Film Studies
Film studies treats cinema as a serious object of academic inquiry, examining moving image as an art form, an industry and a cultural document. Rather than simply watching films, the discipline provides analytical tools for understanding how films are constructed technically and formally, how they generate meaning, how they reflect and shape the societies that produce them, and how the film industry has evolved as an economic and cultural institution. It is a field that sits at the intersection of aesthetics, cultural theory, history and media studies.
The University of Leicester offers this programme with an optional foundation year at the start, providing a thorough academic grounding for students who would benefit from this preparation before the main degree begins. The full programme then runs over three years of full-time study, covering film theory and criticism, film history, national and world cinemas, genre, narrative and the analysis of visual style. A year abroad is incorporated into the programme, giving you the opportunity to study film in a different national and cultural context, which inevitably enriches your understanding of how cinema varies across traditions and sharpens your comparative thinking.
Film studies develops close attention to visual and aural detail, the ability to apply theoretical frameworks to specific texts, skill in constructing interpretive arguments and the capacity to understand cultural production within its historical and industrial context. These analytical capabilities transfer well beyond the subject itself into any field that requires sustained critical engagement with media, culture or communication.
Graduates pursue careers in film and television production, film criticism and journalism, broadcasting, arts administration, curating, cultural policy, education and academic research. The analytical and communication skills developed in the degree are also valued in marketing, advertising, public relations and the creative industries more broadly. Postgraduate study in film studies, media studies, cultural theory or related fields is a natural option for those wishing to pursue academic careers or deepen their critical expertise.