BA (Hons)
Film Studies and Creative Writing
Write your own articles, reviews, stories and screenplays
Course Overview
Why take this course?
Writing a fairy tale, travel articles and a film script are just a few of the things you could choose to do on this course. We offer an in-depth study of film alongside professional writing training. Our practical activities in screenplay writing, film reviewing and organised open mic nights make this an innovative and inspiring course.
What will I experience?
On this course you can:
- Get your stories out in the open by publishing your work in our yearly anthology
- Study the glitzy Hollywood film scene as well as international cinema from all corners of the world
- Develop practical skills in production, using the latest digital video technology and screenwriting by creating your own film script
What opportunities might it lead to?
Do you see yourself writing your own film script in a couple of years or perhaps being behind the camera is more your thing! Wherever your talents lie, this course equips you with the professional practical capabilities and essential transferable skills to fulfil your career ambitions.
Here are some routes our graduates have pursued:
- creative writing (prose, poetry and script)
- film marketing and PR
- media production
- publishing
- film making
- local and community broadcasting
- teaching
I love everything about my course. I love the workshops that we have in creative writing and the film studies lectures are so varied - we learn about Nickelodeons in the 1900’s and then the next week we are talking about Avatar.
Laura Perceval, BA (Hons) Film Studies and Creative Writing student 2013
Key Facts
- UCAS Course Code:
- PW38
- Duration
- 3 years full time, 4 years sandwich with work placement
- Entry
240-300 points from 3 A Levels or equivalent, to include 80 points from A Level English.
Other qualifications- Fees
UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man full-time students: £8,750 p/a*
International full-time students: £10,500 p/a*
*Please note that all fees are subject to annual increase.- Contact
- create.admissions@port.ac.uk
+44 (0)23 9284 2421 - Department
- School of Creative Arts, Film and Media
Subject:
English, Film, Journalism and Media
Find out what our students say about studying at Portsmouth, including:
- Getting the chance to develop practical skills alongside learning the theory
- The high-quality teaching and flexibility of options that enables you to tailor your course to your own interests
- The passion and knowledge of the lecturers that makes studying so enjoyable
Visit us at our open day
Wed 10 Jul
Structure & Teaching
Year one
Your first year provides a thorough grounding in creative writing practices and you’ll begin training in the skills and techniques you’ll be using throughout your course.
Core units you'll study in this year include:
- True Stories
- Telling Tales
- Tips, Tricks and Techniques
- Studying Film
- Spectacular Hollywood
- Authoriship
- Consolidation Period Level 4 – Creative Writing
Year two
This year allows you to start to specialise in the areas that interest you most. Choose to focus on specific writing forms such as mags, scripts or poetry and begin to develop practical abilities relevant to the film industry.
Core units you will study in this year include:
- Adaptions
- Consolidation Period Level 5 – Creative Writing
- The Short Story
Optional units you will study in this year include:
- British Cinema: 1970–2010
- Creative Writing and Critical Thinking
- Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults
- Critical Hollywood
- Documentary Screens
- Music: Practice, Performance and Research
- Poetry for Page and Stage
- Professional Experience
- Student Enterprise
- The Magazine
- The Script
Year three
The final year offers you a broad range of options to choose from. Depending on your interests, you can also choose to do a dissertation or a practical video project that boosts your professional production skills.
Core units in this year include:
- Consolidation Year Level 6 – Creative Writing
Options you will be able to choose from this year include:
- Creative Writing Dissertation
- Fact and Fiction
- Film Dissertation
- Film Journalism
- Film Stardom and Celebrity Culture
- Media Fan Cultures
- The Literary Journalist
- Travel Writing
- Writing Project (With Publishing)
Teaching and Assessment
The greatest feature of our course is that it allows intellectual freedom and choice. By attending workshops, seminars, lectures, one-to-one tutorials and practical performance sessions, you’ll develop a range of skills that will be tailored to your planned career path.
How are you assessed?
Assessment takes many forms on the course, enabling you to demonstrate a variety of your skills and talents. Here’s how we assess your work:
- essays
- presentations
- video productions
- film scripts
- reports
- a research portfolio
- examinations
- dissertation/project
Visit us open day
Facilities & Features
The Study Centre
A suite of rooms with group working spaces, printers, Mac workstations and more
Borderlines
Showcase your innovative writing abilities
The Studio Theatre
Equipped with a range of technical facilities, rehearsal rooms and a large main studio
University Library
Our library offers a wealth of information
The Study Centre
A suite of rooms with a comfy seating area, desks where you can work, a printer, Mac workstations and access to the wireless network so you can log in using your own laptop. There are also several study rooms where you can rehearse or work on group projects.
Borderlines
Each year you’ll be given the opportunity to contribute to Borderlines, our acclaimed anthology allowing creative students to feature their work and showcase their writing abilities.
The Studio Theatre
Practise your performance in front of your peers in our studio theatre. Offering flexible seating accommodating an audience of up to 80 people, it acts as a fully workable theatre. We also have a number of rehearsal facilities kitted out with lighting and mirrored dance space, as well as a sound recording booth, a video editing suite and music practice rooms equipped with pianos.
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment, our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books, DVDs, maps and thousands of online ejournals and newspapers. Many electronic resources are available anywhere, 24/7 and our friendly staff are always on hand to help.
Careers & Opportunities
Career prospects
Your unique blend of skills, including practical industry-related techniques and creative writing ability, as well as subject-specific knowledge is exactly what employers want. So whether you see yourself in film and television, print and online media or public relations and advertising, we'll make sure you gain the relevant professional skills you'll need. Alternatively, you can pursue postgraduate study and continue research into a specialised area of your choosing.
Roles our graduates have taken on include:
- copywriter
- journalist
- production manager
- sound and vision engineer
- film/video producer
- assistant publicist
- PR and communications officer
Work experience
This course allows you to take the Learning From Experience (LiFE) option, which lets you earn credits toward your degree for work/research placements, volunteer roles or internships undertaken alongside your studies. This option gives you the opportunity to enhance your employability skills, reflect on the ways in which you've done so and learn to express this to potential employers.
Career planning
6.04 minutes
Finding a job is a competitive business, but the statistics show that 89 per cent of our 2011graduates went into employment, further study or training within six months of finishing their degrees.
To make sure you take the right steps on your career path, we’re here to give you help, support and advice throughout your study. Even after you’ve graduated, we continue to give you support for up to five years.
Employers tell us that they want graduates to be able to demonstrate certain skills when they come out of university. Our courses take account of this. We make sure we prepare you for employment through work-related learning, projects, placements and working in simulated environments that are designed to prepare you for the working world.
Open Day
Our next open day is Wed 10 July
VISIT US! Have a look around and get a feel for what it’s like to live and study here. We’ll be on hand to talk to you about your course interests and show you all of our amazing facilities. You’ll also get to meet tutors and other students…
Application, Fees and Funding — find out more