Film Studies MA (Hons) 2021 entry
The MA (Hons) in Film Studies offers a comprehensive study of global film cultures. Film studies uses a variety of critical, theoretical and historical approaches to examine one of the most significant cultural and artistic forms of the 20th and 21st centuries.
The course critically examines the history of moving images across time and cultures, looking at a diverse range of topics from race on screen to activist documentary, from propaganda to digital media. Engaging with the industrial, institutional and cultural contexts of global cinema, as well as analytical, media-historical and political approaches to film scholarship, you will emerge with a powerful set of scholarly tools.
Key information
UCAS code
P303
Course type
Master of Arts (single Honours degree)
Course duration
Four years full time
- Start date: 6 September 2021
- End date: 30 June 2025
Information about all programmes from previous years of entry can be found in the archive.
Entry requirements
These grades are the overall standards required to consider you for entry. Find out more about Standard, Minimum and Gateway entry requirements using academic entry explained and see which entry requirements you need to look at using the entry requirements indicator.
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- Standard entry grades: AAAB
- Minimum entry grades: AABB
- Gateway entry grades: BBBB
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- Standard entry grades: AAB
- Minimum entry grades: ABB
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- Standard entry grades: 36 (HL 6,6,5)
- Minimum entry grades: 36 (HL 6,5,5)
We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry on to our programmes, please see our entry requirements for more information.
For degrees combining more than one subject, the subject with the higher entry requirements determines the grades you need. You will also need to meet any further subject specific entrance requirements as outlined on their pages.
International applicants
If English is not your first language you will need an overall IELTS score of 7.0, with a minimum score of 6.5 in each component (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking), or an equivalent English Language qualification.
How to applyDo I need to have studied this subject before?
No previous knowledge of this subject is required.
General entry requirements
All applicants must have attained the following qualifications, or equivalent, in addition to the specific entry requirements for individual programmes.
SQA National 5 (B) in English and one SQA National 5 (B) from the following:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Computing science
- Geography
- Lifeskills Mathematics (A grade)
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Psychology.
GCSE (5) in English language or English literature, and one GCSE (5) from the following:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Computing Science
- Geography
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Psychology.
Other qualifications
More information on how to apply via other entry routes or accreditation of prior learning and experience can be found on the University’s entry requirements web page.
Reputation
Film Studies at St Andrews was ranked first in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2021.
The University of St Andrews as a whole was voted top in the UK for student academic experience in The National Student Survey 2020 as 92.7% of St Andrews final-year students gave the University top marks for the quality of the learning and teaching experience.
The University has secured a TEF Gold Award for the quality of teaching and the undergraduate experience.
Find out more about film studies at St Andrews.
Course information
The MA (Hons) in Film Studies is a four-year course run by the Department of Film Studies. Film studies is a dynamic and growing discipline, drawing in students with a variety of interests. You will critically examine the history of moving images across time and cultures, looking at a diverse range of topics from artists’ film to activist documentary, from early cinema to digital media. Film studies uses a variety of critical, theoretical and historical approaches to examine one of the most significant cultural and artistic forms of the 20th and 21st centuries.
During the first two years, you will take four film studies modules (one per semester). These provide the theoretical, cultural and methodological frameworks you will need for the more specialised and challenging Honours courses.
Alongside film studies, in the first year of your studies, you will be required to study an additional two subjects. In the second year you will usually carry on at least one of these subjects, sometimes two. Find out more about how academic years are organised.
In third and fourth year, you can take either Single Honours or Joint Honours in film studies, taking courses (typically two per semester for Single Honours, or one per semester for Joint Honours) across the next two years. These courses reflect the research expertise of the Department and allow you to develop your own interests within the discipline.
The Honours programme examines a diverse range of film and media theories and practices covering genres, film sound, global cinemas, documentary, and various histories of the moving image. You work closely with the teaching staff and develop excellent intellectual, writing and research skills that are useful in a wide variety of professions.
Specialist subjects you may be able to take include:
- artists' film and video
- cinema in the digital era
- colonial cinema
- film and media history
- film, human rights and activism
- film sound
- ecocinema
- race and representation
- sensory cinema
- world cinemas and global genres (science fiction, comedy, horror etc).
The University of St Andrews operates on a flexible modular degree system by which degrees are obtained through the accumulation of credits. More information on the structure of the modules system can be found on the flexible degree structure web page.
Modules
In the first two years of your degree (known as sub-honours) you will take the required modules in film studies alongside modules in at least one other subject.
Typically, you will take one film studies module per semester during your first two years, and two modules per semester during your third and fourth year (known as Honours). Find out more about the modular Scottish degree system.
The compulsory modules in first year are:
- Key Concepts in Film Studies: examines key concepts and approaches that are relevant to the study of film.
- Global Film History and Historiography: introduces key movements and moments in film history.
The compulsory modules in second year are:
- Film Culture, Theory, Entertainment: introduces a range of political, philosophical, and cultural approaches to the cinema, centring on the key insights, the breakthrough critical ideas that have informed the study of film and its role in society.
- Screen Cultures today: media and methods: addresses disciplinary questions being asked of film and other screen media today through a global approach to screen cultures and scholarship.
If you decide to take film studies in your third and fourth years, you choose from a wide variety of advanced module options. These range from film theories covering gender, national and transnational, and philosophical approaches to particular topics such as war and cinema, images and impact, and horror on screen. Students are encouraged to choose and develop their own specialisms and interests within the discipline of film studies.
Modules available will reflect current staff specialisms and therefore may vary year to year. Here is a sample of Honours modules which have been offered in previous years:
- Artists' Film and Video
- Asian Cinemas
- Cinema and Media in the Digital Age
- Documentary Cinema
- Feminist Film Studies
- Film and the Archive
- Race and Representation
- Screen Comedy
- Sensory Cinema
- Silent Cinema.
In fourth year, students also undertake a 10,000-word dissertation on an advanced topic in film studies. This independent project enables you to develop key research skills which are desired by both prospective employers and by graduate schools offering postgraduate degrees.
The compulsory modules listed here must be taken in order to graduate in this subject. However, most students at St Andrews take additional modules, either in their primary subject or from other subjects they are interested in. For Honours level, students choose from a range of Honours modules, some of which are listed above. A full list of all modules appropriate to the programme for the current academic year can be found in the programme requirements.
Teaching
Teaching format
Teaching at sub-honours level is delivered primarily through whole-class lectures (65 to 200 students), screenings and small group tutorials (8 to 12 students). Most teaching on film takes place in a lecture theatre specially equipped for the film screenings that accompany lectures.
Lectures are given by all members of the Department, enabling students to hear academics at the cutting edge of the discipline. Students receive the best and latest ideas and material to research and evaluate. Tutorials are an opportunity for students to discuss and develop their thinking in a small and friendly atmosphere, guided by a professional expert.
Extensive use is made of the University’s specialist library resources, including one of the best collections of international cinema on DVD, holding over 9,300 AV materials and including some extremely rare films and holdings.
Teaching at Honours level moves away from large group lecturing. Class sizes vary between modules, but students typically meet in groups of about 5 to 17 students for longer classes in which they are expected to participate fully.
When not attending lectures, tutorials and film screenings, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve:
- working on individual and group projects
- undertaking research in the library
- preparing coursework assignments and presentations
- preparing for examinations.
You will be taught by a research-led teaching team with expertise and knowledge of film studies. Postgraduate research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of tutorials under the supervision of the module leader.
You can find contact information for all film studies staff on the Department of Film Studies website.
In addition to your studies in the Department of Film Studies, optional academic support is available through practical study skills courses and workshops hosted within the University.
The University’s Student Services team can help students with additional needs resulting from disabilities, long term medical conditions or learning disabilities. More information can be found on the students with disabilities web page.
Assessment
All sub-honours modules are assessed by a balance of coursework and written examinations held at the end of each semester during a dedicated exam diet with revision time provided beforehand. Coursework includes:
- research essays
- class presentations
- source analysis.
At Honours level, the modules are entirely assessed on the basis of coursework. Honours assessments balance more traditional research essay formats with creative, skill-based assignments such as documentary pitch outlines, short online articles, reflective writing, resource building and filmmaker profiles.
The Department aims to provide feedback on assessments and coursework within three weeks to help you improve on future assessments.
Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews must achieve at least 7.0 on the St Andrews 20-point grade scale to pass a module. To gain access to Honours-level modules, students must achieve the relevant requisites as specified in the policy on entry to Honours and in the relevant programme requirements. Please note that some Schools offer qualified entry to Honours, and this will be clearly specified in the programme requirements. To find out the classification equivalent of points, please see the common reporting scale.
Fees
Tuition fees for 2021 entry
| Home-funded | £1,820 |
|---|---|
| Rest of the UK | £9,250 |
| EU and overseas | £25,100 |
For overseas students, tuition fees will be fixed at this level for the duration of your programme.
More information on tuition fees can be found on the undergraduate fees and funding page.
Accommodation fees
Find out about accommodation fees for University accommodation.
Funding and scholarships
The University of St Andrews offers a number of scholarships and support packages to undergraduate students each year.
Joint Honours degrees
You can take Film Studies as part of a joint Honours degree alongside one of the following subjects:
Special joint degree notes
The joint option with Psychology can also be taken as a degree programme with British Psychological Society accreditation.
In taking a joint degree, you are required to take core modules in all of your subjects. Find out more about joint degrees.
Your future
Careers
Film studies graduates are well placed to compete in today’s job market, having gained an extensive range of skills from written and oral communications to archival research and visual analysis.
A degree in film studies from St Andrews will provide an excellent foundation for a wide range of careers as well as for careers directly connected with cinema, such as:
- advertising and public relations
- arts administration
- cinema management
- education
- film distribution and production
- film festivals
- journalism and media.
Recent graduates in film studies have gone on to a number of exciting careers, including:
- film archive director
- production editor in publishing
- media researcher
- programmes negotiator for a television company
- director’s assistant at Warner Brothers.
The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students to build their employability skills.
Study abroad
Film studies students may participate in the University-wide St Andrews Abroad programme. You may also have the opportunity to participate in the School Abroad exchange programme. For information about study abroad options, please see the study abroad site.
Student life
From the outset, the University of St Andrews offers an array of events and opportunities which result in a truly unique student experience. Students participate in a range of traditions, notably, the red academic gown and the academic family, where older students adopt first year students as ‘children’ and help guide them in a system of mentoring. These traditions and the choice of over 150 sports clubs and student societies to choose from ensures a community feel amongst students from first year onwards.
Students of film studies may be interested in joining the Film Society that holds weekly film screenings and regular pub nights.
The Department of Film Studies is centrally located in two buildings on North Street. These boast bright office spaces and a well-equipped teaching room, as well as excellent screening equipment. For all Honours and Masters seminars, there are specially equipped facilities (including 3D projection) at the Byre Theatre. Lectures and screenings take place in the Buchanan Theatre.
The Department is located next door to the local independent cinema, New Picture House, which screens popular films. Dundee, the closest city, boasts an excellent arthouse cinema at Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA).
The town of St Andrews itself has lots to offer. As University buildings are located throughout the town, walking around you encounter ancient and modern buildings, parks and beaches, providing a rich, beautiful backdrop to learning. Find out more about the town of St Andrews.
Find out more about student life at the University of St Andrews.
“The depth in which I am encouraged to think about and discuss film has improved my overall skills of critical thinking. The lecturers present us with texts and ideas outside of our usual frame of reference and encourage us to formulate our own point of view, even in contentious areas of debate. The work is hard but if you are studying something you are passionate about, it is more than worth it.”
Milo (Inverness, Scotland)
Contact information
Department of Film Studies
University of St Andrews
101a North Street
St Andrews
KY16 9AD
Phone: +44 (0)1334 46 7473
Email: filmstudies@st-andrews.ac.uk
Policies
Admission to the University of St Andrews is governed by our admissions policy.
Information about all programmes from previous years of entry can be found in the archive.
Curriculum development
As a research intensive institution, the University ensures that its teaching references the research interests of its staff, which may change from time to time. As a result, programmes are regularly reviewed with the aim of enhancing students' learning experience. Our approach to course revision is described online.
Tuition fees
The University will clarify compulsory fees and charges it requires any student to pay at the time of offer. The offer will also clarify conditions for any variation of fees. The University’s approach to fee setting is described online.