Film Studies and English Literature BA(Hons)

Start date

18 September 2023

Duration

3 years full-time
4 years inc. placement year

About the course

Reasons to study

You’ll be working in industry-standard film and tv production facilities.
You'll have the opportunity to undertake a work placement, helping you to develop the essential skills employers are looking for.
We'll help you to develop your creative, technical and analytical skills so you're ready to succeed in the media, creative and cultural sectors.

Understanding the interplay between the written word and the moving image is key to our world. Combining the study of Film and English will allow you to explore texts you love, as you learn how to analyse and tell stories in written and visual form. You'll be taught and supported by enthusiastic, internationally renowned professors, researchers and media practitioners. Plus, you'll be working in industry-standard production facilities, as part of the Yorkshire Film and Television School.

Why study Film Studies and English Literature at Huddersfield?

The course will develop your abilities to analyse, research and write persuasively about a rich variety of films, shows and filmmakers, from Hollywood classics to the latest superhero blockbusters through to indie movies and YouTube releases. As part of the wide mix of skills you'll learn, you'll also get the chance to improve your writing, plus develop abilities in video and audio production.

With English Literature, we'll encourage you to develop a broad knowledge of writing, from today's science fiction or contemporary poetry to Victorian novels or Elizabethan plays. You'll gain insights into all the major literary genres and a range of periods from literary history. You'll have the option to try out screenwriting, or to put your skills to work in real-world projects.

Course detail

Year 1

Core modules:

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking enables us to go beyond the surface of information, using analytical skills to dissect, question, and evaluate ideas with a detective's curiosity and a scientist's precision. The module will hone your intellectual skills in reasoning and close analysis, improve your ability to present arguments effectively, and equip you to plan and conduct an independent research project. This module will also provide support for planning your personal and career development.

Introduction to English Literature

This module introduces you to a diverse range of literary texts, representing the principal genres on which the Western literary tradition is built. It also explores how these genres have been adapted, modified, and reformed in response to historical and cultural change. It helps you situate this knowledge in relation to overarching questions about the key concepts, skills and terms used throughout the study of literature at university level.

Analysing Content

Analysing Content introduces you to the analysis of fiction and non-fiction visual media, from Hollywood films and television series to news and advertising. You will learn how to conduct more complex analysis of the meaning conveyed through media texts as well as their connection to cultural ideology.

Digital Video and Audio Production

Getting behind the camera and the microphone is a dream career for many. This module is where you start to make those dreams a reality. We’ll take you through how to use industry-standard cameras and digital recorders to capture video and audio, and then Adobe editing software to turn that raw material into crafted pieces.

Option modules:

Choose one from a list which may include:

Introduction to Screenwriting

On this module, you'll be introduced to the basic skills and fundamental principles of screenwriting. You'll undertake a survey of key forms and genres of writing for the screen. You'll learn the conventions of the screenplay format, as well as the fundamental techniques and devices used in screenwriting. You'll also gain experience using industry-standard software for producing scripts. Through a combination of tutor-led workshops and independent study you'll write an original screenplays for a short film, and will begin the process of critical reflection on your growth and development as a screenwriter.

Writing for Journalism

Telling stories is at the heart of all kinds of journalism jobs, from news reporting to music reviewing and covering live sport. Here, we help you improve your writing, so you’re comfortable researching and writing pieces in a range of styles. Analysing professional examples will help you get a handle on what you’ll be aiming to match as your skills develop.

Year 2

Core modules:

Literary Histories

In this module you'll develop skills in contextual analysis relating to two different topics in literary studies. You'll analyse digital resources, evaluate the arguments of a range of literary critics, and present your own arguments and ideas in a written essay and an oral presentation. The module incorporates a series of skills workshops in addition to the core of lectures and seminars on of two distinct literary topics. You'll choose these from a range of options, which relate directly to the research expertise and scholarly publications of individual members of academic staff. The options on offer may include: Global Shakespeares; Extraordinary Gentlemen; 20th-Century Poetry; 20th-Century Drama; 20th-Century Fiction; South Asian Writing in English; 'Old Worlds, New Worlds, and Other Worlds; 1837; Victorian Novel; Frontiers & Borders in American Literature and Contemporary Women's Writing.

From Studio to Social Media Careers & Entrepreneurship

You’ll often hear us say that media is changing quickly: and we mean it. This module helps you make sense of what that means for your future career, and why the jobs of tomorrow aren’t always the same as the ones of the past. You’ll work on a career plan, so you can be ready for a placement year and other media work opportunities.

Global Popular Cinema: Hollywood and Beyond

This module takes you inside cinema, as you examine contemporary film as a global media industry. It’s not just the movies themselves, but how they are produced, distributed, promoted and received. There’s a particular emphasis on how processes of globalisation and circulation allow films to become meaningful, far outside the contexts in which they were originally made.

Option modules:

Choose one from a list which may include:

Critical Concepts 1

This module aims to develop your understanding of key theoretical concepts and the productive ways in which these can be used in reading literary and cultural texts. It encourages you to engage with challenging ideas around nation, identity, history and culture.

Screenwriting and Genre

This module provides a practical orientation in some of the main genres of film and television, and a training in how to write for them. You will analyse and discuss the narrative structures, character types, and other conventions of a range of genres, and try your hand at writing them yourself. These genres could range from documentary to sitcom, from horror to romantic comedy, or from action movie to period costume drama. Finally, you will become proficient at writing in a particular genre, which you will select from those you have studied. You will produce a script according to a genre-specific brief, and then reflect on the process of writing to the constraints of the familiar generic conventions of the film/television industry.

Literature and Making

This unique module allows you to engage creatively with literary texts, making something – almost anything – in response to the central themes, concerns, and issues of literature. You could make a film, a podcast, a website, a sculpture, (or something else altogether). Literature and Making will equip you with the skills to respond both critically and creatively to a brief, just like professional consultants. You will identify your creative strengths and areas to upskill and then programme your project, combining the critical, the creative, and the applied. The module incorporates a series of skills workshops in addition to the core of lectures and seminars from a number of options. In 2019-20 these are: Global Shakespeares; Romanticism; Extraordinary Gentlemen; 20th- Century Poetry; 20th- Century Drama; South Asian Writing in English; Old Worlds, New Worlds and Other Worlds.

Then choose one from a list which may include:

Reporting and Writing

This module gives you the chance to develop from student writer to digital journalist. Here’s where you develop skills to help you thrive in today’s online written media, such as making contacts, reporting, interviewing, and writing articles of a quality you can be proud of. You’ll also take part in industry-like newsdays and cover the courts, as you build your knowledge of media law.

Screenwriting and Genre

Year 3 - optional placement year

Placement Year

The optional one-year (48 weeks) work placement after the second year can be completed in the UK or abroad. It will give you the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience, insight into your chosen career and open up your graduate employment prospects.

Final Year

Core modules:

Advanced Critical Practice

Here, you consolidate the skills you have previously developed in critical analysis and use them to develop rigorous independent responses and innovative ideas that engage with the subjects of current debates in two separate fields of literary study. You'll choose these from a range of options, which relate directly to the research expertise and scholarly publications of individual members of academic staff. The options on offer may include: Global Shakespeares; Extraordinary Gentlemen; Frontiers and Borders in American Literature, 20th Century Poetry; 20th Century Drama; 20th-Century Fiction; South Asian Writing in English; 'Old Worlds, New Worlds, and Other Worlds; 1837, Victorian Novel; Frontiers & Borders in American Literature and Contemporary Women's Writing.

Fantasy, Horror and Cult Film

You’ll have heard the term ‘cult movie’, but this module puts the concept itself in the spotlight. Exploring the key genres of fantasy and horror, you’ll consider how cult status is created, sustained and marketed. You’ll explore whether it’s possible to define cult films through certain attributes, and the ways in which fantasy and horror movies have been theorised.

Research Dissertation

This is where you put your academic learning to use, by doing guided independent research into an area of the media you want to learn more about. You’ll review what others have written about your topic, identify a suitable method to use and carry it out, before analysing your findings. It’s a challenge - but you’ll have a supervisor to help you all the way.

Option modules:

Choose one from a list which may include:

Critical Concepts 2

You’ll enhance your understanding of key theoretical concepts, inviting you to choose a particular literary topic and conceptual focus for your own original analysis of works of literature in relation to other fields of intellectual debate such as historiography, philosophy or film studies. It encourages you to challenge and build upon the concepts and methodologies that have underpinned literary criticism in the past by engaging you in interdisciplinary perspectives and advanced debates in contemporary literary theory. The module incorporates a series of concept workshops in addition to a core of lectures and seminars on a distinct literary topic, which you will choose from the range of available options. These options relate to the research expertise and scholarly publications of individual members of academic staff. The options on offer may include: Global Shakespeares; Extraordinary Gentlemen; Frontiers and Borders in American Literature; 20th-Century Poetry; 20th- Century Drama; South Asian Writing in English; Old Worlds, New Worlds and Other Worlds.

Public Humanities

This module aims to develop skills enabling you to communicate the value and importance of literary study to a non-specialist audience. More broadly, you'll be encouraged to think about the real-world applications of a degree in English Literature, and about the role of the humanities in challenging and changing society. The module is based around, and explores numerous strategies for community and public engagement, with an emphasis on considering different ways in which literary study can be taken outside the academy and into society.

Teaching and assessment

Our degrees seek to develop your creative, technical and analytical skills, and every aspect of your learning is designed to help you succeed in the media, creative and cultural sectors. We thus work with a wide variety of teaching formats which alongside lectures, seminars and workshops, include newsdays, work-based learning and placements, project work, dissertations, one-on-one and group supervision, and digital learning. We continuously review and innovate teaching formats to reflect changing technologies and industry contexts. An average 22.0%* of the time on your course will be spent with your tutors (either face to face or online) on timetabled activities.

*based on 20/21 programme specifications.

We use a variety of assessments, including video shorts, podcasts, newsroom days, audience research portfolios, essays, production pitches, data analytics, presentations, and dissertation. This allows you the ability to tailor your degree to fit your passions, interests and strengths. You will be taught by world-leading scholars whose research is helping to shape our understanding of how media, journalism and culture operate alongside industry-leading practitioners and producers, supplemented by a variety of guest talks.

Full-time or part-time study

This course is not available to study on a part-time basis on an evening, at the weekend, or via distance learning.

Further Information

The teaching year normally starts in September with breaks at Christmas and Easter, finishing with a main examination/assessment period around May/June. Timetables are normally available one month before registration.

Your course is made up of modules and each module is worth a number of credits. Each year you study modules to the value of 120 credits, adding up to 360 credits in total for a bachelor’s qualification. These credits can come from a combination of core, compulsory and optional modules but please note that optional modules may not run if we do not have enough students interested.

If you achieve 120 credits for the current stage you are at, you may progress to the next stage of your course, subject to any professional, statutory or regulatory body guidelines.

Teaching excellence

Triple proof of teaching excellence: our staff rank in the top three in England for the proportion who hold doctorates, who have higher degrees, and hold teaching qualifications (HESA 2022). So, you’ll learn from some of the best, helping you to be the best.
We are joint first in the country for National Teaching Fellowships, which mark the UK’s best lecturers in Higher Education, winning a total of 20 since 2008 (2022 data).
We won the first Global Teaching Excellence Award, recognising the University’s commitment to world-class teaching and its success in developing students as independent learners and critical thinkers (Higher Education Academy, 2017).

Global Professional Award

At Huddersfield, you'll study the Global Professional Award alongside your degree* so that you gain valuable qualities and experiences that could help you to get the career you want, no matter what your field of study is. On completion of the Award, you'll receive the Level 5 in Leadership and Management Award from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), meaning you’ll graduate from the University of Huddersfield with an internationally recognised professional qualification, alongside the specialist subject skills and knowledge you gain as part of your degree, which may help to set you apart from other graduates.

Giving students access to the Global Professional Award is one of the reasons the University won ‘Best University Employability Strategy’ award at the National Graduate Recruitment Awards 2021. Find out more on the Global Professional Award webpage.

*full-time, undergraduate first degrees with a minimum duration of three years. This does not include postgraduate, foundation, top-up, accelerated or apprenticeship degrees

Entry requirements

To find out if you’re eligible to start this course in September 2023 and get more information on how to apply, please see our Clearing pages or call our Clearing Helpline on 0333 987 9000 01484 472777.

If you’re interested in studying this course in September 2024, please view the 2024-25 course information.

In addition to the academic entry requirements, you will also need:

As part of the application process, you may be asked to attend an interview or be required to undertake a written task.

Hear from our students

Olivia is studying Film Studies and Drama BA(Hons). In this video, she talks about her love of film and how studying this course has opened up many opportunities and prepared her for a variety of careers.

Why study English Literature?

Why choose to study English Literature at the University of Huddersfield? The University of Huddersfield offers a diverse and vibrant student environment, located on one central town centre campus site. Explore the facilities and resources available to Music, Humanities and Media students here at the University.

Placements

This course offers the opportunity to complete a 5 week work placement which is an optional element of the second year of the course.

The course also offers an optional one-year (48 weeks) work placement after the second year, in the UK or abroad. This will give you the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience, insight into your chosen career and open up your graduate employment prospects. Previous placement providers have included Pen and Sword Books, Oldham Evening Chronicle, Lotherton Hall, CHP Yorkshire, Rochdale Law Centre and a range of primary and secondary schools.

The most exciting part of my course is the opportunity to be creative, which is something I wasn’t expecting. Film is a really fun subject which can be studied and applied in so many different ways and perspectives. The tutors really attune the work to your individual strengths.

Alex Baron, Film Studies and English Literature BA(Hons)

Facilities

Oastler Building

Newsroom

Student using Adobe Audition for audio editing

Seminar Rooms

Student using Adobe Premiere for video editing

Your Career

Media, creative and cultural sectors are one of the biggest and fastest growing in the UK. This degree will provide you with a combination of creative, technical and analytical skills for a variety of careers and roles in a rapidly developing digital economy.

*Percentage of our undergraduate students from these subject areas go on to work and/or further study within fifteen months of graduating (HESA Graduate Outcomes 2019/20, UK domiciled, other activities excluded).

85-95% Graduates employed*

Career support

We know you’re coming to university to study on your chosen subject, meet new people and broaden your horizons. However, we also help you to focus on life after you have graduated to ensure that your hard work pays off and you achieve your ambition.

So while you’re here (and even after you graduate) the Careers and Employability Service offer professional help, support and guidance, including industry-supported workshops, careers fairs and one-to-one guidance sessions.Find out more about the service

Further study

Progression to a postgraduate course is dependent on successful completion of your undergraduate studies, there may also be minimum qualification requirements such as a first class or higher second (2.1) degree. Please check the course details to confirm this.

Inspiring Graduate

An undergraduate degree from the University of Huddersfield could be the start of an exciting career in your chosen field. Our graduates go on to succeed in a whole range of exciting careers. Here’s just one example.

As a graduate of the University of Huddersfield you’ll also become a member of our alumni community, allowing you to stay in touch and continue to access university services.

The course wasn't just about watching films and attending History modules. We were looking at many other areas of studies such as sociology, media, politics/geo-politics, advertising, philosophy and business. I think that the variety of things that we learnt throughout the three years boosted my chances to adapt to any job scenario. Huddersfield offers probably the friendliest atmosphere you will ever get within academic environment and the staff are always friendly and very helpful.

Santa Nekrasova, graduated Film Studies and History BA(Hons) in 2016

Career support

As a graduate of the University of Huddersfield you’ll also become a member of our alumni community, allowing you to stay in touch and continue to access university services.

The course wasn't just about watching films and attending History modules. We were looking at many other areas of studies such as sociology, media, politics/geo-politics, advertising, philosophy and business. I think that the variety of things that we learnt throughout the three years boosted my chances to adapt to any job scenario. Huddersfield offers probably the friendliest atmosphere you will ever get within academic environment and the staff are always friendly and very helpful.

Santa Nekrasova, graduated Film Studies and History BA(Hons) in 2016

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

Research excellence

Research plays an important role in informing all our teaching and learning activities. Through research our staff remain up-to-date with the latest developments in their field, which means you develop knowledge and skills that are current and highly relevant.

The Department of Media, Journalism and Film at the University of Huddersfield is home to one of Europe's leading centres for the study of participatory culture, fans and popular media. The Centre for Participatory Culture brings together preeminent researchers in the study of popular culture with specialism such as screen industries and branding, media sport in the digital age, music festivals and music tourism, science fiction fandom, Regional Reality TV Drama, identity and globalisation, and the rise of fandom and anti-fandom in politics. The centre also explores the rise of digital media technologies and platforms, including social media and their impact on media industries and media representations, including on forms of journalism. We also assess the role of these technologies in changes to political participation and democracy.

Fees and Finance

Tuition Fees - full-time

The full-time undergraduate tuition fee for 2023/24 entry will be £9250.

Tuition fees will cover the cost of your study at the University as well as charges for registration, tuition, supervision and examinations. For more information about funding, fees and finance for UK students, including what your tuition fee covers, please see Fees and finance.

If you are an EU or international student coming to study at the University of Huddersfield, please visit the International Fees and Finance pages for full details of tuition fees and support available.

Please email the Student Finance Office or call 01484 472210 for more information about fees and finance.

Fees and Finance

Tuition Fees - full-time

The full-time undergraduate tuition fee for 2023/24 entry will be £9250.

Please email the Student Finance Office or call 01484 472210 for more information about fees and finance.

Important information

We will always try to deliver your course as described on this web page. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below.

Changes to a course you have applied for

If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.

Cancellation of a course you have applied for

Although we always try and run all of the course we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will contact you to discuss other suitable courses with us we can transfer your application to. If we notify you that the course you have applied to has been withdrawn or combined, and you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

We will always try to deliver your course and other services as described. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below:

Changes to option modules

Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have a range of options to choose from and we will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

Major changes

We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change in this context is a change that materially changes the services available to you; or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.

For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but this may not always be the case. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation with affected students. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

Termination of course

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include transferring to a suitable replacement course for which you are qualified, being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered, or claiming an interim award and exiting the University. If you do not wish to take up any of the options that are made available to you, then you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the course without liability to the University for future tuition fees and you will be entitled to a refund of all course fees paid to date. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and disciplinary procedure, fees and finance and compliance with visa requirements (where relevant). It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to abide by them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you will also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to. You should read these carefully before you enrol. Please note that this information is subject to change and you are advised to check our website regularly for any changes before you enrol at the University. A person who is not party to this agreement shall not have any rights under or in connection with it. Only you and the University shall have any right to enforce or rely on the agreement.

Equal opportunities

Undergraduate

View more courses

Start date

Duration

About the course

Reasons to study

Why study Film Studies and English Literature at Huddersfield?

Course detail

Critical Thinking

Introduction to English Literature

Analysing Content

Digital Video and Audio Production

Introduction to Screenwriting

Writing for Journalism

Literary Histories

From Studio to Social Media Careers & Entrepreneurship

Global Popular Cinema: Hollywood and Beyond

Critical Concepts 1

Screenwriting and Genre

Literature and Making

Reporting and Writing

Screenwriting and Genre

Placement Year

Advanced Critical Practice

Fantasy, Horror and Cult Film

Research Dissertation

Critical Concepts 2

Public Humanities

Entry requirements

Hear from our students

Why study English Literature?

Placements

Facilities

Your Career

Career support

Student support

Research excellence

Fees and Finance

Fees and Finance

Important information

Changes to a course you have applied for

Cancellation of a course you have applied for

Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

Changes to option modules

Major changes

Termination of course

Equal opportunities

Data protection

Students’ Union membership

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