Birkbeck, University of London
UCAS Code: P396 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
We welcome applications from students on Access to Higher Education Diplomas. In this case, admission is normally on an interview and you may also be asked to complete a written task.
UCAS Tariff
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About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
Our BA Film, Media and Language course combines studying a modern language and its associated culture with film and media studies. You will gain a thorough grounding in different areas of media study and an understanding of the ways in which the media relate to each other. You will develop a critical approach so that you can put your own and others' work in context. You will also have the opportunity to study a number of cross-cultural modules which allow you to explore specific themes across a variety of language-speaking areas.
This course introduces you to the academic study of film, television and screenwriting and will equip you with core knowledge and practice-based skills for work in film and media organisations, and in the creative industries. You will learn how technology, business and human creativity have forged our contemporary media world, and will be challenged to engage critically and imaginatively with a wide variety of film/media forms and styles from around the world and from different historical periods.
The languages component of this degree is designed to give you the chance to reach a high level of competence in a modern language of your choice and study the associated culture(s) of that language. You can choose French, German, Italian, Japanese, or Spanish starting at the level of language learning that suits you, whether you are a complete beginner or a native speaker. Korean is offered starting from beginner level. If you decide to take this language, your final degree award will be a ‘with’ degree, so for example BA Film and Media with Korean, because we currently offer this language up to intermediate level only.
This course is one of a cluster of courses in Film and Media which are taught by highly experienced tutors with links in key film and media institutions. Other courses can be found under the pathways section of this page.
If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree.
**This course has an evening timetable with lectures, seminars and classes taking place in the evening.**
**Highlights**
- Birkbeck was ranked as one of the top four universities in the UK for its Art and Design research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
- The award-winning Birkbeck Cinema is central to the course, where most of our film classes take place. The cinema is equipped with 35mm and state-of-the-art digital projection, which offers you an opportunity to watch and study films in the best possible conditions.
- Located in central London, in the heart of historic Bloomsbury, Birkbeck is within easy reach of cinemas and galleries, as well as facilities such as the British Film Institute and the British Library.
- In film, media and cultural studies, Birkbeck fosters a research-intensive environment and offers an extensive portfolio of internationally respected courses that span a variety of academic disciplines and engage with the latest ideas and techniques in journalism, media and cultural theory, arts policy and management, film and television studies, creative marketing, digital culture and East Asian cultural studies.
- Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image (BIMI) runs a busy, intellectually stimulating programme of events, including conferences, screenings and film-related events of all kinds, which students on this course are encouraged to attend.
**Careers and employability**
Graduates can pursue career paths in film and television companies, arts administration or education. Possible professions include:
- programme researcher (broadcasting/film/video)
- arts administrator
- higher education lecturer
- museum/gallery curator.
Modules
For information about course structure and the modules you will be studying, please visit Birkbeck’s online prospectus.
Assessment methods
Assessment is through a mixture of the following: essays, reviews and reports; oral, audio or video presentations; group and individual projects; and digital media/design exercises.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Birkbeck, University of London
School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Others in language and area studies
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Media studies
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Modern languages
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
This is a broad subject for a variety of European languages. No matter which you take, the general theme is that some graduates go to that country to work, often as English language teachers, some go into further study, often to train as teachers or translators, but most get jobs in the UK in education - most often as language tutors, unsurprisingly, or translators. Modern language grads can also be in demand in business roles where communication and language skills are particularly useful, such as marketing and PR, and in finance or law. But remember — whilst employers say they rate graduates who have graduates who have more than one language, you need to have them as part of a whole package of good skills.
Media and communication studies
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
Only a small number of students study courses within this catch-all subject area, so there isn't a lot of information available on what graduates do when they finish - bear that in mind when you look at any stats. Marketing and PR were the most likely jobs for graduates from these courses, but it's sensible to go on open days and talk to tutors about what you might expect from the course, and what previous graduates did.
Film studies
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Others in language and area studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£25k
£23k
£37k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Media studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£22k
£24k
£25k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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