Film Studies and Media

Film studies and media is a combination that develops your ability to analyse cinema and screen culture with depth and rigour alongside a broader understanding of how media and communication shape contemporary life. Film studies treats film as an art form with a history, a theory, and a distinctive visual language, asking how films are made, what they mean, and how they have developed as a cultural form from the earliest silent pictures to the global multiplicity of contemporary cinema. Media studies extends the perspective, examining how different media technologies, institutions, and practices affect who we are and how we interact with the world.

At York St John University, this part-time programme combines close study of major films and movements with a broad view of the evolving media landscape, taking seriously both the artistry and the social contexts of screen culture. A year abroad, a sandwich year, and a work placement are all incorporated into the degree, giving you substantial international and professional experience alongside your academic studies. The programme also includes a foundation year element, ensuring thorough preparation before the main degree begins.

You will develop skills in film analysis, visual literacy, media criticism, and written argument, alongside the broader cultural and historical knowledge needed to situate films and media within their social contexts. The combination produces graduates who can think carefully about screen culture and communicate that thinking clearly.

Graduates go on to work in film and television, broadcasting, digital media, journalism, arts organisations, education, communications, and a range of other creative and media-adjacent careers. Postgraduate study in film studies, media, or cultural studies is an option for those wishing to specialise or pursue academic work. The critical and analytical skills the degree develops are also valued across a wide range of professional contexts.