Course overview

The MA in Film and Television Studies combines cultural and historical analysis with critical and theoretical study, providing an interdisciplinary approach to these two significant media. It has developed from cooperation between well established departments in film and media at the University of Portsmouth and the teaching team comprises both young and experienced members of staff, all of whom are an integral part of a dynamic research culture.

Our MA offers a lively range of options as well as opportunities for you to develop your own interests through the dissertation, and film and television writing project, with specialist tutorial support provided.

Students are offered an imaginative range of very interesting courses, which are particularly well received. Students appreciate the chance to learn from and engage in discussion with published experts. All learning outcomes are appropriate to the educational aims of the units for which they have been designed. Students clearly understand what is expected of them and produce high level work that engages with the subject matter at hand.

External examiner's report for Film Studies

Course content

This course offers a flexible but coherent programme of study that includes a range of taught units, self-developed research projects and a dissertation. It will provide you with the necessary research skills to enable you to pursue postgraduate study and research within the fields of television and film studies. All units focus on both film and television and in the research process there is the flexibility for you to cover both media or specialise in one of these two fields. Other strengths lie in the range of interesting and contemporary units taught by specialist, enthusiastic, approachable staff, all of whom are significant researchers in their fields and many of whom have international reputations.

You will study the following units:

Teaching period one

• Research Methods (30 credits, core): this unit covers such areas as how to carry out research in film archives, how to do a literature search in film and television and how to produce a thesis which is well structured and methodologically rigorous.

• Representing Otherness in Film and Television (30 credits, core): you will examine representations of ethnic and cultural identities in a range of televisual and cinematic contexts in this unit.

Teaching period two

You will choose two of the following options:

• Television and Film Policy (30 credits): this unit explores film and television policy in a variety of institutional, national, international, global, political, social and historical contexts.

• Film and Television Audiences and Fandom (30 credits): in this unit you will explore the relationship between media consumers and media texts, and study the range of critical approaches to audiences and fans.

• Film and Television Writing Project (30 credits): in the Film and Television Writing Project you will have the opportunity to develop a short drama project.

Dissertation (through summer, 60 credits)

This degree can be taken full time over one year or part time over two years.

Teaching and assessment

You will develop a wide range of skills through the course. These include:

• applying theoretical approaches to readings of key film and television texts
• analysing and critically evaluating different research methodologies
• retrieving and selecting appropriate information from a range of sources
• using critical skills in close reading and analysis of texts (written, televisual and filmic texts)

Assessment is predominantly long essays of 6,000 words to enable you to develop postgraduate research skills, which can be applied in your dissertation. Several units also include individual oral presentations to provide you with an opportunity to develop presentation skills at a higher level and to create stimulating sophisticated academic debates in the seminars.

You will also be given the opportunity to produce screenplays for film and television, working with a specialist tutor. This is designed to develop more applied skills that will complement the theoretical components of the postgraduate degree programme.

Career prospects

This course will enable you to become multi-skilled in ways that employers are now demanding and will help prepare you to apply for jobs in such areas as teaching, publishing, journalism, scriptwriting, film and media management. In addition, the course is ideal preparation for further postgraduate work.

Facilities and features

You will work independently, but will have full access to the University's well equipped library and the extensive film catalogue (over 7,000 DVDs) within Park Building Learning Resource Centre. The library has extensive opening hours (8am to midnight, seven days a week), excellent computer facilities and seminar rooms for group study. There is a dedicated subject librarian who can provide specialist guidance in the use of the facilities. You will have access to some 16,000 online journals and are eligible to join the 'UK Libraries Plus' scheme, which is a cooperative venture between higher education libraries that makes it easier for you to use academic libraries nearer to your home or work.

A wide range of computer facilities is also available in other University buildings in the daytime and evenings.

Entry requirements

The entry requirements for MA Film and Television Studies are shown above, for more detailed information please contact:

Department: School of Creative Arts, Film and Media (SCAFM)
Tel: +44 (0)23 9284 2421
Email: deborah.shaw@port.ac.uk