MA Film Studies and Curation with a Placement Year
Key details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Arts
- Course Length
- 2 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2026
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Gain a competitive edge with a placement year
This course is also available with an integrated placement year, giving you the opportunity to gain valuable UK industry experience alongside your master's degree
Top 20
UEA is ranked top 20 in the UK for Research Quality
UEA is ranked top 20 in the UK for Research QualityCourse Overview
Why MA Film Studies and Curation with a Placement Year at UEA?
This course combines UEA's unique heritage and strengths in film studies with advanced practical training in film curation to launch your career. You'll master film history and analysis while gaining hands-on experience of curating film festivals, working with archives, and connecting audiences with film culture.
Why Choose UEA
- Academic Prestige: UEA has pioneered the teaching of film studies in the UK over the last fifty years, and you'll study film culture with renowned academic specialists.
- Festival Experience: Work on festival opportunities with external partners and academic practitioners
- Archival Engagements: Explore film and advertising archives through the East Anglian Film Archive, StudioCanal archives, and the History of Advertising Trust
What is MA Film Studies and Curation?
You'll gain a mastery of film cultures, stretching from the historic to the contemporary, and understand the inner workings of today's global film industry. You'll learn from renowned academics and have the opportunity to undertake advanced film research.
You’ll also apply these academic insights in professional contexts. You'll gain experience of working with film festivals such as NQIFF(opens in a new window), Green Film Festival @ UEA,(opens in a new window) and Norwich Film Festival(opens in a new window). This will enable you to plan, curate, and stage your own film events.
Hands-on archival experience will ensure you graduate with the digital and heritage skills needed to enable future audiences to experience film's rich traditions. Upon graduation, you’ll have developed your intellectual and practical skills, alongside a growing portfolio of work to showcase to employers.
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Placement Year
This two-year course includes an integrated placement year, giving you the opportunity to gain valuable UK industry experience as part of your Master’s degree.
In year one, you'll complete an employability programme designed to prepare you for the UK workplace and support you in securing a placement opportunity.
During the placement year, you'll either undertake an industry placement or complete three employer-led industry projects with different UK organisations. This additional year provides the opportunity to apply your knowledge in a professional setting, gain practical UK experience, and enhance your career prospects after graduation.
You'll lead the search for your placement, supported by employability workshops, one-to-one coaching, and guidance from our specialist placement partner.
If you don’t secure a placement, you'll complete three employer-led industry projects, working with organisations across a range of UK sectors
Find out more at Postgraduate Placement Year(opens in a new window).
Careers
Career Pathways
With a MA Film Studies and Curation degree, you could launch the following careers:
- Festival Director: Curate programmes and shape the creative direction of film events and festivals
- Communications Manager: Create compelling communication strategies across platforms and audiences
- Festival Manager: Organise programmes, people, logistics, and delivery for film festivals and events
- Audience Analyst: Use audience insight to support programming, marketing, and engagement strategies
- Film Distribution Coordinator: Help filmmakers place their work with festivals, exhibitors, and audiences worldwide
Career Support
Alongside opportunities to engage with film festivals and external partners, you’ll benefit from a wide range of events, activities, and support. Our partnerships include EAFA, the BFI, The History of Advertising Trust, Norwich Film Festival, and Screen Norfolk. You’ll attend events where you can network with alumni, meet industry professionals, and develop your professional profile. A dedicated careers specialist will help you maximise your development during your studies. UEA’s Career Central(opens in a new window) also offers support with CVs, applications, interviews, and career planning for up to three years after graduation.
After the Course
You can expect to graduate with the advanced understanding, practical experience, and professional capacity to move into the broad arena of film marketing, distribution, curation, exhibition, and analysis. You'll have gained vital experience of working on events and festivals, providing you with a holistic understanding of contemporary film curation business and practice.
Study and Modules
Structure
Learning focuses on the intellectual, creative, ethical, and critical practices of film curation. In the first semester you'll learn new ways of thinking about history, theory, and artistry of filmmaking through curatorial practice. Classes will explore the theoretical, historical, and technological innovations that underpin contemporary approaches to film studies and curation practices.
The course takes a global approach to learning, and you'll explore a variety of film cultures and curatorial practices, gaining an advanced understanding of the key issues and debates shaping the contemporary curatorial sectors.
Throughout the course, you’re provided with an embedded approach to developing your professional research skills and curatorial practice portfolio to an advanced level. You'll have opportunities to work alongside academics to experience and understand their curatorial practices and be able to put this into practice in group and independent projects.
There are a range of optional modules for you to select from in the second semester of study. These provide you with the opportunity to further refine a specific area of interest from semester one.
As part of MA Film Studies and Curation, you’ll complete an independent research project where you’ll have the opportunity to create a substantial piece of work, such as a curatorial showreel. This may also take the form of a written project or a planned exhibition, allowing you to demonstrate and reflect on your own identity, practice and position in relation to film and curation.
You'll also complete an Employability Skills module that prepares you for your placement year. This includes workshops, practical career development activities and personalised support. You'll develop skills in areas such as CV writing, interview techniques and professional networking.
The module is assessed on a pass/fail basis, and successful completion is required to progress to the placement year.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 20)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. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with 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. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Structure
In your second year, you’ll undertake a 60-credit placement module designed to help you gain practical experience and apply your knowledge in a professional environment. During the first semester, you’ll be supported in your search for a placement through guidance from employability specialists and tailored in-person workshops. These sessions will help you develop your career goals, prepare for the recruitment process and reflect on your professional development.
If you’re unable to secure a placement, you’ll complete three employer-led industry projects, working with different organisations to gain experience of real-world challenges and workplace practices.
The module is assessed on a pass/fail basis through a portfolio that records your placement search and a reflective report exploring your placement or industry project experience. By the end of the year, you’ll have enhanced your professional skills, gained valuable sector insight, expanded your network, strengthened your CV and developed greater confidence for your future career.
Compulsory Modules
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. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with 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. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning, and Assessment
Teaching and Learning
Teaching is delivered via seminars and workshops which are accompanied by a range of ancillary and supporting materials. Learning combines active, experiential, and group-based work alongside an emphasis on the kinds of independent intellectual study and engagement that you’d expect at a postgraduate level.
Assessment
You’ll develop academic research and writing skills through critical writing and applied creative tasks. You may plan and curate film screening events, create reflective and analytical reports, and produce creative responses for marketing and distribution. Your research project gives you the chance to create a bespoke piece of work shaped around your strengths, interests, and ambitions. Whether you choose a traditional dissertation or a curatorial project, it’ll form the capstone of your studies and help express your professional identity.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
Degree classification
Bachelors degree - 2.2
Degree Subject
All subject areas considered
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical International Entry Requirements
Degree classification
UK Bachelors degree - 2.2 or equivalent
Degree Subject
All subject areas considered
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
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IELTS: 6.0 overall (minimum 5.5 in each component)
Test dates should be within 2 years of the course start date.
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies(opens in a new window) for a list of qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
If you do not yet meet the English language requirements for this course, UEA International Study Centre offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the required English skills.
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- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
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Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2026/27 are:
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UK Students: £11,200
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International Students: £23,850
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 students).
If you choose to take this course with a placement year, your tuition fees for the first year will be as shown above. An additional fee of £3,500 will apply for the placement year (see our FAQs page for further details).
We estimate living expenses at £1,171 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here(opens in a new window).
Scholarships and Bursaries
The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships(opens in a new window); please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see Additional Course Fees(opens in a new window) for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
How to apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form(opens in a new window).
Further information
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(opens in a new window)
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students(opens in a new window) section of our website.