Film Studies MA
Why choose this course?
The MA in Film Studies offers an opportunity to explore the rich and diverse nature of global cinema cultures from a range of dynamic perspectives.
The course is concerned with all that is new, vital and innovative in contemporary cinema, providing an in-depth study of selected areas of contemporary European, American and Global cinema. In examining these vibrant new areas, you will be drawing upon insights from such diverse disciplines as history, sociology, art history, comparative studies and aesthetics and from such major intellectual perspectives as feminism, postmodernism, postcolonial theory, semiotics and psychoanalysis.
Drawing on the specialist expertise and wide-ranging experience of colleagues from the Film Studies programme, the Film Studies MA is informed by staff research into a wide variety of areas, including gender and sexuality on screen, film and philosophy, theories of adaptation, national and transnational traditions, and experimental cinema.
We offer a supportive, stimulating and challenging course, which promotes a holistic and synoptic approach to the study of cinema to encourage self-reliance, self-confidence, and independence.
The course includes an integrated work placement which enables you to further develop your professional skills and enhance your employability.
If you are interested in further research, this course provides an excellent foundation for MPhil/PhD study.
| Mode | Duration | Start date |
|---|---|---|
| Full time | 1 year | September 2025 |
| Part time | 2 years | September 2025 |
| Main Location | Penrhyn Road |
Reasons to choose Kingston University
- You will study a wide variety of classical, contemporary, and emergent cinemas, including examples from British, American, European, and global traditions.
- Film Studies is located within the Kingston School of Art, one of the country's leading centres for teaching and research into art, design, and the creative industries.
- Kingston's location is ideal for accessing the many film-based resources in London, such as the British Film Institute (the largest film archive in the world).
The Art School Experience
As part of Kingston School of Art, students on this course benefit from joining a creative community where collaborative working and critical practice are encouraged.
Our workshops and studios are open to all disciplines, enabling students and staff to work together, share ideas and explore multi-disciplinary making.
What you will study
You will study all that is new, vital and innovative in contemporary and emergent cinemas. As well as evaluating and critically analysing a range of perspectives on cinema in light of contemporary developments, shifting cultural alliances and patterns of cross-fertilisations, you will be introduced to the main areas of debate in the history of film criticism.
Your dissertation will demonstrate your detailed research into a topic of your choice, including current theoretical and methodological debates relevant to the subject area, as well as an understanding of the historical and cultural context.
Current modules focus on European and transnational cinematic traditions, post-1960 British cinema, film and philosophy, film and adaptation, avant-garde and experimental cinema, and cinematic animals.
Note for part-time students
- Part-time students take two modules in Year 1 and two modules in Year 2.
- Students exiting the programme with 60 credits are eligible for the award of PgCert in Film Studies.
- Students exiting the programme with 120 credits are eligible for the award of PgDip in Film Studies.
Modules
You will be introduced to a range of ways of understanding cinema and encouraged to undertake original research into a wide variety of cinematic case studies. The course will equip you with the knowledge and skills to understand film from an historical perspective and to recognise its continued relevance in shaping contemporary debates.
Core modules
Film History Theory and Analysis
30 credits
This year-long module will provide the theoretical core to the MA Film Studies programme. It aims to explore a set of theoretical paradigms that have shaped the study of film and will approach the subject from an historical, formal, and theoretical perspective. It will introduce students to a range of cinematic examples that will provide the focus for discussion and analysis. Examples will be drawn from classical cinema, art cinema, and experimental cinema, and will encompass both historical and contemporary work. The module will be taught through a series of seminars that will give students the opportunity to explore both films and texts in considerable detail, allowing them to consider how the medium has engaged with a range of theoretical debates over the course of its history.
The Visible Universe: Film between Art and Experiment
30 credits
'The Visible Universe: Film between Art and Experiment', aims to situate film at the juncture between popular entertainment and scientific enquiry; to this end, the figure of Eadweard Muybridge may be understood as its guiding spirit. The module will begin with an exploration of pre- and proto-cinematic technologies that will anchor the key conceptual framework for the module, before embarking on a series of case-studies which will introduce students to a range of examples from across film history, where ideas of art and science have been in dialogue with one another. These will include both historical and contemporary examples, and will culminate in an exploration of experimental approaches in contemporary moving-image practice. The module will also aim to integrate the newly established Eadweard Muybridge Collection, housed in the Townhouse, into its teaching, encouraging students to use this resource as the inspiration for new avenues of research into moving image culture. The module is intended to provide students with a strong historical background and theoretical grounding, which will then feed into the other modules on the MA programme.
Cinema and Difference: Framing Representation
30 credits
This module focuses on a range of theoretical and conceptual approaches to cinema that have at their core an exploration of questions relating to identity, representation, and ideas of difference. The module understands cinema as a medium that has, historically, often reflected dominant ideological positions, in both production and spectatorship, but has also been at the vanguard of challenging these perceptions, through both formal and thematic innovations. The module explores these concerns through a series of case studies, which may include a focus on Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Cinema, Cinematic Animals: Monsters, Beasts, and Humans on Film, or other equivalent specialisms. The module will also equip Level 7 students with a broad range of skills in analysis and interpretation, uniting textual and contextual studies, alongside new audio-visual methods for investigating moving image culture.
Beyond the Frame: Film, Industry, Context
30 credits
This module approaches film from a broadly contextual perspective, encouraging students to understand it through historical, industrial, and cultural contexts. Through a series of case studies, which may include a special focus on aspects of British Cinema, Film and Adaptation, and other equivalent studies focused on national and international contexts, it aims to expand the purview of Film Studies to include analyses of a wide range of approaches and ideas. The module seeks to deepen an understanding of the role cinema has played in shaping both the historical and contemporary world, whilst maintaining a focus on the innovative formal approaches filmmakers have used to investigate these ideas. The module will equip Level 7 students with a broad range of skills in analysis and interpretation, uniting textual and contextual studies, alongside new audio-visual methods for investigating moving image culture.
Major Project
60 credits
The Major Project is the capstone module of the Masters programme. Focusing on critical research, analysis, and presentation, the capstone project enables students to synthesise and apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired throughout the course. The module provides students with an extensive programme of training and resources which are designed to aid them in the development, planning, research, and writing of their projects. It brings together students from several MA programmes in the School of Critical Studies and Creative Industries and embeds a range of interdisciplinary and practice-led approaches to their respective fields of study. It provides students with the opportunity to craft their own approach to their field through critical-theoretical and/or creative, practice-based research. The Major Project can accommodate research projects developed through a range of academic and professional contexts depending on the motivation and interests of the student. It can be presented either as a written dissertation or as a creative project, such as a portfolio comprising a chosen medium or media, accompanied by a critical commentary. The intensity of the workload increases across the three teaching blocks, allowing increasing focus in line with the level of your expertise.
Optional modules
Professional Placement (CSCI) (Full time option)
120 credits
Professional placement portfolio that includes monthly diary/blog posts for each month of the placement, collection of samples of work, a reflective essay and CV.
Please note
Optional modules only run if there is enough demand. If we have an insufficient number of students interested in an optional module, that module will not be offered for this course.
Entry requirements
Teaching and assessment
You'll be assessed through a range of essays, presentations, research projects, and a dissertation.
Who teaches this course?
The Faculty's combination of academics and practitioners makes it a unique environment in which to further your studies and your career. The Faculty provides a vibrant and forward-thinking environment for study with:
- courses designed in collaboration with industry professionals – keeping you up to date with the latest developments;
- established connections with the London arts and media scene – with a range of guest speakers, professors and lecturers visiting the University; and
- committed and enthusiastic staff – many of whom are expert practitioners as well as leading academics and researchers.
The Faculty's combination of academics and practitioners makes it a unique environment in which to further your studies and your career.
Fees for this course
Additional costs
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs that are not covered by tuition fees which students will need to consider when planning their studies. Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, access to shared IT equipment and other support services. Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees.
Where a course has additional expenses, we make every effort to highlight them. These may include optional field trips, materials (e.g. art, design, engineering), security checks such as DBS, uniforms, specialist clothing or professional memberships.
Facilities
There is a wide range of facilities at our Penrhyn Road campus, where this course is based. You will have access to a modern environment with the latest equipment, including our specialist film and media labs, equipped with iMacs running software including Final Cut Studio Pro and the Adobe Creative Suite.
Students also have access to a film studio facility with backgrounds and green wall, as well as a fully equipped audio recording facility running Logic Pro and Pro Tools.
General facilities
The library, based in our fantastic new Town House, offers:
- Subject libraries, plus a free inter-library loan scheme to other libraries in the Greater London area
- Online database subscriptions
- A wide selection of resource materials.
Resources in London
Kingston is just a 30-minute train journey from central London. Here you can access a wealth of film-related resources, including:
- Specialist cinemas – such as the National Film Theatre and the IMAX cinema
- Organisations such as the British Film Institute (BFI)
- Film festivals – including the annual Raindance Film Festival and events run by the BFI.
What our students and graduates say
After you graduate
Graduates from the MA in Film Studies have gone on to a variety of roles within industry and education. This includes work in film marketing and distribution, film programming, journalism, and editing, and a variety of roles in archiving and curating. Several students developed ideas first encountered on the Film Studies MA into successful PhD projects, and have gone on to pursue careers in education and research.
Many of our Film Studies postgraduates have progressed to exciting roles as:
- Film Programmer/Exhibitor
- Film Journalist
- Lecturer/Academic
- Archivist/Curator
Research areas
Many of the staff in the Kingston School of Art are research active. This ensures they are in touch with the latest thinking and bring best practice to your studies. Research in film aims to:
- explore the expanding points of intersection between these three areas;
- examine the new cultural forms that will emerge from them, especially in the field of digital media culture; and
- create innovative and cross-disciplinary projects from these developments.
Research in film has a particular expertise in:
- Contemporary cinema;
- Spanish and Latin American cinema;
- British cinema;
- Film philosophy;
- Feminist film theory;
- Digital cinema; and
- Space and place in cinema.
Course changes and regulations
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Course changes explained.
Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.
