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BA (Hons) Film and Media

  • Placement year available
How to apply Come to an Open Day

Introduction to our Film and Media degree

Combine film and media theory with practical skills including film-making, animation and digital publishing on our Film and Media degree in Cambridge.

CATARINA RODRIGUES

"I was always very interested in the visual world. Studying film was the perfect way to combine a passion for photography with movement and sound."

CATARINA RODRIGUES

BA (Hons) Film

Catarina's ARU experience
Times Higher Education (THE) Awards 2023 logo

Study at an award-winning university

We're the Times Higher Education (THE) University of the Year. We've also been awarded a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework – a reflection of the outstanding education we offer our students.

Join a course that scored 94% for Academic Support in the National Student Survey 2023. Our BA (Hons) Film and Media degree course will introduce you to the key issues and debates in film and media from feminism and postmodernism to the impact of film, TV, music and the media on society, including politics, youth culture and technology.

You’ll also create your own short films in video, animation or 16mm format. Working in our professional TV and film studios, you’ll be trained in all aspects of the craft, including camera operation, sound recording and editing.

You’ll also be able to focus on particular areas of interest, including digital publishing (building apps), radio production, and screenwriting.

Highlights of the course:

  • learn about all aspects of film-making
  • experiment with different formats
  • create your own short films and see your work on the big screen at a local independent cinema
  • gain valuable experience with work placements and commissioned projects.

Course options

Course options

Key facts

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Entry Requirements

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Fees and Paying for University

Facilities and showcase

Industry-standard facilities

As part of your studies at ARU, you’ll have access to all of our creative industries facilities including:

  • Film studio with overhead lighting, tracks, dollies and green screen
  • Multi-camera television studio with modular set panels and modern set dressing
  • Full range of location kit from 4K digital cameras, professional lighting, to Steadicam
  • Sound-recording equipment for location filming
  • Editing suites with Da Vinci Resolve and the full Adobe Creative Cloud software suite
  • Finishing suite with audio monitoring and grading panels
  • Aaton Cameras and Steenbeck editors for 16mm film production
  • Motion capture equipment
  • Podcast and video capture system

Futures Lab and workshop equipment

Our new digital workshop includes a variety of computer aided manufacturing machines, helping you learn up to date manufacturing and design processes as well as supporting many traditional techniques. These technologies include:

  • 3D printers and scanners - FDM printers; material-specific extruders; SLA Formlabs printers; SLS Formlabs Fuse1; structured light 3D scanners
  • 2D printing and cutting machines - laser cutters; Roland BN20 vinyl printer & cutter; Gerber substrate cutter; Mimaki TX300P sublimation printer.

Learn outside the classroom

Throughout the course you’ll benefit from extra-curricular events such as:

  • Cambridge Film Festival events
  • regular field trips, such as to the BFI and Tate Modern
  • guest lectures, with recent speakers including Margaret Salmon, Guy Sherwin, Jayne Parker, film editor and sound designer Larry Sider, and filmmaker William Raban
  • events offered through our student-led film societies
  • the chance to join Cam FM, a student-run radio station with studios on our campus and at Cambridge’s famous Fitzwilliam Museum.

Take a closer look

Our Creative Showcase shines a spotlight on what makes ARU creative and cultural – our spaces, places and people. Find out more about our community, the difference we make, the stories we tell, and the things that inspire us.

Meanwhile, Present is an exhibition that you curate for yourself. Explore the work of our graduating students in this eye-catching virtual degree show.

Alternatively, take a guided tour and meet our students.

Careers

What can I do with a Film and Media degree?
Our Film and Media degree course is designed to give you a thorough knowledge of both the theory and practice of film and media. It will help you prepare for many film- and media-related roles, including film and television production and post-production, film journalism, cinema and film festival management, film programming and curation, publishing, broadcasting, web design and public relations.

You might set your sights on film-making itself. Graduates typically start their film careers as runners, camera assistants, programme researchers, second assistants, or junior technicians on set, but as you accrue experience and make connections, you could turn your hand to more specialised jobs in sound, lighting, effects, writing, editing and producing.

Graduation doesn't have to be the end of your time with us. You might decide to continue on to a Masters course, such as our MA Film and Television Production. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.

Employability and personal career development

Informed by employers, our courses support an integrated approach to employability. You’ll have opportunities to develop the skills and abilities they are looking for and gain a deeper understanding of how your academic learning relates to the world of work through Live Briefs and Ruskin Modules.

To amplify your career ambition, you will need to actively dedicate time outside of your studies, whether you choose to explore placements, internships or volunteering. Or you could make a social impact by collaborating with our partner organisations through our volunteer scheme Students at the Heart of Knowledge Exchange (SHoKE). These all give you an edge, providing you with experience that you will be able to evidence on your CV and talk about in interviews.

Our Employability and Careers Service offers a range of expert advice and support to build your unique professional profile, including tailored career appointments, advice on writing your CV, and help to complete job applications. You’ll have 24/7 access to the Careers Centre, our comprehensive online digital resource, which empowers you to start building a Personal Career Development Plan from the very start. Design your future at ARU.

Gain contacts and experience

Our links with local and national organisation will help you make contacts and find work placements in the industry. Our recent students have found internships and placements with companies including the BBC, Pinewood Studios, StudioCanal UK, Sight and Sound magazine, and Watersprite Film Festival.

Blackmagic Design

We’re an official Blackmagic Design training partner, which means you can get certification in their DaVinci Resolve video editing software.

Apply now for BA (Hons) Film and Media

Life in Cambridge

Our friendly, bustling campus is a stone’s throw from the centre of Cambridge, often described as the perfect student city.

Our favourite places in Cambridge Did you know...? Facts about Cambridge Watch: Our Cambridge

Want to talk to someone?

Do you have a question that we haven't answered so far? Talk to our application experts. You can also ask our Student Ambassadors about life at ARU.

We're here Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm (please note we close at 3.30pm on the first and third Thursday of the month for staff training), and Friday 9am-4.30pm.

Foundation year available

This course offers a foundation year – an extra year of study to help you prepare for university, and build your knowledge and skills.

More about foundation years

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