Film Studies BA (Hons) (Joint Honours)

Venture beyond the viewing experience and explore film as an art form, a social institution, and as a business. Our Film Studies BA (Joint Honours) gives you the opportunity to study in combination with another subject to diversify your skillset and broaden your career options.

Entry Criteria
Structure and assessment
Facilities and features
Opportunities and careers
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Overview

Watch: Senior lecturer Dr Ellen Wright as she discusses the expertise of film academics at DMU, the opportunities you'll have on the course and why Film Studies is important.

This course links the criticism and history of film to the core concerns of a range of other subjects, including Creative Writing, English, Journalism, or Media and Communication. If you are fascinated by film but want to combine your passion with another area of study through a carefully designed joint programme, the Joint Honours route is the perfect choice.

Modules in Film Studies will introduce you to studies of global film history, the new Hollywood, film and TV genres, Disney, contemporary British cinema and cult film. As a Joint Honours student, you can choose to complete your dissertation in Film Studies or your other subject.

Taught by experts based in our prestigious Cinema and Television History Research Institute, the teaching team is made up of widely-published academics, film journalists, filmmakers and industry professionals. The course will be delivered with a mix of lectures, film screenings, small group discussions, group and practice-led projects, individual tutorials and private study.

Key features

Flourish in a real cinema environment thanks to our partnership with Leicester's Phoenix Cinema, with placement opportunities and selected teaching and screenings delivered in the latest digital high-definition formats and Xpand 3D.
Benefit from teaching influenced by world-leading research. Our Communication, Cultural and Media Studies ranked joint first in the UK for the proportion of its research outputs rated as ‘world leading’ by the latest Research Excellence Framework.
Benefit from our multimillion-pound industry-standard facilities. Our creative technology studios, feature a host of audio recording and broadcast-standard radio production studios and management systems, alongside stand-alone film studios equipped with multi-cameras, blue screen and green screen facilities.
Learn from experts in our Cinema and Television History Research Institute and benefit from guest lectures by film directors, writers, distributors and journalists.
DMU is home to a number of specialist film archives, including the hammer Horror archive and the Indian Cinema Archive. These materials are often used in our teaching, and several members of our staff have considerable experience in archival research.
Expand your horizons with our international experience programme DMU Global. Students have visited the Film Festival in Berlin and explored fan culture at Wondercon in Los Angeles.

Joint degree options:

Creative Writing and Film Studies combines different kinds of writing skills with a focus on cinema, and emphasises screenwriting.

English Language and Film Studies draws on expertise from our respected team of adaptation specialists, focusing on the relationship between film and fiction.

Film Studies and Journalism allows you to combine vocational journalism skills with film news reporting and film criticism.

Film Studies and Media and Communication focuses on the role played by cinema in the broader media environment.

Since graduating from DMU, Keiran has created his own Film Production Company, ImageNova, and has praised the blend of theoretical and practical projects of his course. He said: “De Montfort University as a whole is continuing to improve their courses and campus, proving a strong contender for any student wishing to make an inspiring start to their further education."

Kieran Chauhan, English and Film Studies BA (Hons)

Graduate success and news

Ambitious film project by DMU alumni set to challenge the status quo

Students gain unprecedented insight into Hong Kong media industry

DMU students explore fan cultures in LA

UK
EU/International

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code:

Film Studies and Journalism: PP35

Film Studies and Media: P390

Creative Writing and Film Studies: WP83

English Literature and Film Studies: WQ63

Duration: Three years full-time or six years part-time

Fees and funding:

2024/25 tuition fees for UK students: £9,250

Find out about additional costs and optional extras.

How to apply

Submit a study-related enquiry

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code:

Film Studies and Journalism: PP35

Film Studies and Media: P390

Creative Writing and Film Studies: WP83

English and Film Studies: WQ63

Duration: Three years full-time or six years part-time

Fees and funding:

2023/24 tuition fees for international students: £15,250

Find out more about available funding for international students.

Find out about additional costs and optional extras.

How to apply: International students can apply to study at DMU directly using the DMU Online Portal.

How to apply

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

Five GCSEs at grade C or above, including English or equivalent, plus one of the following:

Normally 104 UCAS points from at least two A-levels or equivalent including:

- Creative Writing and Film Studies - Creative Writing or English Language or English Literature A level or equivalent at grade C or above. Where A’ level English (Language or Literature) is not being studied, you may be asked to complete a piece of work to support your application.
- English Literature and Film Studies – English Language or English Literature A level or equivalent at grade C or above.

A BTEC grade of DMM is required for Film Studies and Media.

Pass in the QAA accredited Access to HE course. English GCSE required as a separate qualification as equivalency is not accepted within the Access qualification. We will normally require students to have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course. In addition:

- Creative Writing and Film Studies – Access in Creative Writing or English Language with at least 15 credits in Creative Writing, English Language or English Literature at merit
- or English Literature with at least 15 credits in English Language or English Literature at merit
- English Literature and Film Studies – Access in English Language or English Literature with at least 15 credits in English Language or English Literature at merit or

International Baccalaureate: 24+ points

In addition for Creative Writing and Film Studies – English at higher level grade 5 English Literature and Film Studies – English at higher level grade 5

Portfolio Required : No

Interview Required: No

We welcome applications from mature students with non-standard qualifications and recognise all other equivalent and international qualifications

UCAS tariff information

Students applying for courses starting in September will be made offers based on the latest UCAS Tariff.

Contextual offer

To make sure you get fair and equal access to higher education, when looking at your application, we consider more than just your grades. So if you are eligible, you may receive a contextual offer. Find our more about contextual offers.

English language

If English is not your first language then an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each component (or equivalent) is essential.

English Language tuition, delivered by our British Council accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

Structure and assessment

In addition to the modules listed below you will also study modules from your chosen joint subject each year.

First year modules

Introduction to Film Studies
Introduction to Global Film History

Second year modules

The New Hollywood
Film and TV Genres
Disney
Contemporary British Cinema

Third year modules

As a Joint Honours student you can choose to do your dissertation in Film Studies or your other subject.

Film Studies Dissertation
Cult Film
Hollywood Now

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

Film Studies at DMU is taught by renowned world-class scholars based in our prestigious Centre for the Study of Cinema and Television History (CATH). The teaching team is made up of widely-published academics, film journalists, filmmakers and industry professionals.

The course is taught using a mix of lectures, film screenings, small group discussions, group and practice-led projects, individual tutorials and private study. You will normally attend around 14–16 hours of timetabled taught sessions each week, and are expected to undertake at least 24 further hours of directed independent study and assignments as required. You will be provided with lecture support materials through Blackboard, our interactive teaching resource.

Our teaching team has close connections with film directors, writers, distributors and journalists who give guest lectures, ensuring your learning is relevant to current practice.

Our varied assessment methods develop a range of critical, creative and communication skills. They include essays, research reports, presentations, creative work, film reviews, edited collections and other group projects.

Facilities and features

Facilities

You will be able to make use of DMU’s excellent library facilities and collections, as well as our state-of-the-art computing and projection facilities. For practical filmmaking, you will benefit from access to the excellent production facilities in the creative technology studios and borrowable filmmaking equipment. Our industry standard film studios are equipped with multi-cameras, blue screen and green screen facilities alongside a range of digital-imaging and production equipment.

Selected teachings and film screenings are delivered at Leicester's Phoenix Cinema and shown in the latest digital high definition formats and Xpand 3D.

Library and learning zones

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available.

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our Library website, e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose.

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including the Virtual Learning Environment, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub.

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live LibChat, online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our Learning Services, and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

More flexible ways to learn

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘DMU Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in a way that suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Opportunities and careers

Graduate Careers

The course provides a broad grounding in film history, criticism, practice and industry skills, and will equip you to pursue a variety of careers in the film and cultural industries or beyond.

Our graduates have gone on to work for leading companies and organisations such as BBC Films, BBC Sport, Odeon Entertainment and Secret Cinema. They work in film and television roles such as production staff and researchers, writers, public relations writers and executives, print and online film journalists for magazines such as Little White Lies, independent filmmakers and camera-people, commercial managers.

You may also choose to progress on to further postgraduate study and pursue a career in academia, teaching, or research.

DMU Global

Our innovative international experience programme DMU Global aims to enrich studies, broaden cultural horizons and develop key skills valued by employers.

Through DMU Global, we offer an exciting mix of overseas, on-campus and online international experiences, including the opportunity to study or work abroad for up to a year.

Our Film students visited Kino International cinema in East Berlin, one of the most iconic and historically important cinemas in the city, during a DMU Global trip. The iconic cinema showed film premieres before the fall of the Berlin Wall, and is still used for premieres due to its unusual style and historical significance. It is also one of the venues of the Berlin International Film Festival.

Placements

During this course you will have the option to complete a placement year, an invaluable opportunity to put the skills developed during your degree into practice. This insight into the professional world will build on your knowledge in a real-world setting, preparing you to progress onto your chosen career.

Our careers programme DMU Works can help to hone your professional skills with mock interviews and practice aptitude tests, and an assigned personal tutor will support you throughout your placement.