Film Studies

BA (Hons) (NFQ Level 8)

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Course Video

Curricular information is subject to change.

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Why is this course for me?

Media literacy is a vital 21st century skill and the cultivation of such literacy stands at the centre of this degree path. Students are encouraged to make connections between literary, cinematic and televisual forms, to deepen their knowledge of screen cultures and, in particular, to ask serious questions about how representation, culture and politics interrelate. If you have a passion for media, this degree provides a unique opportunity for you to acquire key interpretive skills and hone your ability to make critically reasoned arguments.

Film Studies will give you the tools to better understand how all the things we think of as entertainment actually create the world in which we live.

Course Pathways
What Will I Study

You will study classical and contemporary film, television and other media, and engage with relevant critical writing, building awareness of media in social, cultural, historical and theoretical contexts. You will explore politics, history and economics, social and cultural change in action.

Modules include:

First Year

  • Introductions to Film & Media (including case studies in digital innovation, film, television, and other media forms)
  • Film History
  • Cinema Creatives

Second Year

  • Horror
  • Action/Adventure
  • Documentary & Social Change
  • TV History
  • Irish Film and Television
  • Race, Migration, and Media
  • Digital Media and Everyday Experiences

Third Year

  • Animation
  • Contemporary Alternative and Independent Cinemas
  • Feminist Media Studies
  • Cinema & the City
  • Creative Media Audiences

Students attend a range of lectures, tutorials and screenings. They also undertake independent study.

Assessment takes different forms such as written assignments, presentations, group projects and end-of-trimester examinations. You might present a poster, create storyboards, make a video or record a podcast. In third year, all teaching takes the form of small group seminars.

For detailed information on subject content click here.

How Will I Study
International Study Opportunities

Opportunities may include:

  • Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg, Germany
  • Université Sorbonne (Paris IV), France
  • University of Turin, Italy
  • University of Verona, Italy
  • University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
  • University of Coimbra, Portugal
  • University of Barcelona, Spain
  • The University of British Columbia, Canada
  • University of Miami, USA
  • University of Otago, New Zealand
Career & Graduate Study Opportunities

Graduates have pursued careers in every strand of media and media culture, including film festivals and arts curation, archive work, education (schools and universities), media journalism and television and film production.

Graduates are prepared for a wide range of master’s courses offered in the School of English, Drama & Film, including: Creative Writing, Literature & Culture (with strands in American; Gender, Sexuality & Culture, Writing for Stage & Screen. See www.ucd.ie/englishdramafilm/study/postgraduate for more details.

Other Entry Routes
Testimonial

“I chose this course to get a better understanding of something I feel so passionately about. I have always loved film and television, but more often than not I had a very onedimensional outlook on the things I was watching seeing them just as forms of entertainment. With this course my perspective completely changed. I now see how important media is at representing and creating culture. The historical perspective and understanding you gain is also something I didn’t expect. Through the wide and varied catalogue of films and shows you interact with, you can broaden your horizons tenfold, whether it be culturally, historically or theoretically. You will learn about culture and more specifically, how media is a significant tool in understanding it.”

Jack Fleming, Student

Contact Information

UCD School of English, Drama & Film
Newman,
Belfield,
Dublin 4

Tel: +353 1 716 8323
Email: harvey.obrien@ucd.ie

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