Program Overview

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Film Studies BA

Overview

This BA Film Studies course combines film theory, history, criticism, and filmmaking to offer a well-rounded foundation for careers within the film industry, media, and the creative arts. You’ll learn from academics whose expertise crosses genres and spans the globe. And since you’ll be joining one of the largest film studies departments in Europe, you’ll get to choose from a broad range of modules and shape your curriculum around your specific interests.

Key Information

• Course type: Single honours
• Delivery mode: In person
• Study mode: Full time
• Required A-level: AAB
• Full entry requirements: Including contextual requirements
• Duration: Three years
• Application status: Open
• Start date: September 2025
• Application deadline: 29 January 2025
• Optional study abroad: Available
• Optional internships: Available
• Apply via: UCAS

Course Aims

• To develop your knowledge and understanding of film and related visual media, their history, theory, and analysis, from the late 19th century to the present day
• To familiarise you with the intellectual debates that have revolved around cinema and moving images, and their relationship with literature, art history, philosophy, architecture, music, politics, sociology, and economics
• To enable you to interpret, examine, and question moving images of all kinds, and to understand their technological and industrial origins
• To provide you with skills to make short films, using professional equipment
• To give you a solid foundation for careers in media, the arts, and related fields

Base Campus

• Strand Campus: Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

Special Features

• Optional study abroad: On this programme, you will have the opportunity to apply to study abroad, supported by the Study Abroad Tutor in your department and King’s Global Mobility Office.
• Optional internships: Students will be supported through innovative digital education tools to discover meaningful work experience for themselves, including internships, insight programmes, which you can undertake alongside your studies.

Awarding Institutions

• King's College London and Affiliates

Regulating Bodies

• King's is regulated by the Office for Students

Entry Requirements

Subject Requirements

• Required subjects: Applicants must be studying an essay-based subject.
• A-Levels: AAB
• International Baccalaureate Diploma: 35 points overall or an aggregate score of 17 from three Higher Levels.

Alternative Accepted Qualifications

• Access to HE Diploma: The Access to Higher Education Diploma must be 60 credits in total.
• BTEC Nationals/CTECs: Considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Cambridge Pre-U: Considered on a case-by-case basis.
• European Baccalaureate: Considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers: Considered on a case-by-case basis.

English Language Requirements

• English language band: B
• Please note: Nationals of Majority English Speaking Countries (as defined by UKVI) who have successfully completed high school in the respective country, are not required to complete an English language test.

Selection Process

• Contextual consideration: We make contextual offers for this programme, which can be found in the entry requirements.
• Deferrals: Applications can be submitted for deferred entry by choosing the appropriate year of entry on the UCAS application.
• Foundation courses: Applicants studying Foundation Year programmes in the UK are welcome to apply for this programme.
• Graduates: Our general entry requirements are based on A-level or equivalent. However, where an applicant is completing/has completed a degree, we are able to consider the degree study as part of the assessment of the application.
• Personal Statement: Your personal statement is one of the many factors in the overall assessment of your application, and is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the university and inform us of your commitment to the programme and how the programme fits into your career plans, as well as any work experience or extracurricular activities you have done.
• Resits: We are able to consider applicants who have retaken or are retaking their qualifications.
• Transfers: We are able to consider applications for transfer into Year 2 of this programme.

Teaching Methods - What to Expect

• Screening
• Lectures
• Seminars
• Workshops

King’s has made a significant investment in the study of film and related media, including an extensive collection of print and audio-visual material (DVD, Blu-ray, streaming sites), facilities for 35mm screening and possibly 4k digital video projection, as well as all necessary information technology resources. All our modules will be taught in well-equipped rooms through a combination of screening, lectures, seminars, and practical workshops.

Assessment

• Coursework
• Written/Practical Examinations
• Essays
• Presentations
• Examinations

Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written/practical examinations. Forms of assessment may include written essays, oral or audio-visual presentations, blog entries, multi-choice tests, visual tests, short films or video essays, or timed examinations.

Structure

Courses are divided into modules. Each year you will normally take modules totalling 120 credits.

This is a three-year degree course in which you will take a combination of required and optional modules to total 360 credits.

Year 1

• Required modules:
  • Introduction to Film Studies: Forms (15 credits)
  • Introduction to Film Studies: Critical Debates (15 credits)
  • Research & Scholarship in Film Studies (15 credits)
  • Film History: 1895–1930 (15 credits)
  • Film History: (15 credits)
  • Film History: 1960–1995 (15 credits)
• Optional modules:
  • Media Cultures (15 credits)
  • Creative and Curatorial Practice in Film and Media (15 credits)

Year 2

• Required modules:
  • Film Theory (15 credits)
• Optional modules:
  • Modules on filmmaking, documentary cinema, film forms, or sound in cinema.
  • Modules on television studies or film historiography and the archive.

Year 3

• Required modules:
  • Film and New Media (15 credits)
  • Film Theories (15 credits)
• Optional modules:
  • Modules on global cult cinema, American underground cinema, or Korean cinema.
  • Modules on the intersection of film with ethics, religion, architecture, or music.

Employability

BA Film Studies graduates work in a range of careers, often directly connected to their education at King’s. Some pursue graduate work in filmmaking, acting, and other creative aspects of the film and media industries.

The study of film can also lead to exciting careers in print and media journalism, arts and other cultural management positions, film preservation, and curating.

Some Film Studies BA graduates have:

• Film & TV Development Producer at Color Force
• Student at the Graduate Film Program NYU-Tisch School of the Arts
• Freelance Filmmaker and Editor
• Curation Manager at Into Film

Destinations

Recent graduates have found employment within the following job roles and companies:

• Broadcast Assistants
• Adjunct Assistant Professor of Communications
• Location Managers
• Producers
• Researchers

Tuition Fees

Full time tuition fees UK:

• The UK tuition fee for the academic year is currently £9,535 per year. This is based on the UK Government's cap.

Full time tuition fees International:

• The International tuition fee for the academic year is £27,100 per year.

Please note that the International tuition fee is subject to annual increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King's terms and conditions.

All International applicants to Undergraduate programmes are required to pay a deposit of £2000 against their first year's tuition fee. This deposit is payable when you firmly accept an unconditional offer to study with us, and will be offset against your tuition fees when you join King's.

If you choose the study abroad option with one of King’s partner universities, you will not be charged tuition fees by the host university (although some partners do charge a small administration fee for applying). King’s will continue to invoice for a proportion of King's tuition fees. You should also budget to pay for the associated subsistence costs, such as travel, visas, accommodation and food as well as any vaccination/immunisations required by the country to which you are travelling. Please see the Study Abroad web pages for details of the relevant partner universities and detailed information on the fees that apply under the Course Essentials tab.

In addition to the costs above, you can also expect to pay for:

• Books if you choose to buy your own copies
• Clothing for optional course related events and competitions
• Library fees and fines
• Personal photocopies
• Printing course handouts
• Society membership fees
• Stationery
• Graduation costs
• Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses

Funding

To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.