Cities
- Drama: Shifting Stages
Block 4: Professional Practice 1 – Film Reviewing

Year two

Block 1: Film History and Theory 2 – Cinemas of the World: Concepts, Movements, Case Studies
Block 2: Filmmaking 2 - Moving Image Portfolio
Block 3: Professional Practice 2 – Screen Archives: Preservation, Conservation and Usage OR continue with the route selected in the first year:
- Media: Public Relations
- Journalism: Beyond News
- Creative Writing: Story Craft
- English Literature: Digital Humanities
- History: Humans and the Natural World
- Drama: Theatre Revolutions
Block 4: The Film Industry 2 - Filmmakers

Year three

Block 1: Professional Practice 3 - Planning Film Festivals OR The Film Industry 3 - The Film Industry Now
Block 2: Professional Practice 4 - Delivering Film Festivals OR The Film Industry 4 – Fan and Material Cultures
Block 3: Filmmaking 3 – Independent Project: Idea Development and Pre-production OR Film History and Theory 3 – British Cinema: Creativity, Independents and Interdependence OR continue with the study route selected in the first and second year:
- Media: Gender and TV Fictions
- Journalism: Music, Film and Entertainment Journalism
- Creative Writing: Creative Misbehaviour
- English Literature: World Englishes
- History: The World on Display
- Drama: Performance, Identity and Society
Block 4: Filmmaking 4 – Independent Project: Production and Delivery OR Film History and Theory 4 – Film Studies Dissertation

Routes: You can select to study a route in Block 3 during your first year. When selecting a module for Block 3 in your second year you can opt to remain on your chosen route or return to Film Studies. If you choose to remain with the route, it must be continued in your third year.

See detailed module information

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

Teaching

This is a full-time course. Each module is worth 30 credits. Outside of your normal timetabled hours you will be expected to conduct independent study each week to complete preparation tasks, assessments and research.

Course delivery is in block mode, which means each 30 credit module consists of a seven week teaching block.

The programme will be delivered through a series of tutor- and student-led lectures, seminars and workshops. A key goal of Film Studies has been to provide a programme offering academic modules drawing on the world-class scholarship and expertise of the DMU Film Studies team (spanning film history, industry, theory, criticism, and contexts) alongside modules delivering high-quality, distinctive and varied practice and employability-related learning, teaching, and experiential opportunities, while retaining the programme's well-established goal of producing film analysts, scholars and historians. As such, modules are offered within four key strands of the programme: Film History and Theory, Filmmaking, Profession Practical and The Film Industry. Students will study one module in each strand in Year 1/Level 4 and Year 2/Level 5, before choosing two strands to focus on, taking two modules in each of these strands in Year 3/Level 6. This will provide students with both a broad exposure to the full range of topics within their discipline, while also offering them the ability to specialise in specific areas which are of particular interest and value to them.

Assessment

Assessments have been designed to correspond to the QAA benchmarks and to enhance students' subject-related employability and transferable skills. There are no formal examinations, but rather a wide variety of assessment strategies, from essays, primary research projects and oral presentations to varied forms of assessed creative and professional practice.

Film Studies at DMU is taught by renowned world-class scholars based in our prestigious Cinema and Television History Institute (CATHI). You will be taught by experienced subject experts with a range of relevant professional, industry and creative expertise. The teaching team is made up of widely published academics, film journalists, film-makers and industry professionals. You will benefit from a quality learning and teaching experience.

Our teaching team has close connections with film directors, writers, distributors and journalists who give guest lectures, ensuring your learning is relevant to current practice.

Film Studies at DMU is closely affiliated with Leicester’s Phoenix Cinema, which also acts as a base for employment and work experience opportunities, ensuring our students are ready for employment upon graduation.

Facilities and features

Library and learning zones

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available.

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our , e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose.

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including the Virtual Learning Environment, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub.

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live , online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our , and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

Phoenix Cinema link

Students have opportunities to benefit from our relationship with Leicester’s independent Phoenix Cinema, providing the opportunity to undertake placements and organise and manage an annual film festival.

The cinema is also the location for some of the teaching and screening sessions on our Film Studies course, so students can experience the real cinema environment at film showings.

Taking part in the wide range of events and festivals held at the cinema throughout the year also helps students to build a broader knowledge of their subject.

More flexible ways to learn

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘DMU Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in a way that suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Opportunities and careers

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Placements

Work placements are offered as part of this course and can boost your skills and experience while studying, as well as improving your chances of gaining a graduate level job.

We have links with organisations both in the UK and internationally, and the placements team can help you find a placement to suit your interests and aspirations.

Our partnership with Leicester’s Phoenix Cinema provides placement opportunities that Film Studies students can get involved with. Film Studies students have also gone on to do internships with BBC Films, Warp Films and others.

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#DMUglobal

Our innovative international experience programme aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons – helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world. Through #DMUglobal, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.

Film studies students have been on trips to the famous Cannes Film Festival and also the WonderCon comic book, science fiction, and film convention in Hollywood, where they immersed themselves in fan culture and met celebrities on the red carpet of a premiere. Students have also been to visit one of the most iconic and historically important cinemas in Berlin.

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Graduate careers

The course provides a broad grounding in film history, criticism, practice and industry skills. Students may pursue a variety of careers in the film and cultural industries.

Over the past five years, graduates have gone on to work for employers such as BBC Films, BBC Sport, Film4 and Odeon Entertainment. They’ve also gone on to work in roles as film and television production staff and researchers, writers for film news media, public relations writers and executives, film journalists, independent film-makers, camera people, and commercial managers.

Other students have gone on to work as teachers and academics, or pursued careers in PR, banking, finance and other fields. Film Studies is also ideal preparation for further study, with our postgraduate options including the International Film Production MA.

Take your next steps

Nine halls of residence and around 2,300 rooms, all of which are within easy walking distance of the campus.

Run by students for students, DSU offers more than 150 societies and almost 40 different sports clubs for you to get involved in.

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