Film and Screen Media (Taught)

On our MA Film and Screen Media you will have the opportunity to explore the history, development and interaction of film, television and other screen media in historical, sociological, aesthetic and anthropological terms, and in a variety of cultural and national contexts.

Why choose this course?

• This course is unique in its combination of world-class, rigorous postgraduate study with strong creative and practical opportunities.

• It offers you an optional two-month work placement module on which you can gain valuable, practical experience that will enhance your career prospects in the film and screen media industries.

• It includes further option modules that offer you exciting networking opportunities and can help you stand out in a competitive job market and further your career in the media, creative and cultural industries.

What you will learn

You will gain advanced knowledge in the history, theory and contemporary practice of film, TV and related media, and creative media practice. You will also gain in-depth understanding of the historical, technological and cultural interaction between the main media forms - from pre-cinematic forms to sound cinema, television, the digital turn, the internet, VR and generative AI.

You can graduate with one of the following:

• MA Film and Screen Media

• MA Film and Screen Media with Film Programming and Curating

• MA Film and Screen Media with Television

You can also apply separately for the MA Film and Screen Media (with Study Abroad) to spend a term abroad at one of our partner institutions.

How you will learn

This course is available to study full- or part-time. Classes take place in the evening. These consist mostly of small group and seminar teaching, with some individual supervision, and are delivered by leading film and media academics.

You will learn about industry practice via guest speakers and work placement opportunities. You will also have the chance to engage in practice-based learning in workshops and pursue individual research projects supported by tutors.

Highlights

• Teaching and supervision are delivered by leading film and media academics. The research expertise of our academics is in cinema history, exhibition cultures, programming and curating, film aesthetics, television industry and form, and contemporary and future new media opportunities inform every aspect of the course.

• Birkbeck was ranked as one of the top four universities in the UK for its Art and Design research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.

• The award-winning Birkbeck Cinema is central to this course. The 70-seat cinema is equipped with 35mm and state-of-the-art DVD projection. The Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image (BIMI) runs conferences, screenings and film-related events of all kinds. You will have the opportunity to participate in and attend the Essay Film Festival, jointly run by BIMI and the Institute of Contemporary Arts. There are practical film-making opportunities offered through the Derek Jarman Lab.

• We offer a number of bursaries for postgraduate students.

Careers and employability

Graduates can pursue career paths in film and television companies, museums and galleries, arts administration, education, publishing and film criticism. Possible professions include:

• arts administrator

• museum or gallery curator

• teacher

• programme researcher

• television/film/video producer.

It is also possible to continue on to a PhD which offers employment opportunities in academia and other areas.

Jobs gained by some of our MA and PhD graduates include:

• Deputy Editor, Sight & Sound

• Temporary Exhibitions Curator, Science Museum

• Curator of Public Programmes, British Film Institute

• Associate Lecturer, University of Surrey

• Reader, King’s College London

• Academic Publishing Sales Manager, Taylor & Francis Group

• freelance editor

• independent film producer running their own company.