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Film Studies

Entry requirements


Access - at least 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2 from a relevant Open College Network accredited course.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

English Language or English Literature at grade C or 4.

UCAS Tariff

112-120

This must include at least two A levels or equivalent BTEC National qualifications. For example: BBC-BBB at A Level, DDM in BTEC Extended Diploma, Merit overall from a T level qualification, or a combination of qualifications (which may include AS Levels, EPQ and general studies).

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Sandwich | 2024

Subject

Film studies

**Please check the Sheffield Hallam University website for the latest information.**

**Course summary:**

- Develop your passion for film by learning from industry experts.

- Study films from around the world and explore the changing nature of cinema.

- Kickstart your career with accredited work placements.

- Benefit from our state-of-the-art cinema facilities, specially designed to show films in a range of formats.

We’re proud to be one of the longest-established film studies courses in the UK. You’ll study a wide range of disciplines, from critical thinking skills to genre films – all while examining the changing face of the cinema industry. You’ll have hands-on opportunities to develop a rich professional profile and gain specialist skills in film programming, film education and film journalism.

**How you learn:**

All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

Our team of experts will help you gain in-depth knowledge while nurturing the skills you need – in everything from film criticism to festival curation. When you’re ready, we’ll introduce you to our professional network, opening real-world opportunities for you to gain experience in the film and cultural industries.

You learn through

- film festivals

- film screenings

- video essays

- film programming and marketing

- professional writing portfolios

- lectures

- seminars

- presentations

**Applied learning**

**Work placements and live projects**

You’ll collaborate with a wide network of industry, charity, and community partners — showcasing your knowledge and skills. You’ll work independently and in diverse teams at each stage of your study, bringing your ideas to life in response to real briefs. In your second year you’ll curate and build your professional profile, by taking a credit-bearing placement in collaboration with one of our partners that connects your work with audiences.

**Field trips**

We run regular field trips to film festivals and cinema visits. Our students have visited Berlin Film Festival, Salford MediaCity, Bradford WideScreen Weekend, BFI Southbank, and participated in Sheffield Doc/Fest, Celluloid Screams, Sensoria, and Festival of Debate.

**Networking opportunities**

We work with nationally and internationally renowned festivals such as Doc/Fest, Celluloid Screams, and Off the Shelf, as well as bringing leading talent in film programming, film journalism, and film festival organisers to Sheffield to work with our students. You’ll benefit from regular networking opportunities and masterclass events, and get a head start into the creative industries.

We invite specialist speakers from different cultural sectors to talk to our students about professional careers in film.

We’ve previously welcomed

- Pamela Hutchinson – Freelance writer for Sight and Sound

- Melanie Iredale – Deputy Director, Sheffield Doc/Fest

- Mikeala Smith – Programme Manager, Showroom Cinema

- Ricky Charlesworth – Teacher in Film and Media, Rotherham College

- Lewis Coates – Screenwriter, director, and videographer

- Isabelle France – Film Marketing, Showroom Cinema

- Jaq Chell – Head of Operations, Cinema For All

We have a strong alumni network and will encourage you to connect with a variety of external partners to better understand the career and professional opportunities open to you. Our careers services are available from your very first day and support you beyond graduation. Expert advisers can help you discover future careers, develop your professional skills, and help you to stand out when you apply for jobs.

You will have the opportunity to arrange a year-long work placement in between your second and third years. This gives you a real-world experience to prepare you for your future career.

Modules

Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.

Important notice: The structure for this course is currently being reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment are all likely to change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Once the changes have been confirmed, updated module information will be published on this page.

You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.

**Year 1**

**Compulsory modules**

Cinema And Genre
Cinemania
Film Analysis
Film Consumption
Film Movements
Thinking About Movies

**Year 2**

**Compulsory modules**

British Cinema
Ideas Into Action
World-Wide Cinema

**Elective modules**

On The Box
Rights, Camera, Action
Screen Storytelling
Show Business

**Year 3**

**Optional modules**

Placement Year

**Final year**

**Compulsory modules**

Film Dissertation

**Elective modules**

Film Education
Film Programming
Framing Borders
My Kind Of Movie
Professional Film Writing
Telly Visions

Assessment methods

Coursework

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£16,655
per year
International
£16,655
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

Scholarships, discounts and bursaries may be available to students who study this course.

The Uni


Course location:

Sheffield Hallam University

Department:

College of Social Sciences and Arts

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

68%
Film studies

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Media studies

Teaching and learning

84%
Staff make the subject interesting
88%
Staff are good at explaining things
85%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
81%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

73%
Library resources
81%
IT resources
75%
Course specific equipment and facilities
54%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

98%
UK students
2%
International students
60%
Male students
40%
Female students
90%
2:1 or above
9%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
C
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Media studies

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£16,500
low
Average annual salary
93%
med
Employed or in further education
20%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

19%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
15%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
14%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Media studies

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£17k

£17k

£20k

£20k

£24k

£24k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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