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MA Film Studies

Attendance:
Full Time
Award:
Degree of Master of Arts
School of Study:
Film, Television and Media Studies

MA Film StudiesWe live in a world that is increasingly mediated by diverse aspects of the film, television and media industries. Whether our priority is to preserve moving images, engage in the creative activity of making them, or learn more about their role in shaping or reproducing social and cultural values, we need to explore the history, development and character of these important audio-visual cultures.

UEA was one of the first British universities to develop the study of cinema and television, and in 2004 created the School of Film and Television Studies to continue that innovative tradition. With a broad range of theoretical and practical modules that explore the history, political significance and formal qualities of sound and image, the School prepares people for a variety of careers in the media, archiving, journalism, teaching and elsewhere. The MA in Film Studies has been specially designed to introduce people new to the discipline alongside those with some existing knowledge, and to provide them with the choice of a wide range of innovative modules and topics.

Why Study Film at UEA?

The School of Film and Television Studies offers an exciting and in-depth exploration of the moving image, giving students access to leading scholars and a thriving graduate community.

The School of Film and Television is among the ten highest rated research units in the UK across all subject areas. In the 2008 Research Rating Exercise, 90% of our academic staff’s research activities was rated as being of “international excellence” or “world leading” quality.

The School has launched innovative option modules on national cinema, genre, television studies, and film and television production, supported by research staff who are experts in these fields. This range of options allows students to extend or deepen their knowledge of the field, or ‘retrain’ in a new discipline.

The School’s practical modules cover filming and editing techniques, including the use of a fully functioning television studio, and a custom-built audio suite.

The School graduate community offers a thriving peer group experience, which is augmented by regular symposiums, research seminars and talks from media professionals.

The School works with the East Anglian Film Archive (EAFA), a major resource for archive material, which all MA students visit during the induction week. EAFA, located in Norwich, maintains a strong presence within the School, through film screenings as well as MA teaching.

Course Content and Structure

The MA in Film Studies is taught as either a one-year full-time course or a two-year part-time course. This course is intended to provide students with a range of theoretical and practical training.

The MA in Film Studies offers students the chance to choose their own pathway through the degree. Through individual module choice, students can focus on historical, theoretical or practical modules, choosing from topics as diverse as genre, national cinema or reception studies.

Teaching is mainly in the form of seminars and screenings, although the compulsory module taken in the Autumn semester will have a lecture component. There will also be opportunities to attend additional talks and discussion groups on a wide variety of film, television and media topics.

The principle areas of study are: historical, theoretical and critical approaches to film and television studies; a focus on specific film and television genres; the role of national cinema; researching and interpreting the film and television audience; planning and producing audio-visual work; exploring the social and cultural role of film and television.

Transferable Skills:

In addition to the areas of skills outlined above, students will also learn more generally applicable skills, including the ability to research, select, and analyse from a variety of archive and textual materials; present evidence in verbal and written form (including public speaking); select and justify appropriate methodological approaches; be able to write accurately and grammatically (using appropriate conventions); construct coherent and independent arguments; manage a large and disparate body of information; use word-processing and computing technologies correctly; develop inter-personal skills and how to work in a team.

Individual Supervision / Final Dissertation

Students begin researching the 12,000-15,000 word dissertation in the Spring semester and work on it through the summer, for submission at the beginning of September.

In the Dissertation module, students pursue an area of specialist study which will allow them to investigate a particular academic methodology or topic (e.g. genre, authorship, reception studies). Each student will be assigned a member of staff as a supervisor to advise them on the research and writing up of this dissertation.

Course Assessment

There is no written examination for any of the Film Studies MA courses. Assessment is on the basis of coursework: including, but not limited to, performance in class, placements, essays and seminar papers, and the final dissertation.


Dr. Mark Rimmer

UEA was one of the first British universities to develop the study of cinema and television.

We have a thriving postgraduate programme and community. Some 20 MA students take the MA in Film Studies each year and another 10 or so take the unique MA in Film and Television Archiving. We also have around 30 students working towards a PhD. We have 12 dedicated members of academic staff, with several more colleagues contributing on a part-time basis. More than 40 graduates of the MA and PhD programmes hold teaching posts at universities in the UK and elsewhere. There is a rich and dynamic research culture in Film and Television Studies. The academic staff of the School have published widely on various aspects of British, American and Japanese cinema and television and film and cultural theory.

In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, the School of Film and Television Studies was rated as producing work of 'international excellence' that is 'world leading'. It also regularly receives top ratings for the quality of its teaching and for student satisfaction.

We have hosted a number of very successful events in recent years, including major conferences on British cinema (1988), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2002), Post-Feminism and popular culture (2004), Going Cheap: Female Celebrity in the Tabloid, Reality and Scandal Genres (2008), and the Anglia TV and the History of ITV conference (2008).

To find out more about why we think you should choose our degree programmes, please follow the links below:

Why Study in the School

What Our Students Say

Compulsory Study (80 credits)

Students must study the following modules for 80 credits:

Name Code Credits
FILM STUDIES DISSERTATION FTMFM60X 60
FILM STUDIES: HISTORY, THEORY, CRITICISM FTMFM023 20

Option A Study (80 credits)

Students will select 80 credits from the following modules:

Name Code Credits
CELEBRITY CULTURE FTMFM069 20
CREATIVITY AND DEVELOPMENT IN FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION FTMFM058 20
EFFECTS, AUDIENCES AND THE MEDIA FTMFM046 20
FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION FTMFM041 20
GENDER AND CULTURE FTMFM064 20
JAPANESE FILM: NATIONAL CINEMA AND BEYOND FTMFM032 20
MUSIC, MEDIA, SOCIETY FTMFM062 20
SCIENCE FICTION: FILM AND TELEVISION FTMFM043 20
STUDYING MEDIA FTMFM029 20
THE BIG PICTURE: CONTEMPORARY HOLLYWOOD CINEMA FTMFM015 20
WOMEN AND FILM FTMFM060 20

Option B Study (20 credits)

Students will select 20 credits from the following modules:

Name Code Credits
"DISSERTATION LANGUAGE, SOCIETY & CULTURE" LCS-MD0X 90
"MEDIA, CULTURE AND SOCIETY DISSERTATION" PSIPM20X 80
'PAINTING THE CITY: AMERICAN ARTISTS AND THE URBAN SCENE, 1900-1930' AMSAM040 20
ADAPTATION AND INTERPRETATION LDCCM007 20
ADAPTATION AND INTERPRETATION LDCCM012 20
AFRICA SECTION ART-MS01 30
AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY PSIIM032 20
AMERICAN HISTORY DISSERTATION AMSAM06X 90
AMERICAN LITERATURE DISSERTATION AMSAM04X 90
AMERICAN STUDIES DISSERTATION AMSAM03X 90
AMERICAS SECTION ART-MS05 30
ANALYSING MEDIA DISCOURSES PSIPM015 20
ART, SPACE AND PLACE: 1960-1980 ART-MA52 20
BETTER WORLDS? UTOPIAS AND DYSTOPIAS PSIPM002 20
BODY SPACES AMSAM043 20
BROADCAST JOURNALISM PSIPM038 40
CASE STUDIES LDCEM002 20
CELEBRITY CULTURE FTMFM069 20
CERTAINTY AND UNCERTAINTY IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLICY PHI-M015 20
CITY, CHURCH AND EMPIRE: CHRISTIAN ROME IN THE FIRST MILLENNIUM ART-MA70 20
CIVIL RIGHTS AND AMERICAN POLITICS AMSAM029 20
CLASSICAL PHILOSOPHY WORKSHOP PHI-M018 20
CLIMATE CHANGE IN PREHISTORY ART-MA42 20
CONFLICT IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION LCS-ML23 20
CONTEMPORARY WORLD THEATRE LDCDM002 20
CREATIVE WRITING AND RESEARCH SEMINARS LDCCM008 10
CREATIVE WRITING DISSERTATION LDCCM03X 90
CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP: POETRY 1 LDCCM003 20
CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP: POETRY 2 LDCCM004 20
CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP: PROSE 1 LDCCM001 20
CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP: PROSE 2 LDCCM002 20
CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP: SCRIPTWRITING LDCCM005 20
CREATIVE WRITING: SCRIPTWRITING: DRAMATURGY LDCCM009 20
CREATIVE WRITING: SCRIPTWRITING: PROCESS LDCCM006 20
CREATIVE-CRITICAL WRITING LDCEM008 20
CREATIVITY AND DEVELOPMENT IN FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION FTMFM058 20
CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES IN MUSEUM STUDIES ART-MU01 20
CRITICAL THEORIES OF THE WESTERN SELF LDCEM011 20
CROSSING BOUNDARIES: WOMEN WRITERS IN MODERN EUROPE LDCEM028 20
CULTURAL HERITAGE AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: DISSERTATION ART-MC2X 60
CULTURAL HERITAGE AND MUSEUM STUDIES: DISSERTATION ART-MC3X 60
CULTURAL HERITAGE PLACEMENT ART-MC22 40
CULTURE AND ITS DISCONTENTS LDCEM049 20
DEMOCRATIC THEORY PSIPM010 20
DESCRIBING POETRY LDCCM011 20
DISSERTATION ART-MA2X 80
DISSERTATION (MRES) PSI-M30X 60
DISSERTATION - LITERARY TRANSLATION LDCEM04X 90
DISSERTATION COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE STUDIES LCS-MD1X 50
DISSERTATION CONFLICTS IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION LCS-MD5X 90
DISSERTATION FORENSIC LINGUISTICS LCS-MD4X 90
DISSERTATION LANGUAGE AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION LCS-MD3X 90
DISSERTATION MAATS LCS-MD2X 90
DRAMA DISSERTATION LDCDM03X 90
EAST ANGLIAN LITERATURE LDCEM006 20
EFFECTS, AUDIENCES AND THE MEDIA FTMFM046 20
ENGLISH LITERATURE DISSERTATION LDCEM03X 90
ENGLISH, COMMUNICATION, CULTURE LCS-MC01 20
EUROPEAN UNION: POWER, POLITICS AND POLICY PSIIM003 20
EVALUATING NATURE LDCEM058 20
EXHIBITING EMPIRE AND IMPERIAL MODERNITY ART-MA60 20
EXHIBITION PROJECT ART-MU9Y 20
FICTION AFTER MODERNISM LDCEM023 20
FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION FTMFM041 20
FILM STUDIES DISSERTATION FTMFM60X 60
FILM STUDIES: HISTORY, THEORY, CRITICISM FTMFM023 20
FORENSIC LINGUISTICS AND TRANSLATION LCS-MA08 20
GENDER AND CULTURE FTMFM064 20
GOOD GOOD GIRLS AND GOOD BAD BOYS? AMERICAN FICTIONS OF INNOCENCE AMSAM022 20
HISTORY OF POLITICAL THOUGHT: SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY PSIPM005 20
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION - UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENCES IN A GLOBAL WORLD LCS-ML25 20
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN PRACTICE LCS-ML22 20
INTERNATIONAL HISTORY OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION PSIIM007 20
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND PUBLIC POLICY PSIIM006 20
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS: CONFLICT AND DEVELOPMENT PSIIM009 20
INTERNATIONAL POLITICS SINCE 1945 PSIIM015 20
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THEORY PSIIM011 20
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY PSIIM020 20
INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL HERITAGE ART-MC13 20
INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL HERITAGE IN JAPAN ART-MC19 20
INTRODUCTION TO INTERDISCIPLINARY ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PHI-M07Y 20
ISSUES IN MEDIA AND CULTURAL POLITICS PSIPM03Y 20
JAPANESE FILM: NATIONAL CINEMA AND BEYOND FTMFM032 20
JAPANESE MASS MEDIA AND SOCIETY HUMJM002 20
JOURNALISM: PRACTICE AND ETHICS PSIPM031 20
LANGUAGE AND MIND PHI-M023 20
LANGUAGE ISSUES IN A GLOBAL MULTILINGUAL CONTEXT LCS-MC02 20
LINGUISTIC COMMUNICATION AMONG CULTURES LCS-ML26 20
LITERARY TRANSLATION RESEARCH AND METHODOLOGY TRAINING SEMINAR LDCEM06Y 10
LIVING MODERNISM LDCEM017 20
LUDIC LITERATURE LDCEM016 20
MA IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS & EUROPEAN STUDIES EXAMINATION PSIIM202 20
MA IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS EXAMINATION PSIIM200 20
MEDIA AND SOCIETY PSIPM09Y 40
MEDIA, CULTURE AND SOCIETY DISSERTATION PSIPM40X 60
MEDIEVAL ART IN EAST ANGLIA 1090-1540 ART-MA64 20
METHODOLOGY AND EPISTEMOLOGY OF PHILOSOPHY PHI-M019 20
METHODS OF SOCIAL ENQUIRY PSIPM11Y 40
MIDDLE EAST POLITICS PSIIM030 20
MULTICULTURALISM PSIPM026 20
MUSEUM STUDIES (FELLOWSHIP) ART-MM2Y 40
MUSEUM STUDIES (PLACEMENT) ART-MM1Y 40
MUSEUM STUDIES: DISSERTATION ART-MM1X 60
MUSEUMS AND HERITAGE: INTERPRETATION, ACCESS, ENGAGEMENT ART-MC24 20
MUSEUMS AND HERITAGE: MANAGEMENT, GOVERNANCE, STRATEGIES ART-MC23 20
MUSIC, MEDIA, SOCIETY FTMFM062 20
NEW MEDIA AND SOCIETY PSIPM007 20
NOVEL HISTORY LDCCM010 20
OCEANIA SECTION ART-MS03 30
ONLINE JOURNALISM PSIPM027 20
PHILOSOPHY AND LITERATURE SEMINAR PHI-M028 20
PHILOSOPHY DISSERTATION (80 CREDITS) PHI-M20X 80
PHILOSOPHY DISSERTATION (90 CREDITS) PHI-M10X 90
PHILOSOPHY OF LITERATURE SEMINAR PHI-M021 20
PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE PHI-M024 20
PHILOSOPHY POSTGRADUATE WORKSHOP PHI-M09Y 10
POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE ENVIRONMENT PSIPM022 20
POLITICS AND MASS MEDIA PSIPM012 20
POLITICS AND POPULAR CULTURE PSIPM009 20
POLITICS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS PSIPM034 20
POLITICS AND PUBLIC CULTURE LDCEM069 20
POSTMODERNISM IN PERFORMANCE LDCDM012 20
PRACTICAL MEDIA PSIPM020 20
PROCESS AND PRODUCT IN TRANSLATION LDCEM034 20
PSI DISSERTATION PSI-M50X 40
PSI DISSERTATION PSI-M70X 60
PSI DISSERTATION BY PRACTICE PSI-M60X 40
PUBLIC CHOICE PSIPM014 20
PUBLIC MANAGEMENT: THEORIES AND CHANGE PSIPM042 20
PUBLIC POLICY: THEORY AND ANALYSIS PSIPM023 20
PUBLISHING - A PRACTICAL APPROACH LDCCM016 20
QUEERING AMERICA AMSAM033 20
RADICAL DRAMATURGIES LDCDM004 20
READING AMERICAN WOMEN'S LIVES: HER-STORY IN THE LONG NINETEENTH CENTURY AMSAM042 20
REFASHIONING THE SELF: THE WORK OF ART IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY LONDON ART-MA59 20
REFORMING EXPERIENCE: PICTURES AND PERCEPTION IN SIXTEENTH-CENTURY GERMANY ART-MA66 20
REGULATION PSIPM028 20
RESEARCH AND METHODOLOGY TRAINING SEMINAR AMSAM02Y 10
RESEARCH AND METHODOLOGY TRAINING SEMINAR LDCDM020 10
RESEARCH AND METHODOLOGY TRAINING SEMINAR LDCEM020 10
RESEARCH METHODS LCS-MR1Y 10
RESEARCH METHODS PART I LCS-MR01 5
RESEARCH METHODS PART II LCS-MR02 5
RESEARCHING ART HISTORY ART-MA71 40
REUSING THE PAST: THE CLASSICAL IN THE MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN LDCEM018 20
REVIEW PAPER (MRES) PSIPM04Y 20
RUSSIAN FOREIGN POLICY PSIIM008 20
SCIENCE FICTION: FILM AND TELEVISION FTMFM043 20
SRU DISSERTATION ART-MS0X 80
SRU MUSEOLOGY TIMED ESSAY ART-MS06 10
SRU RESEARCH TUTORIAL ART-MS1Y 30
STUDYING MEDIA PSIPM017 20
STUDYING MEDIA FTMFM029 20
STYLISTICS FOR TRANSLATORS LDCEM033 20
SUPERVISED STUDY MODULE FOUR PHI-MA04 20
SUPERVISED STUDY MODULE ONE PHI-MA01 20
SUPERVISED STUDY MODULE THREE PHI-MA02 20
SUPERVISED STUDY MODULE TWO PHI-MA03 20
TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS FOR TRANSLATORS LCS-MT12 20
TEXT AND PRODUCTION: SCENE CLASS LDCDM001 20
THE 20TH CENTURY NOVEL AMSAM017 20
THE ACTOR IN SPACE LDCEM047 20
THE ART OF SHORT FICTION LDCCM017 20
THE BIG PICTURE: CONTEMPORARY HOLLYWOOD CINEMA FTMFM015 20
THE BLACK ATLANTIC AMSAM018 20
THE DIRTY SOUTH: READING SOUTHERN CULTURES AMSAM038 20
THE EUROPEAN UNION IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS PSIIM010 20
THE FOREIGN RELATIONS OF CHINA AND JAPAN IN THE MODERN WORLD PSIIM026 20
THE IMPERIAL ORIGINS OF THE US AND CANADA AMSAM044 20
THE LIFE OF THE BOOK LDCEM007 20
THE PERSISTENCE OF THE AESTHETIC LDCEM062 20
THE POWER OF DISCOURSE: REPRESENTATION AND INTERACTION LCS-ML13 20
THE WRITING OF CRIME/THRILLER FICTION LDCCM013 20
THEORIES OF AMERICAN CULTURE AMSAM009 20
THEORIES OF SOCIETY AND POLITICS PSIPM003 20
THEORY AND PRACTICE OF FICTION LDCCM024 20
THEORY AND PRACTICE OF POLICY MAKING IN BRITAIN PSIPM018 20
TOPICS IN POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY PHI-M008 20
TRANSLATION AND CULTURAL REPRESENTATION ACROSS ARTS AND MEDIA LCS-MA10 20
TRANSLATION AND THEORY LCS-MA03 20
TRANSLATION IN CONTEXT LCS-MA01 20
TRANSLATION THEORY LDCEM043 20
TRANSLATION WORK EXPERIENCE LCS-MA02 20
TRANSLATION WORKSHOP LDCEM04Y 0
UNWRAPPING ANCIENT EGYPT: MUMMIES, MUSEUMS, AND MYSTERIES IN THE EUROPEAN IMAGINATION ART-MA67 20
USES OF CULTURAL HERITAGE ART-MC12 20
USES OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN JAPAN ART-MC20 20
WAR GAMES: DIPLOMACY AND STRATEGY IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS PSIIM034 20
WOMEN AND FILM FTMFM060 20
WRITING IN THE FIRST PERSON LDCEM012 20
WRITING LIVES LDCEM003 20

Disclaimer

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules and regular (five-yearly) review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff or sabbatical leave. Where this is the case, the University will endeavour to inform students.

Entry Requirements

Degree Subject:
Humanities or Social Sciences
Degree Classification:
UK BA (Hons) 2.1 or equivalent

Students for whom English is a Foreign language

We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:

  •          IELTS: 6.5 (minimum 6.0 in all components)
  •          TOEFL: Internet-based score of 92 (minimum 19 listening, 21 speaking, 19 writing and 20 reading)
  •          PTE (Pearson): 62 (minimum 55 in all components

Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.

Other tests such as TOEIC and the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English are also accepted by the university. Please check with the Admissions Office for further details including the scores or grades required.

INTO UEA and INTO UEA London run pre-sessional courses which can be taken prior to the start of your course. For further information and to see if you qualify please contact intopre-sessional@uea.ac.uk (INTO UEA Norwich) or pseuealondon@into.uk.com (INTO UEA London).

Intakes

The School's annual intake is in September of each year.

Assessment

All applications for postgraduate study are processed through the Faculty Admissions Office and then forwarded to the relevant School of Study for consideration. If you are currently completing your first degree or have not yet taken a required English language test, any offer of a place will be conditional upon you achieving this before you arrive.

Fees and Funding

Tuition fees

Tuition fees for Postgraduate students for the academic year 2013/14 are £5,000 for Home/EU students and £12,500 for International Students.

If you choose to study part-time, the fee per annum will be half the annual fee for that year, or a pro-rata fee for the module credit you are taking (only available for Home/EU students).

We estimate living expenses at £600/650 per month.

Scholarships and Awards:

For details of all of the scholarships available to postgraduate applicants in the School of Film, Television and Media Studies please click here


Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.

You can apply online, or by downloading the application form.

Further Information

To request further information & to be kept up to date with news & events please use our online enquiry form.

If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying please do contact us:

Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk

International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students section of our website.