Film and Media

Film and media is a degree that treats the moving image and the media landscape in which it exists as objects of serious critical and practical inquiry. Film studies examines cinema as an art form and cultural document, asking how films are constructed, what meanings they produce, and what they reveal about the societies that made them. Media studies extends this to the full range of contemporary communications, from broadcasting and journalism to digital platforms and social media, asking how media shapes public understanding and how industry structures and technology are transforming the production and consumption of content.

At the University of Sunderland you will study across three years on a full-time programme, with a year abroad that extends your academic perspective internationally. The degree combines film and media theory with practical production modules, giving you experience in film-making alongside the critical and analytical frameworks that inform intelligent practice. You will study major films and movements, engage with film theory and media studies scholarship, and develop transferable skills in critical thinking, analysis, communication, and presentation that serve you well across a wide range of careers.

The practical production strand gives you hands-on experience of the creative and technical processes involved in making film and video content, preparing you for roles in media production as well as in the cultural and creative industries more broadly.

Graduates of film and media work in broadcasting, film and television production, digital content creation, journalism, public relations, and the broader cultural and creative industries. Roles in production, research, editorial work, content strategy, communications, and media management are all common directions. The critical and analytical skills developed on the degree, alongside practical production experience, make graduates adaptable across a media landscape that is evolving rapidly.

Postgraduate study in film, media, communications, journalism, or education is available for those who wish to specialise further or pursue research and academic careers.