Film and Media with Foundation Year (BA): 4-year, full-time
Film and media studies is an academic discipline that examines moving image and media culture from historical, theoretical, and creative perspectives. It asks how films and other media forms are made, what they mean, how they are distributed and consumed, and how they relate to the societies, industries, and technologies that produce them. A degree in this area develops both your critical understanding of film and media as cultural phenomena and your practical skills in creating screen and media content.
At Birkbeck College, this four-year full-time BA with a foundation year builds on Birkbeck's strong reputation in film and screen media, offering an education that spans film history, theory, and analysis across different periods and parts of the world alongside the development of creative practice skills in film and media content creation and screenwriting. The foundation year provides a structured academic preparation before the main degree, developing the reading, writing, and analytical skills needed for university-level film and media study. You will engage with a wide range of films and media texts, developing your ability to analyse them critically and contextually, and you will work on creative projects that develop your practical production and writing skills.
Birkbeck's distinctive character as a primarily evening university makes the programme accessible to students who combine study with other commitments.
Graduates go on to careers in the film and television industries, digital media, journalism, broadcasting, arts administration, education, and the cultural sector. The combination of critical understanding and creative practice skills the degree develops is valued across the full range of industries that depend on moving image and media content, and many graduates continue to postgraduate study in film studies, media, screenwriting, or cultural studies. Some pursue research or academic careers, while others build careers as filmmakers, content creators, or media professionals.