Film and Visual Culture and International Relations

Film and visual culture and international relations is a combination that takes seriously the role of moving images and visual media in shaping how the world is understood, contested, and reported. Film and visual culture studies how the moving image works as an art form and as a cultural and political force, examining the history and theory of cinema alongside the visual languages through which contemporary events, conflicts, and societies are represented. International relations provides the analytical frameworks for understanding how states, organisations, and other actors interact across borders, and how power, norms, and institutions shape global affairs.

Together, they offer a distinctive set of tools for understanding how visual representation and global politics inform each other.

At the University of Aberdeen, this four-year, full-time programme includes a year abroad, which enriches both the cultural and the international dimensions of the degree. You will study the history and theory of film and visual culture, developing analytical skills that go well beyond basic interpretation to engage with the political, economic, and social forces that shape what gets made and shown. The international relations element grounds this in an understanding of how the global system works, examining the major dynamics of power, conflict, trade, and governance that define the contemporary world.

Aberdeen's research-active departments in both areas ensure that the teaching is connected to live scholarly inquiry. The typical entry tariff is 168 UCAS points.

Graduates from this combination are well placed for careers in media and journalism, international organisations, cultural diplomacy, government communications, the film and television industries, NGOs working on media and communications, and academic research. The dual perspective, understanding both how images work and how the world is structured politically, is particularly relevant to careers in documentary, international reporting, and communications for international bodies. Postgraduate study in film studies, international relations, media, or cultural policy provides a natural continuation.