Film Studies

Film studies is the academic discipline that examines cinema as an art form, an industry, and a cultural force. It asks how films make meaning through visual and narrative language, how genres evolve, how different national cinemas reflect and shape their societies, and how the experience of watching films has changed over time and across cultures. Rather than simply reviewing or appreciating films, the discipline trains you to analyse them rigorously, situating individual works in their historical, theoretical, and industrial contexts.

At York St John University, this part-time programme is structured to make film studies accessible alongside other commitments, and it encompasses a foundation year, a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement, offering a rich set of structural opportunities across the full span of the degree. You will learn to analyse films from different genres, periods, and cultures, and the curriculum embraces the changing landscape of cinema, exploring how film has evolved alongside television, digital media, streaming, and visual art. You will develop skills in close textual analysis, critical writing, and research, and you will engage with film theory, cinema history, and the global film industry.

The variety of structural features in this programme means you can develop international study experience, professional placement experience, and a sustained independent project across your time at the university, giving you a breadth of perspective that enriches both your academic work and your graduate profile.

Graduates from film studies programmes go on to careers in film criticism, journalism, broadcasting, arts programming, education, cultural policy, the creative industries, and postgraduate research. The analytical and communication skills the degree develops are valued across many professional contexts, and the programme provides a strong foundation for master's level study in film, media, or cultural studies.