Film Studies and Media

Film studies and media is a pairing that reflects the way film exists not in isolation but as part of a broader mediascape. Film studies examines cinema as an art form, asking how films are made and how they create meaning, but also placing them in their historical, cultural, and industrial contexts. Media studies extends this analytical framework to the full range of contemporary communications, from broadcasting and journalism to digital platforms and social media, asking how media shapes culture and how culture shapes media.

At York St John University you will study across three years on a full-time programme, with a foundation year available, a sandwich year that gives you professional experience, a year abroad for international study, and work placement activity integrated throughout. This combination of features means the degree is unusually rich in both academic rigour and practical professional preparation. You will study major films and movements in depth, developing the critical vocabulary to analyse visual and narrative choices with precision.

You will also take a broad view of the evolving media landscape, examining how digital platforms, streaming services, and social media are transforming the production, distribution, and consumption of both film and other media. The combination encourages you to move fluidly between close textual analysis and wider cultural argument, which is one of the most valuable intellectual skills the discipline develops.

Graduates of film studies and media work across a wide range of professional contexts. Broadcasting, digital media production, journalism, content creation, and public relations are all common career directions. Roles in film and television development, production coordination, and distribution draw more directly on the film side of the degree.

Arts administration, film education, and cultural programming are further paths. The analytical and communication skills developed across both disciplines are also valued in advertising, market research, and brand strategy. Postgraduate study in film, media, communications, or education opens further doors for those who wish to specialise or pursue research and academic careers.