Undergraduate Course
BA (Hons) Film Studies
(Including Foundation Year)
Now In Clearing
Overview
The details
Film Studies (Including Foundation Year)
W628
October 2026
Full-time
What is BA Film Studies with a Foundation Year?
BA Film Studies with a Foundation Year is a four-year degree designed for students who would benefit from an extra year of study before progressing onto the full BA Film Studies course.
Your foundation year helps you build academic confidence, strengthen your study skills and explore key ideas in the arts and humanities. Once you've successfully completed the foundation year, you'll progress onto the three-year BA Film Studies degree, where you'll combine critical film analysis with opportunities to explore filmmaking, screenwriting, festival programming and creative practice.
Course highlights
This course gives you the opportunity to build your confidence before moving on to a Film Studies degree that combines academic excellence with practical, industry-focused experiences.
- Start with confidence: Develop your academic skills, critical thinking and subject knowledge during your foundation year before progressing onto the full degree.
- Create and curate: Organise and deliver a public film festival as part of the Film Festivals module, gaining valuable project management and event experience.
- Develop practical skills: Explore filmmaking, screenwriting and production alongside the study of cinema, giving you experience of both creative practice and critical analysis.
- Learn from industry professionals: Meet filmmakers, writers and creative practitioners through guest lectures, workshops and masterclasses.
- Be taught by experts: Learn from internationally recognised academics whose research shapes contemporary film scholarship and informs every stage of your degree.
Who should apply
- Students who are passionate about film, television and visual culture but would benefit from an additional year to prepare for degree-level study.
- Creative thinkers interested in combining film analysis with opportunities to explore filmmaking, screenwriting and festival organisation.
- Anyone looking to build confidence in academic study while developing transferable skills in communication, research, storytelling, project management and critical thinking.
- Students considering careers across the creative industries, media, arts, education or cultural organisations.
What you'll learn
- Foundation year: Build your academic writing, research, critical thinking and communication skills while exploring key topics across the arts and humanities.
- Film history and theory: Explore cinema from different cultures, periods and movements.
- Critical analysis: Learn to interpret films through historical, political, cultural and aesthetic perspectives.
- Creative practice: Develop practical experience in filmmaking, screenwriting and visual storytelling.
- Industry knowledge: Understand film production, distribution, exhibition and contemporary screen industries.
Your learning experience
- Supportive first year: Build your confidence through smaller classes, personalised support and teaching designed to prepare you for undergraduate study.
- Varied teaching: Learn through lectures, seminars, film screenings, workshops, practical sessions and independent study.
- Practical opportunities: Gain experience through filmmaking projects, festival programming and collaborative creative work.
- Optional study abroad or placement year: Expand your experience internationally or gain valuable professional experience.
- Specialist facilities: Access dedicated film teaching spaces, editing facilities and production equipment to support your creative work.
Careers and outcomes
By the time you graduate, you'll have developed highly transferable skills in research, communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and project management. These skills are valued across the creative industries and many other sectors.
Graduates from BA Film Studies pursue careers in:
- Film and television: Production, development, research, distribution and exhibition.
- Creative industries: Festival management, arts administration, publishing and cultural organisations.
- Media and communications: Journalism, digital content, marketing, social media and public relations.
- Education and heritage: Museums, galleries, education and public engagement.
- Further study: Master's degrees, creative practice, film research and academic careers.
Where could this degree take you?
The skills you develop are valued by employers across the creative and cultural sectors, including:
- Film and television production companies
- Streaming and broadcast organisations
- Film festivals and arts organisations
- Museums, galleries and cultural institutions
- Marketing, communications and digital media agencies
Why we're great.
- We equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed at Essex and beyond.
- Guarantee your place on your chosen course if you successfully complete your foundation year at Essex.
- Small class sizes allow you to work closely with your teachers and classmates.
Course content
Course structure
Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The following modules are based on the current course structure and may change in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.
Components and modules explained
Components
Components are the blocks of study that make up your course. A component may have a set module which you must study, or a number of modules from which you can choose.
Each component has a status and carries a certain number of credits towards your qualification.
| Status | What this means |
| Core |
You must take the set module for this component and you must pass. No failure can be permitted. |
| Core with Options |
You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component but you must pass. No failure can be permitted. |
| Compulsory |
You must take the set module for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail. |
| Compulsory with Options |
You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail. |
| Optional |
You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail. |
The modules that are available for you to choose for each component will depend on several factors, including which modules you have chosen for other components, which modules you have completed in previous years of your course, and which term the module is taught in.
Modules
Modules are the individual units of study for your course. Each module has its own set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria and also carries a certain number of credits.
In most cases you will study one module per component, but in some cases you may need to study more than one module. For example, a 30-credit component may comprise of either one 30-credit module, or two 15-credit modules, depending on the options available.
Modules may be taught at different times of the year and by a different department or school to the one your course is primarily based in. You can find this information from the module code. For example, the module code HR100-4-FY means:
| HR | 100 | 4 | FY |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The department or school the module will be taught by. In this example, the module would be taught by the Department of History. |
The module number. |
The UK academic level of the module. A standard undergraduate course will comprise of level 4, 5 and 6 modules - increasing as you progress through the course. A standard postgraduate taught course will comprise of level 7 modules. A postgraduate research degree is a level 8 qualification. |
The term the module will be taught in.
|
COMPONENT 01: CORE
Research and Academic Skills for University
(30 CREDITS)
This module is designed to support students in their academic subject disciplines and to strengthen their confidence in key skills areas such as: academic writing, research, academic integrity, collaborative and reflective practices. The students are supported through the use of subject-specific materials tailored to their chosen degrees with alignment of assessments between academic subject modules and the skills module.
View Research and Academic Skills for University on our Module Directory
COMPONENT 02: CORE
Understanding People and Society
(30 CREDITS)
The module aims to establish a theoretical foundation for students pursuing degrees in Social Science through the introduction of some key theories and concepts associated with the fields of Sociology, Criminology and Psychoanalysis and Psychosocial studies. The relevance of these theories will be demonstrated through opportunities to consider their role in specific contemporary social issues. As such the Autumn Term focuses on criminological theory and its application to contemporary society whilst also encouraging the development of a Sociological Imagination through debating current social issues based on the work of key social theorists. In Spring term building upon the learning in Autumn Term, students will use the lens of psychoanalysis to explore how people interact within society. They will consider the way individuals affect one another and how institutions affect the people who work in them and vice versa. Throughout the module, expert guest speakers are periodically invited to contribute to lectures and seminars.
View Understanding People and Society on our Module Directory
COMPONENT 03: CORE
Global Politics and Economic Policies
(15 CREDITS)
COMPONENT 04: CORE
Making an Impact: Independent Project
(15 CREDITS)
COMPONENT 05: CORE
Ways of Reading
(30 CREDITS)
COMPONENT 01: COMPULSORY
Approaches to Film and Media
(30 CREDITS)
How do we analyse moving images? What innovations have transformed the cinema experience? What moments and movements have been key to film history? Study the development of international cinema, looking at all aspects of the form, including analysis of theoretical issues, film language, and a variety of important directors and genres.
COMPONENT 02: COMPULSORY
Introduction to Film Production
(30 CREDITS)
Want hands-on experience of the film process, from pre to post-production? Keen to tackle technical aspects, such as framing, lighting, sound and editing? Work individually and in small groups on your own projects, covering topics like how shots are framed through to the different editing techniques that manipulate film narrative.
View Introduction to Film Production on our Module Directory
COMPONENT 03: COMPULSORY
The Humanities Graduate: Future Pathways
(15 CREDITS)
This interdisciplinary module serves several functions. Firstly, you will develop an understanding of your degree in the context of the wider world and specifically the graduate jobs market. You will come to understand the employability and career-development opportunities that are available to you during and after your time at Essex, and you will begin the life-long process of continuous professional development with a firm grounding in the practical skills and reflective practice involved. The module is divided into two parts: career-development learning; and Speaker Weeks, when a member of staff will interview guest speakers about their careers in fields that are allied to the arts and humanities. These will cover a range of career areas that may be of interest to humanities graduates in general: from media, arts, journalism, education, publishing, to entrepreneurship in related areas. These weeks are intended to be inspiring but also full of practical tips and ideas, with an emphasis on showing how careers develop over time, and what pathways students can explore to get to where they want to be; as well as what kinds of extra-curricular activities students can engage in now to open more doors professionally before and after graduation. In the career-development learning part of the module, you will cover topics such as the Graduate Labour market, the Humanities graduate, self-reflection and personal development, and how to research and apply effectively for jobs. Skills such as CV writing and interview technique will be covered. Two-hour interactive lecture/seminars will introduce students to careers resources and ideas, but will also include discussion and group work.
View The Humanities Graduate: Future Pathways on our Module Directory
COMPONENT 01: COMPULSORY WITH OPTIONS
LT207-5-FY or LT226-5-SP and/or LT225-5-AU and/or LT206-5-SP
(30 CREDITS)
COMPONENT 01: COMPULSORY WITH OPTIONS
LT833-6-FY or LT834-6-FY or LT410-6-FY or LT322-6-FY
(30 CREDITS)
COMPONENT 02: COMPULSORY WITH OPTIONS
LT347-6-AU and/or LT399-6-SP and/or LT406-6-SP and/or LT409-6-AU
(30 CREDITS)
Teaching
- Your teaching mainly takes the form of lectures and classes, the latter involving about 20 students
- A typical timetable includes a one-hour lecture and a one-hour class for each of your four modules every week
- Any language classes involve language laboratory sessions
- Our classes are run in small groups, so you receive a lot of individual attention
Assessment
- Your assessed coursework will generally consist of essays, reports, in-class tests, book reviews, individual or group oral presentations, and small scale research projects
Entry requirements
Clearing entry requirements
We currently have places available in Clearing across a range of our courses with most offers expected to be made at CCD - CDD (88 - 80 UCAS tariff points) or equivalent. A complete breakdown of expected Clearing entry requirements, by course, is available on our Clearing entry requirements page.
We consider each application individually and requirements may be lower for some of our courses, so please still get in touch if your grades are below those outlined.
English language requirements
English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English
IELTS 5.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each component, or specified score in an equivalent test that we accept.
If we accept the English component of an international qualification it will be included in the academic levels listed above for the relevant countries.
Pre-sessional English courses
If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.
Additional Notes
If you’re an international student, but do not meet the requirements for direct admission to this degree or the first year of a degree at Essex, you could prepare and gain entry through a pathway course. Find out more about opportunities available to you at the University of Essex International College
Fees and funding
Home/UK fee
£5,760 per year
This fee is set by the UK Government for classroom-based Foundation Years only. Your fee will increase in your next year in alignment with the Undergraduate course fee set by the UK Government.
International fee
£21,500 per year
The standard undergraduate degree fee for international students will apply in subsequent years.
Fees will increase for each academic year of study.
If your course has the option to include a placement year or study abroad, and you choose to do so, you will pay the following:
Placement year
20% of your standard tuition fee for that year
Study abroad
Full year abroad
15% of your standard tuition fee for that year
Single term abroad
Standard tuition fee
Scholarships and financial support
There may be scholarships, bursaries or discounts available to help with the cost of this course.
Fees and funding guide
What's next
Open Days
Our events are a great way to find out more about studying at Essex. We run a number of Open Days throughout the year which enable you to discover what our campus has to offer. You have the chance to:
- tour our campus and accommodation
- find out answers to your questions about our courses, student finance, graduate employability, student support and more
- meet our students and staff
Check out our Visit Us pages to find out more information about booking onto one of our events. And if the dates aren’t suitable for you, feel free to book a campus tour here.
2026 Open Days (Colchester Campus)
How to apply during Clearing
Once you’ve checked that we have the right course for you, applying couldn’t be simpler. Fill in our quick and easy Clearing application form with as much detail as you can. We’ll then take a look and get back to you with a decision.
If you already hold an offer from Essex
Please don't reapply through Clearing. We'll review your existing application using our Clearing entry requirements. If you're worried about meeting your offer or would like to change course, please contact our Admissions Team on ugquery@essex.ac.uk.
Interviews
We don’t require an interview for most of our courses that are available through Clearing, however there are some courses such as those in our School of Health and Social Care and East 15 Acting School where an interview (or audition) may be required. If this is something that’s required for the course you have applied for, we’ll email you with all of the details.
Visit Colchester Campus
Set within 200 acres of award-winning parkland - Wivenhoe Park and located two miles from the historic city centre of Colchester – England's oldest recorded development. Our Colchester Campus is also easily reached from London and Stansted Airport in under one hour.
Virtual tours
If you live too far away to come to Essex (or have a busy lifestyle), no problem. Our 360-degree virtual tour allows you to explore our University from the comfort of your home. Check out our Colchester virtual tour to see accommodation options, facilities and social spaces.
At Essex we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.
The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications. The University would inform and engage with you if your course was to be discontinued, and would provide you with options, where appropriate, in line with our Compensation and Refund Policy.
The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.
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