Film and Media Studies

Film and media studies is the discipline that takes cinema, television, podcasting, social media, streaming platforms and all other forms of mediated communication as objects of serious academic inquiry. It asks how media is made, what formal and aesthetic choices shape the experience of watching or listening, who controls the production and distribution of media, and what effects media systems have on audiences and on public life. As the University of Chester's own description puts it, this is a course for students who have a passion for watching and discussing film and for consuming and analysing media in all its many forms, and who want to understand how media is constructed for particular audiences across different formats and platforms.

At the University of Chester this three-year full-time programme includes a year abroad, which adds an international perspective on media cultures and industries that deepens your understanding of how different national contexts shape what is made and how it is received. You will study the history of cinema and broadcasting, critical and theoretical approaches to film and media, the economic and political structures of media industries, and the changing landscape of digital platforms and social media. The programme develops your ability to write analytically about moving image and audio content, to situate texts in their production and reception contexts, and to engage with media as both an aesthetic and a social force.

Chester is well positioned for engagement with the North West's creative media sector, and the year abroad extends your experience into European or international media contexts.

Graduates pursue careers in broadcasting, journalism, digital content, public relations, film production, media management, advertising and the creative industries. Many go on to postgraduate study in film studies, media production, journalism or communications. The analytical skills developed through this degree are also valued in the civil service, policy research and cultural organisations.