Film and Screen Studies BA (Hons)

Course Content

• Course Details

  Focusing on the study of the moving image, the program enables students to analyse how screen media creates meanings through particular forms, techniques, and styles; how industrial organization affects the way films are produced and received; and how the social context in which they are made and consumed influence the way we understand and make meaning.

  The curriculum covers a diverse range of media formats, with emphasis upon popular and contemporary screen media (film, television, streaming services, mobile and digital screen media.)

  Year 1

  The course is structured on a three-stage progressive model. The first year will introduce students to the history and development of screen media, as well as how society and scholars have sought to understand the content, audiences, and industry of popular media; specific modules include investigating the figure of the superhero, animation and representation, stardom, transmedia, Hollywood film and the auteur.

  Modules you might study include:

  • From King Kong to The Godfather: Introduction to Hollywood Film (20 credits)
  • Marketing Stardom: Celebrity on Screen (20 credits)
  • Truth, Justice and Adaptation: Superheroes on Screen (20 credits)
  • Beyond the Disney Princess: Representation and Animation (20 credits)
  • Youth on Screen (20 credits)
  • Studying the Modern Auteur (20 credits)
  • A History of a Thousand Faces: Hair, Makeup and Prosthetics (20 credits)

  Year 2

  In stage two you will build on the skills gained in stage one; more optionality allows focus on specific areas of screen media, developing your knowledge of how film and screen media operate in the field of popular culture and its various industrial contexts. Typical modules include Fan Cultures, scriptwriting, European Cinemas, sci-fi and fantasy genres, and critical and cultural screen theory.

  Modules you might study include:

  • Genre: Fantasy, Robots and Monsters (20 credits)
  • Fan Cultures (research module) (20 credits)
  • Screen and the Self (20 credits)
  • Global Cinema: Europe (20 credits)
  • Working in Screen Media (20 credits)
  • Gender, Race and Sexuality in Contemporary Media (20 credits)
  • Scriptwriting (20 credits)
  • It’s Alive!, It’s Alive!: Studying Contemporary Character Design (20 credits)

  Year 3

  In stage three, building on the work done over prior years, module options will provide the opportunity for students to pursue specialised interests, such as Cult Media, East Asian Cinemas, and Videogames. You will also have space to explore your specific passions via a written dissertation.

  Modules you might study include:

  • Global Cinemas: East Asia (20 credits)
  • An Offer You Can’t Refuse? Contemporary Crime on Screen (20 credits)
  • Cult Media (20 credits)
  • Video Games (20 credits)
  • Hollywood and Beyond (20 credits)
  • Long Dissertation (Can involve Advanced Scriptwriting option) (40 credits)

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• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  How will I be taught?

  We aim to bring out the best in all our undergraduates and we recognise that employers are increasingly demanding that graduates are well equipped with a range of transferable skills. You will be taught via a variety of lectures, seminars, and workshops, augmented by online blending learning content.

  How will I be assessed?

  You will be assessed in a variety of ways; alongside more traditional assessment methods such as essays, presentations, and projects, you will also engage in innovative technology-supported assessment, such as video essays and podcasts, via the University virtual learning environment. Throughout your degree we will offer you the best support available to allow you to get the most from your independent and team-based learning.

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• Student Perks

  At the University of Northampton, everything we do, from funded trips to paid internships, is to give you everything you need to make a difference when you leave.

  If you join this full time degree at Northampton you will receive a laptop when your course begins. The laptops are built to a bespoke custom specification ideal for use in the seminar room, collaborative group work or studying at home.

  Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you to achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills you’re learning during your course, find your strengths and secure practical experience so that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd. We’ve created the Northampton Employment Promise because we are so confident that if you focus on your studies and complete one of our awards you’ll be highly employable by the time you graduate. Putting you in a great position to secure employment or continue your studies.

  To check out the full list of perks visit our Student Perks page.

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• Entry Requirements

  General entry requirements apply. A typical offer would be BCC at A-Level or DMM at BTEC. We welcome international applications and applications from students with a range of non-traditional educational or professional qualifications.

  For more more information on how to make an application, please visit our How to Apply page.

  If you are an International student and would like information on making an application, please see our How to Apply page.

  Integrated Foundation Year Entry Requirements

  Admission to this foundation programme is normally DEE at A-Level or MPP at BTEC. However, we would also like to hear from you if you have professional or industry experience instead, a range of other qualifications or self-developed subject knowledge that relates to the programme you wish to study.

  English Language Requirements

  All International and EU students applying for a course with us must meet the following minimum English language requirements:

  • IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) with a minimum of 5.5 in all bands for study at undergraduate level.

  For information regarding English language requirements at the University, please see our IELTS page.

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• Fees and Funding

  21/22 Tuition Fees

  Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 21/22 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  • UK – Full Time: £9,250
  • UK – Part Time: £1,465 per 20 credit module
  • UK – Integrated Foundation Year: £6,780 as part of a four year programme (subsequent years will be charged at standard BA rate)
  • International – Full Time: £13,000
  • International – Integrated Foundation Year: £13,000 as part of a four year programme (subsequent years will be charged at standard BA rate)

  2020/21 Tuition Fees

  Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 20/21 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  • UK and EU – Full Time: £9,250
  • UK and EU – Part Time: £1,450 per 20 credit module
  • UK and EU – Integrated  Foundation Year: £6,750 as part of a four year programme (subsequent years will be charged at standard BA rate)
  • International – Full Year: £12,900
  • International – Integrated Foundation Year: £12,900 as part of a four year programme (subsequent years will be charged at standard BA rate)

   

  For information on the scholarships available to you, please see our scholarships page.

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• Integrated Foundation Year (IFY)

  The Integrated Foundation Year (IFY) offers a new and exciting route into studying for a degree, attracting ambitious and driven students who are willing to learn and advance.

  If you have non-standard qualifications or do not quite meet the admissions requirements we can offer you a fantastic opportunity to study a four year programme which includes an Integrated Foundation Year. The Integrated Foundation Year will help you develop the theoretical/practical and academic skills you need, in order to successfully progress to the full award.

  Featuring a reduced tuition fee in the first year, our four-year courses will enable you to successfully follow the degree pathway of your choice while gaining essential study skills. The foundation year of your chosen degree will be studied on a full-time basis and is aimed at supporting the transition to higher education. Years two, three and four are then studied as a standard degree programme.

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Careers and Employability

Students take Film and Screen studies for a great variety of reasons; whether you wish to pursue a career in the creative industries, or simply explore your passion for screen media, the course will provide you with skills which open up a range of career opportunities. The most common sectors you may find work in are the media, creative, cultural and heritage industries. As well as traditional destinations in the film and broadcasting industries, you may also be interested in other media sectors such as publishing and research.

Recent graduates have secured jobs with Disney, The BBC, and Channel 4, while others have formed their own independent media companies, have pursued careers in web design, publishing, teaching, or gone on to further academic study. Whatever your ambition, studying Film and Screen at the University of Northampton will provide you with the crucial transferable skills of critical thinking, research, and presentation in demand in the 21st-century workplace, putting you in a great position to secure employment or to further continue your studies. We will support you to achieve your career and study ambitions, which is why if you complete our Employability Plus Gold programme or Changemaker Gold certificate alongside your studies and if you haven’t secured full-time employment 12 months after graduating* we will secure a three – six month paid internship for you, or support you into postgraduate study.

*with a 2:2 degree classification or higher