Film Studies with Foundation Year
Film studies is a discipline that examines cinema as one of the most powerful and pervasive art forms of the past century, asking how films work as aesthetic objects, how they represent and shape the world, and how they have evolved across genres, periods, and cultures. Studying film seriously means developing the analytical vocabulary to describe and interpret what you see and hear on screen, the historical knowledge to situate films within the contexts of their production and reception, and the theoretical frameworks to engage with questions of representation, ideology, genre, and the relationship between cinema and wider culture.
At York St John University, this four-year programme with foundation year asks you to analyse films from different genres, periods, and cultures, investigating both cinema's historical evolution and its interactions with visual art, literature, digital media, and other forms. The foundation year provides additional preparation before the main degree begins, building the analytical and academic skills needed for degree-level study in this field. Through the degree proper, you will develop a critical understanding of cinema that goes beyond appreciation into genuine intellectual engagement with how films work and what they mean.
The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement, giving you substantial professional and international experience. These elements allow you to engage with film cultures and industries in different contexts and to develop the professional knowledge and networks that careers in the screen industries and related fields require.
Graduates from film studies degrees pursue careers across the screen industries and beyond. Common paths include production and programming roles in film and television, film criticism and journalism, festival programming, distribution, education, cultural policy, and archive and heritage work. The analytical, research, and communication skills developed through the degree are valued in communications, marketing, and media management.
Postgraduate study in film studies, screen arts, or media production is a natural route for those who wish to develop their expertise further.