Film and Media

Film and media studies examines how moving images are made, how they work aesthetically and narratively, and what cultural, social and economic forces shape their production and reception. Film studies analyses cinema as an art form and a cultural institution, engaging with questions of style, genre, authorship and ideology across the history of world cinema. Media studies extends this to the full range of contemporary media, including television, digital platforms, social media and interactive forms, asking how media industries are structured and how they shape the information and entertainment environments in which people live.

At the University of Sunderland this programme combines film and media theory with practical modules in film production, allowing you to engage with both the critical and analytical dimensions of the discipline and the craft of making film. The programme is studied part time, giving you the flexibility to develop your knowledge and skills alongside other commitments. It also includes a year abroad, extending the full course and giving you the opportunity to engage with film and media in a different national context, broadening your perspective on both the medium and the industries that produce it.

You will develop skills in film and media analysis, critical writing, media theory, film production practice and the broader communication skills that transfer across many professional fields. The ability to apply critical thinking to media forms and to produce well-argued analysis is a genuinely transferable intellectual competence.

Graduates from film and media programmes move into careers in broadcasting, film production, digital media, journalism, communications, public relations, arts administration and education. The practical production experience provided by the programme also supports careers in content creation, video production and related creative roles. Postgraduate study in film studies, media production or cultural studies is also a natural route.