MA Film Studies (Part time)

We 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.

Course Organiser:Mr. Peter Kramer

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

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.

Alternative Qualifications

If you have alternative qualifications that have not been mentioned above then please contact the university directly for further information.

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.

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

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.