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Media and Film Studies BA(Hons)

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Start Dates

21 September 2026

Duration

3 years full-time 4 years inc. placement year

UCAS Tariff

112-104

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About this course

Overview

Why choose Huddersfield for this course?

  • Develop practical and analytical skills for careers in media, film, and digital industries.
  • Learn from industry-experienced tutors using excellent media and production facilities.
  • Build a professional portfolio that will get you ready for a new generation of media jobs.

Media and communication shape our culture, society, and democracy. From TV and social media to cinema and streaming, the stories we consume inform, entertain, and inspire. Film remains one of the most powerful mediums, capable of challenging ideas, sparking debate, and influencing society.

Our Media and Film Studies course equips you with a blend of analytical, creative, and technical skills, helping you understand and use media effectively in a global, digital landscape. You’ll explore film, digital media, and emerging technologies, developing the tools to create, analyse, and critique content across platforms.

The course sits within a wider humanities subject area and offers an exciting experience of collaborative media work with peers in Journalism, English and History. You’ll be taught by experienced academics and industry practitioners, working with a range of great facilities designed to give you hands-on experience in real-world media environments.

By the end of the degree, you’ll graduate with practical skills, industry knowledge, and a strong creative portfolio, preparing you for careers in media, film, television, digital content, marketing, or further study.

Career opportunities after the course *

Digital Marketing Executive

Communications Officer

Marketing Assistant

Fundraiser

*Lightcast

Who can apply?

Entry Requirements

BBC-BCC at A Level.
112-104 UCAS tariff points from a combination of Level 3 qualifications.
Merit at T Level.
DMM-MMM in BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma.
Merit in UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma.
Merit in RSL Level 3 Extended Diploma.
Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits at Merit or above.
112-104 UCAS tariff points from International Baccalaureate qualifications.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum of IELTS 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

For further information please see the University's minimum entry requirements.

What will you learn?

Course Details

This module will help you master the craft of academic writing and professional communication, enabling you to gain a competitive career advantage. You will learn to write clearly and persuasively across diverse platforms, focusing on real-world impact. The module balances the demands of academic writing—perfecting the skills of building logical, evidence-based arguments and evaluating the provenance of source material—with practical opportunities to develop a specialised portfolio in creative writing (fiction, poetry, screenwriting, creative non-fiction, historical narrative, exhibition content) or journalism (investigative reporting, opinion/editorial, historical journalism, for online/print/ broadcast). Graduate with the power to influence and command attention in any industry.

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. This skill set is common to all disciplines in the Humanities, where the challenge lies in unravelling complexities, probing assumptions, and exploring the neglected features of human culture, language and history, considering the importance of intersectionality along the way. The module will hone your intellectual skills in reasoning and close analysis, improve your ability to present arguments effectively, reflect on your work, and equip you to plan and conduct an independent research project.

This module provides the knowledge for you to gain an understanding of the role of technology in shaping and being shaped by mediated communication, with a particular focus on digital media technologies. The module combines the critical analysis of media technologies with practical skills to use those technologies in the journalism, media and creative industries.

The module introduces you to a range of audio formats and technologies: mobile, online, radio and podcast. You will be provided with the essential recording, editing and studio skills necessary to produce an audio output. You will be introduced to legal and regulatory frameworks surrounding the production of audio content and the opportunity to understand the language and concepts required to critically evaluate audio content.

This module introduces you to essential ideas about the media’s roles in societies, along with the rights and responsibilities of those who create media content. Learners will get to grips with the key media ethics, law and policy knowledge needed for a career in this vast and dynamic industry. It will help you understand the structures in which media workers and organisations operate, and the ways in which specific ethical, legal and regulatory frameworks impact the content created. You will learn about these so you can begin to effectively apply them in the context of creating media content.

The module introduces you to a range of video formats and technologies: mobile, online, television and video. You will be provided with the essential recording and editing skills necessary to produce a video output, and to understand the language and concepts required to critically evaluate video content. You will be also be introduced to legal and regulatory frameworks surrounding the production of video content.

This module develops the research skills you acquired at Foundation level, giving you the skills and confidence required to complete a major piece of independent research in your final year of your degree. You will learn from expert researchers and archive/heritage professionals. We will discover together how research uses different methods and approaches to answer specific research questions, engaging in scholarly debate to further knowledge. We’ll learn about the ways in which we build on existing research to generate new insight, and how research findings make a difference in the real world. The module gives you the freedom to research a wide range of relevant topics in your discipline with the structure and support of subject specialists.

You will be expected either to complete a graduate or professional level work placement – or, as an alternative an enterprise or citizenship project with a tangible end product (e.g. feasibility study for turning hobby/idea into a personal business or setting up campaign group/developing volunteering/charity initiative) plus associated documentation – plus a self-reflective evaluation of the process. In preparation for this you will undertake career planning and placement research, supported by workshops and tutorial meetings.

This module will develop your skills in investigating archival records and help you to understand and critically analyse how they are used in a range of different sites and formats that include academic scholarship, museums, literature, literary heritage, reportage, digital media and online. The module will be based around materials held in Heritage Quay, the University Archive, and you will have a hands-on introduction to how archives are collected, catalogued and utilised in public-facing environments. It will also develop your independent research, communication and employability skills.

This module focuses on developing your understanding of different kinds of promotional culture and visual brands – magazine, influencers and public relations (PR) - and your critical, analytical and evaluative skills. You will analyse the diversity and complexity of the magazine market alongside online brands and promotion. You will learn how to critically analyse different kinds of promotional culture and evaluate its role in society, developing skills you will need to help you develop successful, effective and ethical promotional campaigns and content. You will examine the economics, techniques and organisation of magazine design and production and investigate the nature of the publishing industry. The module also looks at the market for new magazines and you will examine how editors and publishers identify new opportunities, allowing you to develop your own entrepreneurial ideas. You will work with design software packages used in the magazine industry. As the module continues, you will apply what you have learnt to the practice of Magazines and PR, and further develop the creative, analytical and technical skills you need to succeed as a public relations practitioner.

In this module you will examine contemporary cinema as a global media industry, with a particular emphasis on the processes of globalisation and circulation that allow film texts to become meaningful far outside the contexts in which they were made. While the global dominance of Hollywood is central to this, cultural influences, values and meanings flow in multiple directions. You will develop knowledge of key theories in film and global media studies, including theories of globalisation, cultural hybridity and exchange, national identities, and imagined communities. By focusing not only on the films themselves, but on their production, distribution, promotion and reception, the module provides you with a detailed understanding of how and why cinema spreads around the globe, and the tensions this cultural flow creates at a political, social, economic and cultural level.

This module gives you an understanding of the technical, legal and professional standards involved in planning, producing and publishing digital audio content, with a focus on podcasting. You will develop advanced skills in creative audio storytelling and editing. You will take part in creating a podcast and will develop abilities in promoting your work on social media platforms.

Choose one from:

The placement year is your chance to gain hands-on experience and build on the skills you’ve developed in your first two years of study. You’ll spend up to 48 weeks (minimum 36 weeks) in a graduate-level role, sharpening your professional skills, exploring career options, and boosting your future job prospects. During your placement, you'll reflect on your performance, develop real-world skills, and learn to approach your role with a critical eye. Your placement will be monitored, and you’ll be assessed on your achievements, setting you up for success in your final year and beyond.

The Portfolio Sandwich Year module provides a flexible and tailored approach to professional development. It allows you to create a customised portfolio of graduate-level opportunities if your career aspirations don’t align with a traditional sandwich year placement. This module will help you develop a diverse and adaptable skillset, build professional networks, and enhance your career readiness through a mix of structured and self-directed activities.

For more information on when and how we update our modules please see the ‘Legal Information’ section below.

This module is the culmination of your degree, allowing you to apply your skills and knowledge to researching and writing an extended piece of work on a subject of your choice, including, if applicable a public engagement output with an external organisation, such as a museum, archive, community heritage group or similar.

This module challenges you to design and develop a project aimed at showcasing the value of the humanities to the general public. You will collaborate with your fellow students to deliver a project that communicates the importance of your disciplines in a non-scholarly, non-academic way. More broadly, you are encouraged to think about the real-world applications of a humanities degree, and about the role of the humanities in challenging and changing society. Taking this module will develop skills enabling you to articulate the value and importance of your studies to a non-specialist audience.

This module gives you the knowledge and practical skills to develop an advanced understanding of the emerging and diverse use of short film in a variety of forms. You will examine how video can be used across digital and broadcast platforms in innovative and complex ways. You will work in small groups to develop video narratives using a range of styles and platforms, with a clear understanding of audience and production.

Exploring the key genres of fantasy and horror, this module allows you to consider how cult status has been incited, sustained and marketed. You will analyse cult film through a blend of film-makers’ and audiences’ agency versus structural (film industry/technological) forces. The module explores whether there are textual attributes through which ‘cult movies’ can be defined, and introduces you to how fantasy and horror film have been theorised in the academy (via cultural-historical, formal, and psychoanalytic approaches, along with others). You will consider a range of horror subgenres, as well as creatively assessing the possibilities for subgeneric innovation; you will also analyse the cultifying processes which have surrounded specific fantasy/horror films.

You will also choose 1 optional module in this year. The current optional modules are:

This module concentrates on helping you develop an advanced professional and distinctive style in journalistic writing for different media platforms, with a particular focus on transmedia feature writing. You will closely analyse the writing styles adopted for a variety of journalism platforms in the context of media convergence. You will produce work that reflects your understanding of the style and format in each context as well as how to develop narratives across media.

On this module we will study the Holocaust through the words of those who survived and/or bore witness to it. Bringing together both literary and historical perspectives, we will approach this bleak yet defining episode of human history in a unique interdisciplinary fashion, focusing on non-fictional texts such as memoirs, diaries, and verbatim theatre. By studying how those who witnessed the events of the Holocaust chose to put the experience into words, we will attempt to understand these events neither in terms of traditional history textbooks nor in terms of their representation in our culture, but in terms of some of the individual stories behind it. This will allow us better to grasp issues such as trauma, memorialisation, the relationship between testimony and truth, and the difficulties involved in putting the events of the Holocaust into words.

This module is intended to explore the boundaries of genre: the hazy area between fiction and non-fiction. Through study of exemplary texts, you will become acquainted with a variety of experimental narrative and poetic possibilities which they can apply to their own writing practice. You will produce a portfolio of work—narrative fiction, poetry or hybrid/experimental forms to demonstrate different approaches to innovative writing. A self-reflective commentary on intentions and the creative process will accompany the portfolio.

This module aims to support you in the production of a portfolio of original work in a category to be negotiated with the tutor. The production of a self-reflective commentary on the creative process is integral to the project. You'll be asked to provide a project proposal outlining the content of your project. Regular tutorials will be available to help you manage your time and offer constructive feedback to help with rewriting and drafting of creative work. It is recognised that a single piece of creative work may not be appropriate for all students, so a portfolio may contain a mixture of poetry and prose or other kinds of creative writing.

This module will introduce advanced concepts, theory and practical skills in the use of a broad range of equipment used for recording and mixing sound for Film and Television. The focus will be on Sound Design, Foley, Sound Effects, Dialogues recording and editing, track lay, and mixing in stereo and surround. Practical experience of location sound recording will be gained and will form an integral part of the module and its assessment. You will develop your ability to track lay, synchronise and edit audio along with video in a DAW and develop advanced post-production editing and mixing techniques. Discussions of the theoretical, philosophical and creativity aspects of the area will underpin the module content in lectures.

For more information on when and how we update our modules please see the ‘Legal Information’ section below.

Teaching and Assessment

Discover what to expect from your tutor contact time, assessment methods, and feedback process.

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Global Professional Award

At Huddersfield, you’ll study the award-winning Global Professional Award (GPA) alongside your degree* — so you’re ready for the career you want, whatever subject you choose.

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Interested in a placement?

Placements

Students are supported to undertake a full professional training year in Year 3. We help our students in finding suitable placement opportunities in the Media or Film Industry and beyond. During the placement years you are supported by an academic tutor and will build professional experience invaluable for your final year of study and graduate career alike.

Previous placement providers have included the BBC and independent TV companies, a variety of radio stations and newspapers and magazines, along with leading public relations companies and social media agencies.

Find out more
A placement is a great opportunity to explore your chosen industry, to understand the sector, network and make valuable contacts, whilst developing your skills, knowledge and experience. A placement is a chance to get involved, to put theory into practice and to work alongside professionals.

- Stephanie Bower
Placements Officer

Where could this lead you?

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.

75%
Percent of graduates from this subject area were in work or further study 15 months after graduation

* HESA Graduate Outcomes 22/23, UK Domiciled

The course was incredibly versatile, I was able to explore the many different aspects of media which allowed me to find my passion and something that I love doing. Lectures and seminars were incredibly insightful and always discussed relevant topics, which ensured they were super engaging."

- Megan Redford
Media Studies BA(Hons) graduate.

How much will it cost?

Fees and Finance

£9,790 per year

This information is for Home students applying to study at the University of Huddersfield in the academic year 2026/27.

Please note that tuition fees for subsequent years may rise in line with inflation (RPI-X) and/or Government policy. 

From January 2027 the UK government is launching a new student funding system for people starting university education. Read more about the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE).

For detailed information please visit https://www.hud.ac.uk/study/fees/

£17,600 per year

This information is for international students applying to study at the University of Huddersfield in the academic year 2026/27.

Please note that tuition fees for subsequent years may rise in line with inflation (RPI-X) and/or Government policy. 

For detailed information please visit https://www.hud.ac.uk/international/fees-and-funding/

Home

The tuition fee for a placement year is £1000. If you go on work experience or work placement, you will need to fund your own travel and/or accommodation costs to and from the placement.  Please be aware that if your placement is outside of the UK, you will still be responsible for your travel and living expenses and may need to consider issues like health care and insurance costs.

International

The tuition fee for a placement year is £3,300. If you go on work experience or work placement, you will need to fund your own travel and/or accommodation costs to and from the placement.  Please be aware that if your placement is outside of the UK, you will still be responsible for your travel and living expenses and may need to consider issues like health care and insurance costs.

Academic and practical resources for your studies will be provided throughout the course, including access to library facilities, digital learning platforms, and specialist hardware/software. However, you will need to purchase a personal set of headphones with a mini-jack connection, which are required for use with some recording devices and editing software.
The estimated cost for suitable headphones starts at around £10-15, though prices may vary depending on the brand and features you choose.

Scholarships and Bursaries

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What’s included in your fee?

We want you to understand exactly what your fees will cover and what additional costs you may need to budget for when you decide to become a student with us.

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If you have any questions about Fees and Finance, please email the Student Finance Team.

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Students working in Stewart Film Studio

Stewart Film Studio

Three history students in library

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Why Hud

Explore the unique opportunities and resources that make our institution a top choice for students seeking a well-rounded and future-focused education.

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Explore Huddersfield

Make Huddersfield your home. A Yorkshire town, surrounded by beautiful countryside, with easy access to neighbouring cities; Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield. You’ll find plenty of places to eat, drink, shop and socialise, there’s ambitious plans for future development. Our campus is situated next to the town centre - making your commute a breeze.

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Your Student Experience

Get involved in great opportunities helping you to make friends from all across the world and create lifelong memories. Join one of over 100 societies with the Students’ Union, experience new cultures through global events, earn whilst you learn and build your skills via our Global Professional Award.

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Budget Friendly

Huddersfield is not only one of the friendliest towns, it also offers you a lower cost of living than most big cities. This means you could have more money to spend, making your uni experience even better. On campus you’ll also find plenty of facilities and services to help you budget and make your money go further.

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We’re committed to sustainability and aim to be carbon neutral by 2030. Our plan includes reducing emissions, enhancing biodiversity, and improving wellbeing through sustainable buildings. We’re investing in digital solutions, low-impact travel, and embedding sustainability into teaching and research, investing over £1m in carbon reduction.

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Careers 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.

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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.

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Teaching Excellence

Great teaching is engaging and inspiring — it helps you reach your full potential and prepares you for the future. We don’t just teach well — we excel — and we have the awards and recognition to prove it.

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Inspiring Academics

Our researchers carry out world-leading work that makes a real difference to people’s lives. Staff within the Department of Media, Humanities and the Arts may teach you on this course.

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Research Excellence

You’ll be taught by staff who want to support your learning and share the latest knowledge and research.

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Accommodation

Looking for student accommodation? Huddersfield has you covered. HudLets has a variety of accommodation types to choose from, no matter what your preference. HudLets is the University’s approved accommodation service, run by Huddersfield Students’ Union.

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Further Study

If you want to continue your learning beyond your undergraduate degree, there is a range of financial support available for postgraduate study, including discounts for Huddersfield graduates.

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Legal information

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by our terms and conditions, Handbook of Regulations and associated policies. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons:

Changes to a course you have applied for but are not yet enrolled on

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. 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. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and if you are unhappy with the change we will discuss with you other suitable courses we can transfer your application to. If 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

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 an equivalent range of options to that advertised for the course. 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 non-optional modules on a course if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that substantially changes 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), 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 or a commissioning or accrediting body. We may also make changes to improve the course in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback or to ensure you are being taught current best practice. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff being unable to teach due to illness, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to pandemics, other disasters (such as fire, flood or war) or changes made by the government.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but may happen sooner in an emergency. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will consult with affected groups of students and any changes would only be made in accordance with our regulations. 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 let us know before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for any additional tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so and you may be eligible for an exit award depending on how far through your course you are.

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 in accordance with the student protection plan.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

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