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Studies & Degrees in Cinema/Film Studies

Cinema and film studies is the academic study of the moving image: its history, its theory and criticism, the way films are made and the way audiences and societies respond to them. It treats film, in the words of the University of North Carolina Wilmington, as an artistic medium, a cultural expression, a rhetorical device, a technical production and a commercial enterprise. Most departments now also cover television, video, animation, games and digital media.

Students learn the expressive language of motion pictures (cinematography, editing, composition, performance, sound and narrative) and apply it in close analysis of films. They study national and world cinemas, genres, directors and movements, write essays and research papers, and in many programmes also make short films. Film studies is not the same as a professional film production course: the balance between analysis and practice varies from one school to another, and it is the first thing to check when comparing programmes.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degrees: in the United Kingdom a BA (Hons) lasts three years. The Film Studies BA at the University of Sussex takes 3 years full time, and the Film Studies BA at Lancaster University also lasts 3 years, with the opportunity to produce short films in every year. In the United States film is studied as a major within a liberal arts bachelor's degree. At the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), students first take an introductory course, FST 200, and admission to the major depends on the grade in that course.
  • Master's degrees: usually one or two years. The Film and Screen Studies MA at York St John University takes 1 year full time or 2 years part time. At the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar in Germany, the programme Filmkulturen – Extended Cinema leads to a Master of Arts in Media Studies and is taught in German.
  • Short and annual courses: private film schools teach directing, documentary, screenwriting or editing without awarding a university degree. La Casa del Cine in Barcelona offers annual courses that start in October 2026, among them an auteur film directing course and a 350-hour course in film editing. Ask a school of this kind what recognition its certificate has.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 96 active schools for cinema and film studies. The United States has the most (54), followed by the United Kingdom (17) and Spain (10). Brazil and Mexico have two each, and there are schools in the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey, among other countries.

In the United States the list includes large public universities such as The Ohio State University, The University of Texas at Austin, the University of Washington and UNCW, and private universities such as Yale University, The University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University and Dartmouth College. Dartmouth's Department of Film & Media Studies describes a multidisciplinary approach to the history, theory and making of film, television, video, animation and games within a liberal arts context.

In the United Kingdom, the University of Sussex, Lancaster University and York St John University all teach film studies. Entry requirements differ: the typical A-level offer is BBB at Sussex and ABB at Lancaster, and York St John asks for a 2:2 honours degree in a related subject for its MA. International tuition fees also vary; Sussex publishes £24,200 per year for international students on its BA, and York St John £11,800 for the full-time MA in 2026-27.

The language of instruction depends on the country and the school, so check it for each programme.

Careers

Film studies graduates work in film and television production, but also in the organisations around it: festivals and cinemas, film archives, distribution, criticism and publishing, education and research. UNCW lists careers that range from producer, director, screenwriter, cinematographer and sound designer to archivist and film programmer, and maintains an internship programme with over 90 film-related agencies.

Official figures exist for some of these occupations in the United States. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, producers and directors held 181,000 jobs in 2025, and employment is projected to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Film and video editors and camera operators held 72,000 jobs in 2025, with projected growth of 3 percent over the same period. The Bureau notes that producers and directors typically need a bachelor's degree in film or cinema studies or a related field.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between film studies and film production?

Film studies concentrates on the history, theory and analysis of cinema; film production trains students to make films. Many degrees combine both. At Lancaster University, for example, film studies students can produce short films in all three years.

How long does a film studies degree take?

A bachelor's degree takes 3 years full time at the University of Sussex and Lancaster University. The MA at York St John University takes 1 year full time or 2 years part time.

Do I need filmmaking experience to apply?

The programmes described here set academic entry requirements, such as A-level grades in the United Kingdom or the grade in an introductory film course at UNCW. Check each school's admission page for any portfolio requirement.