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Undergraduate Study

BA Film & Television Studies - 2025 entry

Please note: The below is for 2025 entries. Click here for 2024 entries.
UCAS code W600
Duration 3 years
Entry year 2025
Campus Streatham Campus
Discipline Film Studies
Contact

Web: Enquire online
Phone: 0300 555 6060 (UK callers) 
+44 (0)1392 723044 (EU/International callers)

Typical offer

View full entry requirements

A-Level: ABB
IB: 32/655
BTEC: DDM

Contextual offers

A-Level: BBC
IB: 28/554
BTEC: DDM-DMM

Overview

  • Investigate film and television history and analyse world cinemas to understand film’s role and power in today’s mediascape
  • Gain deep knowledge of film and television as a cultural, social, industrial and global phenomenon
  • Develop the tools and vocabulary to question and examine culture and your role within it

View 2024 Entry

Request a prospectus

Open Days and visiting us

How to apply

Contact

Web: Enquire online

Phone: +44 (0)1392 72 72 72

Top 5 icon

Top 5 in the Russell Group for student satisfaction

 in five out of seven themes (National Student Survey 2023: Film)

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World-class film research resources, including The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum

The largest university library collection in the UK

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Access to internationally acclaimed actors, directors and film critics via events such as our ‘Creative Dialogues’ lecture series

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Distinctive international approach to film analysis, history and theory

The University of Exeter was my first choice of university and it was definitely the right choice.

Exeter is a lovely city and you get the campus experience without feeling disconnected from the rest of Exeter. The university has been really supportive and has provided me with lots of opportunities to develop outside of my degree and prepare me for my future career. Everyone was very welcoming and there are an enormous amount of societies and student groups to get involved with.

I have loved studying film at Exeter. The modules cover a great range of cinemas from around the world and throughout the history of film. Through film, we get to explore so many other areas like history, politics, and philosophy. My lecturers have all been very supportive both academically and pastorally and their passion for their chosen specialisms is evident in the modules they teach.

Read more from Rachel

Rachel

BA Film & Television Studies

Entry requirements (typical offer)

Qualification Typical offer Required subjects
A-Level ABB n/a
IB 32/655 n/a
BTEC DDM n/a
GCSE C or 4 English Language
Access to HE 24 L3 Credits at Distinction Grade and 21 L3 credits at Merit Grade. N/A
T-Level Distinction n/a
Contextual Offer

A-Level: BBC
IB: 28/554
BTEC: DDM-DMM

Specific subject requirements must still be achieved where stated above. Find out more about contextual offers.

Other accepted qualifications

View other accepted qualifications

English language requirements

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2. Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.

NB General Studies is not included in any offer.

Grades advertised on each programme webpage are the typical level at which our offers are made and provide information on any specific subjects an applicant will need to have studied in order to be considered for a place on the programme. However, if we receive a large number of applications for the programme we may not be able to make an offer to all those who are predicted to achieve/have achieved grades which are in line with our typical offer. For more information on how applications are assessed and when decisions are released, please see: After you apply

Course content

The first year of study guides you through the specialised language used in the analysis of film and approaches to studying film as a visual and aural art form. It familiarises you with the most important movements and moments in cinema history, introduces you to key concepts and theories, and engages with the cross-cultural and transnational exchanges between world cinemas.

In the second year, you will study the history of American cinema and contemporary theories of film philosophy.

In your final year you can pursue your own interests and develop expertise in selected areas. Choose from a wide array of specialist modules, covering topics ranging from American independent cinema, surrealist cinema, to war and visual media. You will also either write a dissertation or complete a creative dissertation video essay or short film on a topic of your choice.

120 credits of compulsory modules

 

Compulsory modules

CodeModule Credits
EAF1501 Major Debates in Film Theory 30
EAF1504 Introduction to Film History 30
EAF1506 Interrogating Screens 30
EAF1507 The Contemporary Film and Television Industries 30

120 credits of optional modules

 

Optional modules

a - You must select 90-120 credits from this list of Film & Television Studies modules.

b - You may select 0-30 credits from this list of English, Modern Languages, and Humanities modules, or from outside of the programme subject to selecting 120 credits in total. You may only select one of the two modules HUM2000 or HUM2001.

CodeModule Credits
Film & Television Stage 2 Option modules 2024-5 [See note a above]
EAF2510 Adaptation: Text, Image, Culture 30
EAF2515 Contemporary Latin American Cinema 30
EAF2512 European Cinemas: Art, Industry, Entertainment 30
EAF2500 European Cinemas: Art, Industry, Entertainment 15
EAF2514 Scrublands, Sanctuary, Screens: Co-creating Knowledges alongside Donkeys 30
EAF2502 Shots in the Dark 30
EAF2511 Television: Times, Trends and Technologies 30
EAF2513 Filmmaking [See note a above]30
Film & Television Stage 2 co-listed Option modules 2024-5 [See note b above]
HUM2000 Humanities in the Workplace 30
CMM2010 Professional Writing 30
CMM2011 History of Communications 30
CMM2012 Communications and the Climate Crisis 30
CMM2013 Introduction to Games Studies 30

Find out more about study abroad or employment experience under Course variants.

With Study Abroad

120 credit compulsory placement module

For your year abroad you will agree a suite of modules in your host institution with the Faculty Study Abroad Coordinator. Details of individual modules that may be taken whilst abroad can be found by accessing the partner institution’s factfile at http://www.exeter.ac.uk/international/abroad/where/ and navigating to the “Course Requirements” section of that factfile where a link to the modules on offer in the partner institution is displayed.

Compulsory modules

CodeModule Credits
HAS3999 Study Abroad (HASS) 120

With Employment Experience

120 credit compulsory placement module

Compulsory modules

CodeModule Credits
HUM3997 Employment Experience Abroad 120

With Employment Experience Abroad

120 credit compulsory placement module

Compulsory modules

CodeModule Credits
HUM3997 Employment Experience Abroad 120

30 credits of compulsory modules, 90 credits of optional modules

Compulsory modules

c - You must choose either EAF3514 Film Studies Dissertation or EAF3516 Creative Film Dissertation  (you cannot choose more than one module from this group).

CodeModule Credits
EAF3514 Film Studies Dissertation [See note c above]30
EAF3516 Creative Film Dissertation [See note c above]30

Optional modules

d - You must select 90 credits from this list of Film & Television Studies modules.

CodeModule Credits
Film & Television Final Stage Option modules 2024-5 [See note d above]
EAF3501 American Independent Film 30
EAF3513 British Screens 30
EAF3519 Cinema in the Anthropocene 30
EAF3106 Female Screens: Representation, Agency and Authorship 30
EAF3521 Film Audiences 30
EAF3515 Something to See: War and Visual Media 30
Film & Television Final Stage co-listed Option modules 2024-5 [See note d above]
HUM2000 Humanities in the Workplace 30
CMM3004 Social Media and Society 30
CMM3006 Digital Inequalities 30
EAS3504 Surrealism and its Legacies 30
EAS3252 Poison, Filth, Trash: Modernism, Censorship and Resistance 30
EAS3128 Writing the Short Film 30
CMM3005 Gender, Sexuality and Media 30
EAS3502 Shakespeare and Crisis 30
EAS3511 'Mad': cultures, histories, phantasies, imaginaries of mental distress 30

Course variants

UCAS code: W601

Our four-year ‘with Study Abroad’ degree, offers you the possibility of spending your third year abroad, studying with one of our many partner universities.

Why Study Abroad?

Living and studying in a different country is an exciting experience that broadens your academic and cultural horizons, as well as giving you the opportunity to widen your circle of friends. Students who have studied abroad demonstrate initiative, independence, motivation and, depending on where they stay, may also have gained a working knowledge of another language – all key qualities that employers are looking for in today’s competitive employment environment.

Where can I Study Abroad?

We have partnership arrangements with many prestigious institutions across the globe. Exactly where you can apply to study will depend on the subjects you are studying at Exeter. For a full list please visit the Study Abroad website.

Does it count towards my degree?

Credit for academic work during your year abroad is arranged by agreement between the University of Exeter and the host institution. These marks are then translated back into your degree at Exeter. If you are Studying Abroad for a semester or full year, your time abroad will count toward your final degree. Please refer to your College Study Abroad co-ordinator for further details.

How does it affect my tuition fee and funding?

For the year that you spend studying abroad you will pay a significantly reduced tuition fee to Exeter, but nothing to your host university – for more information visit our fees pages. If you were previously eligible, you will continue to receive a maintenance loan whilst on your Study Abroad year.

UCAS code: W602

Our four-year ‘with Employment Experience’ degree, offers you the possibility of spending your third year carrying out a graduate-level work placement or placements within the UK as part of your degree.

Why choose to include Employment Experience?

Undertaking graduate-level work during your degree unlocks a world of experience that allows you to develop essential employability and interpersonal skills that relate to your degree and future career. A work placement will dramatically boost your confidence, enhance your CV and develop graduate level skills and competencies that employers are looking for.

Where will I do my work placement?

The sector you choose to work within is very much your choice as you will be responsible for finding and organising your placement. We will provide plenty of guidance and support during your first and second years which will prepare you to research and apply for placements. Ultimately, the university will give final approval to your placement to make sure you have a valuable experience.

How does it affect my tuition fees and funding?

For your ‘Year In Industry’ you will pay a significantly reduced tuition fee to Exeter – for more information visit our fees pages. If you were previously eligible, you will continue to receive a maintenance loan whilst on your year of work placement/s.

Find out more

Visit our website to learn more about employment experience opportunities. 

UCAS code: W603

Our four-year ‘with Employment Experience Abroad’ degree, offers you the possibility of spending your third year abroad, carrying out a graduate-level work placement or placements as part of your degree.

Why choose to include Employment Experience Abroad?

Spending up to a year living and working in a different country is an exciting experience that broadens your academic and cultural horizons, as well as giving you the opportunity to widen your circle of friends. By carrying out a graduate-level work placement or placements abroad you can demonstrate to employers your adaptability, cultural awareness, independence and resourcefulness and, depending on where you stay, may also have gained a working knowledge of another language.

Where will I do my work placement?

The sector and country you choose to work within is very much your choice as you will be responsible for finding and organising your placement. We will provide plenty of guidance and support during your first and second years which will prepare you to research and apply for placements. Ultimately, the university will give final approval to your placement to make sure you have a valuable experience.

How does it affect my tuition fee?

For your ‘Year In Industry’ you will pay a significantly reduced tuition fee to Exeter – for more information visit our fees pages. If you were previously eligible, you will continue to receive a maintenance loan whilst on your year of work placement/s.

Is the placement paid?

You will be paid in accordance with the rules of the country you work in and there may be visa restrictions or requirements which you need to consider when applying.

Find out more

Visit our website to learn more about employment experience opportunities. 

Fees

Tuition fees for 2025 entry

UK students: £9,250 per year
International students: £24,700 per year

Scholarships

The University of Exeter has many different scholarships available to support your education, including £5 million in scholarships for international students, such as our Global Excellence Scholarships*. Financial support is also available for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, lower income households and other under-represented groups to help them access, succeed and progress through higher education.

* Terms and conditions apply. See online for details.

Find out more about tuition fees and scholarships

Learning and teaching

How will I learn?

We use a variety of learning and teaching methods including lectures, seminars, screenings, student study groups, web and IT resources. All our modules centre the learning experience on seminars, involving groups of between 10 and 20 students, typically running for two hours. Many modules are supported by weekly 50-minute lectures. Students often prepare for seminars by getting involved with student study groups, which encourage collaboration and team working. You can also attend our ‘Creative Dialogues’ lecture series, which hosts internationally acclaimed actors, directors and film critics.

Facilities

Exeter has unique resources which make it ideally positioned to support the study of film. The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum holds a wide-ranging collection of more than 70,000 film related artefacts and is the largest research archive in any British University. The collection is available for all students to use as a research and study resource. Many of our film modules exploit these resources, giving students a highly distinctive and valuable experience of studying and researching film using primary materials, documents and artefacts. State of the art equipment in our Digital Humanities Lab enables the examination and analysis of these literary and visual materials.

Research inspired teaching

Teaching that is inspired by research ensures lectures are up-to-date and relevant. All staff teach second- and third-year options that are linked to their own interests which include areas such as: film history; adaptation; gender studies; issues of identity; European, Asian and American cinema and urban space in the cinema. Staff are also members of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Film Research (CIFR) which host talks with visiting speakers and our own staff about various research projects, to which all are welcome.

Academic support

From the beginning of your degree you will benefit from a focus on your personal and professional development alongside your academic performance. You will be supported by a personal tutor throughout your degree, be taught a range of study skills and receive employability training. You will also learn to work flexibly and creatively with others and engage in debate, as well as exercising independent thought to become an effective independent learner. In addition, there are several services on campus where you can get advice and information, including the Students’ Guild Advice Unit.

Assessment

You will be assessed by a combination of exams, essays, presentations and sequence analyses (the detailed analysis of film clips). Your first year does not count towards your final degree classification, but you do have to pass it in order to progress. In order to be eligible for ‘with Study Abroad’ programmes you will need to attain an average of 60% or more in your first year. The assessments in the second year, year abroad (if applicable) and final year will contribute to your final degree classification.

Optional modules outside of this course

Each year, if you have optional modules available, you can take up to 30 credits in a subject outside of your course. This can increase your employability and widen your intellectual horizons.

Proficiency in a second subject

If you complete 60 credits of modules in one of the subjects below, you may have the words 'with proficiency in [e.g. Social Data Science]' added to your degree title when you graduate.

  • A Foreign Language
  • Data Science
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Innovation
  • Law
  • Leadership
  • Management
  • Social Data Science

Find out more about proficiency options

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Your future

Employer-valued skills this course develops

Film graduates from the University of Exeter have an excellent reputation with graduate recruiters and compete very successfully in the employment market.

A degree in Film Studies from the University of Exeter will enable you to acquire  skills  which are attractive to employers and relevant for a wide range of careers. You will develop an informed, critical and creative approach. Alongside strong oral and written communication skills, you will be able to manage your time and workload effectively, work well as part of a team or independently, be flexible when faced with new situations and have strong analytical skills.

Employer visits

We have a dedicated, award-winning Careers Service, ensuring you have access to careers advisors, mentors and the tools you need to succeed in finding employment in your chosen field on graduation. We offer the Exeter Award and the Exeter Leaders Award which include employability-related workshops, skills events, volunteering and employment which will contribute to your career decision-making skills and success in the employment market. Our graduates compete very successfully in the employment market, with many employers targeting the University when recruiting new graduates. For further information please visit our Careers Service.

Career paths

You will be equipped with skills that are attractive to employers and relevant for a wide range of careers, including graduate-level roles in Events Management, TV production, the film industry, publishing, education, sales, communications and marketing.

Example careers

  • Accounts Executive
  • Data and Research
  • Analyst
  • Digital Media Assistant
  • Editor/Film-maker
  • Innovations Coordinator
  • Marketing Executive
  • Market Researcher
  • Post-production Assistant
  • Production Runner
  • PR Consultant
  • Further study

Recent graduates have progressed to postgraduate courses in:

  • MA English
  • MA Film and Cinema
  • MA Creative Writing
  • MA International Film Business
  • MA History
  • MA Arts and Cinema Studies
  • MA Creative Writing
  • MA Film Studies
  • MA Theology
  • MRes in Sexuality and Gender Studies

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