Film and Television Studies / Mathematics

Why study Film and Television Studies and Mathematics at Aberystwyth?

The Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies at Aberystwyth is the highest rated Arts and Humanities Department in Wales, according to the results of the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, with 60% of research submitted being rated world-leading.

The Department is one of the largest and most highly regarded in Britain in terms of staff reputation and the quality of the student experience. We can offer you an unrivaled range of student choice, staff expertise, and state-of-the-art facilities for practical work, including industry standard HD and digital cameras, editing suites, viewing areas, and practical workspaces so that you can utilise your creative skills to the full. 

Further facilities are available to you through our strategic partnerships with Boom Pictures Cymru, Wales’s largest independent television production company; Theatr Arad Goch, an Aberystwyth-based community theatre; and BBC Wales, whose local offices and studios are housed within the Department. The National Sound and Screen Archive of Wales is also situated next to the campus in the National Library of Wales so that you can benefit from an unrivaled source of material.

Aberystwyth Arts Centre, one of the largest campus Arts Centre in the UK, is situated on the main university campus and is a popular venue where you can stage your work and enjoy performances and screenings of all kinds.

Cutting-edge research inspires our mathematics teaching: the Department of Mathematics entered almost 90% of its staff in the latest UK-wide periodic assessment of university research (the 2014 Research Excellence Framework). The results showed that one in eight of our research papers are world leading, and more than 60% are either world-leading or internationally excellent. All of our research and the impact it has outside the university was judged to be of an international standard. You are therefore guaranteed to be taught by staff who are at the forefront of the subject.

100% of our 2014 Maths graduates were in employment or further study 6 months after graduating. 71% were in 

Mathematics has been taught at Aberystwyth since the foundation of the university in 1872, making it the oldest Mathematics department in Wales. Despite our heritage, we have continued to innovate ensuring that the degree schemes we offer will provide you with the best Mathematics degree you can possibly obtain.

Our Staff

All academic staff at the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies are research active and/or involved in Knowledge Transfer projects and have either relevant academic qualifications at doctoral level or equivalent professional experience and expertise.

All lecturers in the Department of Mathematics are qualified to PhD level and are research active. The majority have a postgraduate teaching qualification and new staff are required to complete the PGCTHE. The department also employs a number of part time tutors, with extensive teaching experience, and some student demonstrators, who are selected from our undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The degree scheme provides a balance between critical approaches and creative practical experience to develop the skills needed for career opportunities within the creative industries and beyond. Students are supported through every year of study to enhance their employability skills and are encouraged to develop their reflective practice and self-motivation.

Students learn how to become effective communicators and how to work as part of a team when collaborating in production groups. You will have access to some of the most up-to-date facilities such as a multi-camera high definition digital television studio, high-definition digital video cameras and digital and video projection facilities to develop your practical production work skills. Special master classes are arranged with specialists including: pitching competitions, sound design workshops, production design for film, hair and make-up design and special effects and presenting yourself professionally. Students can also develop their experience and knowledge of working in a bilingual environment and students can perform through the medium of Welsh and English.

The Department has excellent links with local, national and international production companies providing students opportunities to gain an insight into the industry and develop their networking skills. A guest speaker programme gives students access to industry experts to develop their knowledge of the creative industries and showcase their work and ideas.

Work placements are actively encouraged to allow students to develop transferable and professional skills which will enable them to succeed in the workplace. In recent years students have been able to take placement opportunities with the BBC, Fiction Factory and Boom Pictures.

The Department has a close working relationship with the Careers Service and a link careers adviser will work with you to support your career development at university and the transition into the workplace. Careers events are held in the department to make students aware of opportunities available to them such as the Year in Employment Scheme (YES). These schemes provide opportunities to gain valuable experience in the workplace and test out your career ideas.

Many students find employment with film and television companies, working as researchers, editors, floor managers, camera operators, designers or directors. Equally many graduates find employment in a variety of different areas including teaching, administration, marketing public relations, and advertising. Your degree will provide you with excellent interpersonal skills and transferable skills including experience in group work, leadership, planning, budget management, and personal motivation.

Transferable Skills

In addition to subject specific skills and knowledge, studying for a degree in Film and Television Studies and Mathematics will equip you with a range of transferable skills which are highly valued by employers. These include the ability to:

• apply creative, imaginative and problem-solving skills in a variety of situations
• research, evaluate and organise information
• structure and communicate ideas effectively in a variety of situations and using a variety of means
• work independently and with others
• effectively organise your time and deploy your skills
• listen to and make use of critical advice
• be self-motivated and self-disciplined
• use a range of information technology skills and resources
• be entrepreneurial in developing projects
• carry out research and data analysis
• apply enhanced mathematical and computational skills
• use effective problem-solving and creative thinking skills
• gain a thorough grounding in information technology skills
• express ideas and communicate information in a clear and structured manner, in both written and oral form
• apply self-motivation and self-reliance
• work as part of a team, with the ability to discuss concepts in groups, accommodating different ideas and reaching agreement.

You will be able to gather, assimilate and interpret intellectual and aesthetic material independently and critically, deploying creative and imaginative skills developed through the realisation of individual and group practical and research projects. You will also have proven your abilities in structuring and communicating ideas efficiently and creatively through oral, written and visual means to a range of audiences, evaluating and organizing information, working effectively with others and working within time frames with specific resources and to specific deadlines.

What I love most about Film and Television Studies is the teaching staff. They are experienced professionals who are dynamic, enthusiastic and most importantly, approachable; it makes learning fun and my confidence has improved as a result. I also enjoy the various modules on offer. The practicals are great as they allow me to experiment with my own ideas but at the same time they teach me valuable skills. My favourite modules so far are Scriptwriting; Imagining the Short; and Writing for Film and Television. I love to write creatively and these modules enable me to develop my imagination. Angela Wendy Rumble

Film and Television Studies at Aberystwyth University is brilliant. The course has a great atmosphere which you can tell from how well-connected the students and lecturers are. The academic side of the course is illuminating, touching on a wide variety of topics and dealing with each of these in detail, which works well even for those students who want to focus more on the more practical modules. In addition the department provides plenty of opportunities for work experience as well as chances for students to hone their skills out of the classroom with departmental equipment. There is also a well-supported film society. Joe Williams

What I love about Film and Television Studies is the variety of different areas I've had the opportunity to be a part of. Last year I would never have had the confidence or know-how to organise a production team, to make and market short films and to work in a 3 camera studio. What I wanted from Aberystwyth University were the skills to become a film-maker; what I got were practical skills, knowledge of academic debates, and contacts that have given me an insight into the film and television industry. Peter Gosiewski

There is never a boring topic and the course goes much deeper into mathematics than I was expecting. There are so many different modules to choose from that you will always find something to interest you. The lecturers are always willing to help. Elin Wyn Hughes

Maths is a great course with really friendly and approachable lecturers. The content is always really interesting, but challenging to the right extent. The whole department works effectively to offer all the facilities needed to gain a good degree. Jennifer O'Neil