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Learn the language of film and discover its rich history at Kent, one of the three major universities for film in the UK. Study film from its silent beginnings through to 3D CGI blockbusters, taking in avant-garde and international cinemas on your way, and find your own voice as a critic and a filmmaker.
Overview
For over 30 years, Kent has been at the forefront of developing film as an academic subject. Our expertise means that you have a wide choice of areas to explore.
As a student, you become part of the community based within the School of Arts building – a creative hub for students of film, drama, media studies and art history.
Our degree programme
Our degree is flexible: you study film theory but you also have the option to explore film practice – for example, through developing the skills of a film critic or getting involved in creative film production.
In the first year, you cover the language of film (framing, sound, editing, performance, lighting), learn about the theory and the history of film, and can take a practical filmmaking module.
In your second and final years, you have a huge range of modules to choose from, covering everything from avant-garde to animation, with a variety of practice modules too, including screenwriting and documentary film.
Year abroad
Your year abroad takes place between your second and final year of study. In previous years, students have studied at our partner institutions in the following countries:
- Canada
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- France
- Germany
- Ireland
- Italy
- USA.
Placement year
It is possible to take Film with a placement year and gain valuable work experience. For details, see Film with a Placement Year.
Alternatively, you can take our three-year Film degree, without a year abroad or a placement year. For details, see Film.
Study resources
Facilities to support film theory include:
- our own cinema, which screens ten to 15 films a week
- 8,000 DVDs and videos in the library
- individual and group viewing facilities in the library
- an extensive collection of books and journals, including online resources.
Our film production facilities are industry-standard and include the following:
- soundproofed production studio with projection, chroma-key green screen and black serge cycloramas
- extensive lighting grid
- sound-dubbing studio
- individual edit suites equipped with Final Cut Pro
- digital studio with post-production software.
Extra activities
The School of Arts puts on many special events, which you are welcome to attend. In previous years, these have included symposia, seminars, conferences and exhibitions, as well as visits by filmmakers and critics.
You also have the chance to take part in film-related student societies.
- The Film Society at Kent is run by students and gives you a chance to get involved in film production, film journalism, educational activities and a film festival.
- Kent Media Centre, run by student volunteers, produces KTV (Kent Television) – a TV station dedicated to student news and events across campus.
For trips to the cinema, we have the Gulbenkian Cinema on campus, which screens arthouse, independent, foreign language and blockbuster films. In Canterbury city centre, there is also the Curzon arts cinema and an Odeon.
Professional network
Film students become part of a wide professional network, thanks to our excellent links with other film bodies. These include:
- Arts Council England
- British Film Institute (BFI)
- Independent Cinema Office
- Screen Archive South East
- Kent Film.
Think Kent video series
This talk by Dr Maurizio Cinquegrani, Director of Graduate Studies in the School of Arts, focuses on a group of documentaries filmed in Poland and portraying journeys of postmemory to the sites of Jewish life before the war and Jewish destruction during the Holocaust.
Independent rankings
Media and Film Studies at Kent was ranked 3rd in The Guardian University Guide 2017. In the National Student Survey 2016, Cinematics and Photography at Kent was ranked 11th for the quality of teaching.
For graduate prospects, Media and Film Studies at Kent was ranked 5th in The Guardian University Guide 2017.
Course structure
The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules that will be available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.
In addition to the Stage 1 modules listed below, you may also be able to select from:
Year abroad
Going abroad as part of your degree is an amazing experience and a chance to develop personally, academically and professionally. You experience a different culture, gain a new academic perspective, establish international contacts and enhance your employability.
Students on a four-year degree programme spend a year between Stages 2 and 3 at one of our partner universities in Europe (Amsterdam, Berlin, Bologna, Lausanne and Paris); the USA (California and Indiana); or Asia (Hong Kong). For a full list, please see Go Abroad. Places are subject to availability, language and degree programme.
You are expected to adhere to any academic progression requirements in Stages 1 and 2 to proceed to the year abroad including achieving a merit in Stage 1 and 2. If the requirement is not met, you are transferred to the equivalent three-year programme. The year abroad is assessed on a pass/fail basis and will not count towards your final degree classification.
Teaching and assessment
All modules involve lectures, small group seminars and film screenings (where relevant). On average, you have two lectures and three hours of seminars each week, plus four to six hours film viewing.
Depending on the modules you select, assessment varies from 100% coursework (extended essays or dissertation), to a combination of examination and coursework.
Programme aims
The programme aims to:
- produce graduates who have an informed, critical, analytical and creative approach to understanding film as cultural and aesthetic expressive media
- develop students’ creative, intellectual, analytical and research skills
- develop existing and new areas of teaching in response to the advance of research and scholarship within the subject as well as new developments in film
- widen participation in higher education among a diverse body of students
- develop students’ knowledge and skills in film studies
- encourage students’ critical, analytical and creative skills in relation to film study and, where undertaken, in relation to screen production
- develop students’ ability to think independently and flexibly
- enhance students’ awareness of, and sensitivity to, the contexts of production and consumption of film
- develop students’ interpersonal skills and interaction and their reflexiveness in individual and group work
- offer students the opportunity to pursue a study of film within the North American, Continental or Asian culture and context by undertaking part of the programme at a European or American partner institution.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
- the different genres of film
- the historical evolution of particular genres, aesthetic traditions and forms
- the ways in which critical and cultural theories and concepts have developed within particular contexts
- the cultural and social contexts which affect the meaning of film works
- aesthetic judgement
- the diversity of film forms
- conceptualisations of pleasure and identification in film
- narrative processes in film
- modes of representation at work in film.
- film conventions
- the way in which different social groups may relate to, engage with and interact with film works.
Intellectual skills
You gain the following intellectual abilities:
- engage critically with major thinkers, debates, intellectual paradigms, and scholarly literature within the field
- understand forms of film as they have emerged historically
- examine the historical, social and cultural contexts of such forms
- analyse closely, interpret, and undertake critical evaluation
- critically reflect upon your own work
- carry out various forms of research for essays, projects, creative productions or dissertations involving sustained independent enquiry
- evaluate and draw upon sources and conceptual frameworks appropriate to research in a chosen area
- draw and reflect upon the relevance and impact of their own cultural assuptions to the practice of research.
Subject-specific skills
You gain subject-specific skills in the following:
- analysing and interpreting sounds and images in time and space
- drawing upon understanding and knowledge of narrative and stylistic forms and structures in film and television
- bringing together ideas from different sources of knowledge and from different academic disciplines
- articulating understanding of visual and oral media in a written medium
- effectively deploying terms and concepts specific to the study of film and television.
Transferable skills
You gain transferable skills in the following:
- working in flexible, creative and independent ways, showing self-discipline, including time-management and self-direction, sustaining focus and applying attention to detail
- organising and managing supervised, self-directed projects and researching and evaluating sources in the process of carrying out independent study
- communicating effectively and appropriately orally and in writing and, where undertaken, in other media
- identifying issues and questions and gathering, organising and deploying knowledge and ideas to formulate cogent analysis and arguments, making subtle and discriminating comparisons and applying interpretive skills in diverse situations and contexts
- working productively in a group, and an ability, at different times to listen, contribute and lead effectively
- showing insight in, and understanding of, the social and ethical issues surrounding contemporary communications, media, culture and society
- information technology, such as word-processing, using the internet and, where undertaken, digital technology in relation to practice.
Careers
Graduate destinations
Recent graduates have gone on to work in areas such as:
- film and TV production
- arts organisations
- media outlets (as film journalists)
- film and TV archives
- film marketing and distribution
- university and school teaching
- local government
- business.
Our alumni include:
- bestselling author and filmmaker Leon McCarron
- feature film scriptwriter Mike Walden
- film director Simon Savory.
Help finding a job
Kent School of Arts has an excellent reputation and many links to professional practices. This network is very useful to students when looking for work.
The University also has a friendly Careers and Employability Service which can give you advice on how to:
- apply for jobs
- write a good CV
- perform well in interviews.
Career-enhancing skills
As well as gaining skills and knowledge in your subject area, you also learn the key transferable skills that are essential for all graduates. These include the ability to:
- think critically
- communicate your ideas and opinions
- work independently.
You can also gain extra skills by signing up for one of our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a language or volunteering.
Independent rankings
For graduate prospects, Media and Film Studies at Kent was ranked 5th in The Guardian University Guide 2017.
According to Which? University (2017), the average starting salary for graduates of this degree is £15,000.
The unique modes of expression I learned on the course laid the foundations for my career as a screenwriter and many of the techniques we were taught at Kent continue to inform my current work.
Mike Walden Film BA
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. Students offering alternative qualifications should contact us for further advice.
It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
New GCSE grades
If you’ve taken exams under the new GCSE grading system, please see our conversion table to convert your GCSE grades.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | ABB |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further advice on your individual circumstances. |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 16 points at HL |
International students
The University welcomes applications from international students. Our international recruitment team can guide you on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country.
If you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes.
Meet our staff in your country
For more advise about applying to Kent, you can meet our staff at a range of international events.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of 'pre-sessional' courses in English for Academic Purposes. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2017/18 tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
UK/EU fee paying students
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
In accordance with changes announced by the UK Government, we are increasing our 2017/18 regulated full-time tuition fees for new and returning UK/EU fee paying undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses will also rise from £4,500 to £4,625. This was subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. This fee will ensure the continued provision of high-quality education.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Fees for Year Abroad/Industry
As a guide only, UK/EU/International students on an approved year abroad for the full 2017/18 academic year pay an annual fee of £1,350 to Kent for that year. Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Please note that for 2017/18 entrants the University will increase the standard year in industry fee for home/EU/international students to £1,350.
General additional costs
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Funding
University funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
Government funding
You may be eligible for government finance to help pay for the costs of studying. See the Government's student finance website.
The Government has confirmed that EU students applying for university places in the 2017 to 2018 academic year will still have access to student funding support for the duration of their course.
Scholarships
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.
The scholarship is also extended to those who achieve AAB at A level (or specified equivalents) where one of the subjects is either Mathematics or a Modern Foreign Language. Please review the eligibility criteria.