1st in Scotland for Communications and Media
The Times Good University Guide 2013
How do the media work in different European contexts? How might in-depth knowledge of a European language and media allow students to take full advantage of the shared space of the European Union? This unique BA Honours degree course offers students a flexible range of subjects and skills, combining the study of Film and Media in the British and European context with mastery of a European language (French or Spanish).
You'll gain critical knowledge of the media in the UK and EU, as well as a grounding in classic and contemporary European cinema. You also gain a high level of practical skills in oral and written communication (in English and your chosen European language), and valuable IT skills, through multimedia using state-of-the-art facilities.
Entrance requirements
Year 1
Highers BBBB.
A-levels BBC.
IB Diploma with a total of 32 points.
HNC or HND with Bs in graded units.
Access courses and other UK/EU and international qualifications are also welcomed.
General entrance requirements apply.
Examinations taken over two sittings are acceptable but if there are repeats/upgrades asking grades may be raised by one grade.
Other information
If examinations are taken over two sittings, or there are repeats or upgrades, the entrance requirements may be higher.
Required subjects
English Standard Grade (2), Intermediate 2 (C), GCSE (C) or equivalent.
French or Spanish (B), A-level (C) or equivalent to be taken at Advanced Level.
Beginner and Advanced courses in French and Spanish are available.
Funding
Modes of study
Full-time (three modules per semester).
Part-time (one or two modules per semester).
Course Director
Find out more
http://www.stir.ac.uk/arts-humanities
Degree course
You have a variety of options. You may opt to specialise in Media or in Film Studies, choosing from a wide array of advanced option modules. You can study French or Spanish, starting after a Higher or A-level, or as a beginner.
Semesters 1 - 3
You will take a combination of the following modules:
- French or Spanish
- The British Media
- Global Cinema
- The Moving Image
- Post-war European Cinema
- Media Impacts and Influences
- Classic European Cinema
- A second language
Semesters 4 - 8
You will continue the study of French or Spanish and choose from a range of module options in Modern Languages and Film and Media (listed below). In Semester 4 all students also take the module Transnational Identities, which examines issues such as migration, immigration, national and regional identity in a range of films. Semester 6 is spent studying at an approved French or Spanish speaking university.
Advanced (level 10) options are chosen from modules such as:
- French Cinema of the Fantastic
- Screening the City
- Quebec Cinema
- Sport, the Media and Popular Culture
- Film and Television in Scotland
- Gender and Representation
- Introduction to Audio and Video Production
- Television Drama
- Radio Feature Production
- Advertising
- New Media and Society
- Media Events
- Queering Latin America: Sexuality and Gender in Film
- Economics of Mass Media
- New Hollywood Cinema
- Elements of Radio Journalism
- Reading Film and Television
- Print Journalism
- John Grierson and Documentary Analysis
- Documentary Production
- Video Drama Production
- Television Feature Production
- Public Relations
- Research Methods
- Dissertation
Teaching and assessment
Assessment is continuous, and you will submit coursework as well as sitting exams. There is also a component of group work and group assessment, which enables you to develop teamwork skills.
Example timetable
The timetable below is a typical example, but your own timetable may be different.
In the first two years, students take a language (three contact hours per week), a European cinema module (two contact hours per week) and a module in Communications, Media and Culture (two hours per week). At Honours level, students have roughly two contact hours per week in each subject (approximately six in total).
Related degrees
This course allows students to combine study of European film and media with study of a European language.
Study abroad
You may spend an optional year in France or Spain as a language assistant between Years 2 and 3 of the programme on an approved placement, in addition to Semester 6 spent at an approved French or Spanish university.
Rating
1st in Scotland for Communication, Cultural and Media Studies (in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise)
1st in Scotland for Communications & Media (The Guardian University Guide, 2011, and The Independent Complete University Guide, 2011)
Strengths
Staff on the course have international reputations in the fields of cinema and cultural studies, and have close connections with researchers and practitioners in academia, television and radio production, and film production and exhibition.
Academic strengths
Staff teaching on the course have particular strengths in Scottish film and media, European Cinema and media, transnational cinema and media, new media, postcolonial cinema, and queer cinema.
Our Staff
Professor Elizabeth Ezra has published widely on cinema and culture, including books on European cinema, transnational cinema, early cinema, and French colonial/postcolonial film and culture. She sits on the editorial and advisory boards of several academic journals, and is co-director of Stirling’s MLitt Film Studies, which is jointly taught with Communication, Media and Culture.
Career opportunities
The attractive combination of skills developed by this course is highly sought after by employers both in the UK and abroad. Further, you will gain a network of European contacts that you can put to use in your future career. This course is a gateway to a wide variety of careers in publishing, academia, journalism, television, radio and film production, translating or law, administration and management, advertising and public relations.
