Program Overview

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University of St Andrews Film Studies MA (Honours)

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.

Overview

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 silent cinema to social 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.

UCAS Code

P303

Start Date

September 2025

End Date

September 2029

Duration

Four years full time

School

School of Philosophical, Anthropological and Film Studies

Entry Requirements

The University offers different entry requirements, depending on your background. Find out more about Standard, Minimum, and Gateway entry requirements.

Standard Entry Grades:

• SQA Highers: AAAB
• GCE A-Levels: AAB
• IB points: 36 (HL 6,6,5)

Minimum Entry Grades:

• SQA Highers: AABB
• GCE A-Levels: ABB
• IB points: 36 (HL 6,5,5)

Gateway Entry Grades:

Applicants who have narrowly missed the minimum entry grades, but meet the University's contextual criteria, may be interested in one of the University’s Gateway programmes.

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 subjects:
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computing Science
  • Geography
  • Applications of Mathematics
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Psychology
• GCSE (5) in English language or English literature, and one GCSE (5) from the following subjects:
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computing Science
  • Geography
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Psychology

Course Details

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.

Teaching

Teaching at sub-honours level is delivered primarily through whole-class lectures, screenings, and small group tutorials. Most teaching on film takes place in a lecture theatre specially equipped for the film screenings that accompany lectures.

Modules

The compulsory modules in first year are:

• Key Concepts in Film Studies
• Global Film History and Historiography

The compulsory modules in second year are:

• Film Theory
• Screen Cultures today: media and methods

In third and fourth year, courses reflect the research expertise of the Department and allow you to develop your own interests within the discipline.

• Sample Honours modules include:
  • 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

Assessment

All sub-honours modules are assessed by a balance of coursework and written examinations. Coursework includes research essays, class presentations, and short assignments.

Teaching Staff

You will be taught by a research-led teaching team with expertise and knowledge of Film Studies.

Fees

• Scotland: £1,820
• England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man: £9,535
• EU and overseas: £31,670

Joint Honours Degrees

You can also take Film Studies as part of a joint Honours degree in which you will take core modules of your chosen subjects.

Sample Joint Honours Degrees

• Master of Arts (Honours) Ancient History and Film Studies
• Master of Arts (Honours) Arabic and Film Studies
• Master of Arts (Honours) Art History and Film Studies

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.

Sample careers include:

• Advertising and public relations
• Arts administration
• Cinema management
• Education
• Film distribution and production
• Film festivals
• Journalism and media

What to Do Next

We encourage all students who are thinking of applying to the University to attend one of our online or in-person visiting days.