Study Film and Media and graduate with a university degree

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.

You are encouraged to gain pre-application experience with your local media.

Year 2

HND in Communication with Bs in graded units considered on an individual basis.

General entrance requirements apply.

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.

Applicants with English Standard Grade (3) will also be considered, although alternative entry conditions may be made in this case.

information on possible sources of funding

Full-time (three modules per semester).
Part-time (one or two modules per semester).
February entry is also available.

Dr Sarah Neely

You will take Film and Media plus two other subjects in Year 1.

Semesters 1 - 4

You will take five core modules in Film and Media:

• Film and Media: Representation, Meaning and Identity
• The Moving Image
• Reading Film and Television
• Digital Media and Culture
• Understanding Audiences

Semesters 5 - 8

You will take advanced semester modules selected from the following:

• Advertising
• Public Relations
• Scriptwriting
• Cultural Theory and Media Practice
• Experimental Cinema
• Terrorism in the Media
• The Body in Screen Culture
• Sport, the Media and Popular Culture
• Gender and Representation
• Television Drama
• British Cinema from the 1930s to the Present
• The Poetic Eye: Documentary Film and Television
• Introduction to Audio and Video Production
• Radio Feature Production
• Radio Drama Production
• Television Feature Production
• Documentary Production
• Researching Media and Culture
• Dissertation

You are admitted to the production strand in Semester 5 on the basis of merit.

Lectures, seminars, workshops, group projects and presentations all feature in learning and teaching provision, and industry practitioners frequently deliver elements of the course. Assessment is by means of examinations, essays, individual and group practical assignments, creative projects (some of which involve group practical assignments) and dissertations.

(For a Combined Honours degree the higher entrance requirements of the subjects usually apply.)

European Film and Media; Global Cinema and Culture; Journalism Studies

Many Film and Media students have established successful careers in the media. These include broadcast and print journalism; television, radio and film production; media management; advertising and public relations; and education. For specific graduate news, visit:

• www.fmj.stir.ac.uk/social-media/intelligencer.php
• www.fmjnews.stir.ac.uk/

Skills you can develop through this course

Students studying Film and Media will develop a number of key transferable skills seen as desirable by many employers and crucial for anyone interested in working within the ever-changing media industries. These include the ability to:

• think critically and independently
• investigate and research topics using the appropriate methods
• write persuasively and competently
• present an oral argument , independently or as part of a group
• work effectively as part of a team
• develop a range of creative and practical production skills, and
• time management skills

Chances to expand your horizons

Many modules offered as part of the Film & Media degree include regular workshops and guest lectures delivered by industry speakers, many of who are graduates of the programme.  The Division, in partnership with Peter Broughan (Producer) and Creative Scotland, runs the Scottish Cultural Memory Project (SCMP), an important initiative whose aim is to capture and preserve the first-person memories and accounts of prominent Scottish film & TV practitioners. Students play an active role in the project, with many of the interviews featuring as part of the curriculum. Students have also played a key role in the project by serving as part of the production team filming the interviews.

Where are our graduates now?

Film & Media graduates are currently working in over 7 countries around the world including: USA, Canada, Norway, New Zealand and Ireland.

Film & Media graduates are currently contributing to the performance of the following organisations: 

• BBC Radio 1
• Virgin Media
• The Moving Picture Company
• Pitlochry Theatre
• STV
• The British Youth Film Academy
• Penguin Books
• British Sky Broadcasting Limited
• Virgin Media
• The British Youth Film Academy

To provide you with an indication as to what you can do with your Film & Media degree, graduates entering into employment in the past two years are currently working as: 

• VFX Production Coordinator
• Assistant Editor
• Presenter - BBC Introducing Production Manager
• Communications Officer

Building on that foundation, alumni of Stirling’s Film & Media degree who graduated between five and ten years ago have since advanced into some of the following positions:

• Publishing Manager
• Operations Manager
• Sponsorship Manager - Channel Partners
• Inhouse Filmmaker
• Reporter Producer
• Development Assistant Producer

Some of our more established alumni are currently leading and shaping Film & Media strategy across many different sectors – here is an example of how a few former Stirling Film & Media students have advanced in their careers:

• Broadcast Journalist
• Senior Sports Broadcaster
• Head of Business Affairs
• Journalist/Presenter
• PR Assistant
• Event Co-ordinator
• Production Runner

Graduating with a degree in Film & Media degree does not necessarily mean that you have to progress into a career in that field.  A Film & Media degree is a solid foundation upon which to base a career in a variety of different fields. Currently our Film & Media graduates are working in roles such as: 

• Central Planning Coordinator
• Sales Support Analyst
• Junior Account Director
• Marketing Executive
• Senior Brand Manager