Aberystwyth University’s Joint Honours Film and Television Studies/Drama and Theatre degree is an exciting, diverse and challenging programme combining practical and theoretical approaches to the study of a broad spectrum of media and performing arts. You will encounter a wide range of practical and theoretical modules in film and television, covering everything from fiction to documentary, and from mainstream to experimental. In addition, you will have the opportunity to explore a wide range of contemporary theatre practices from scripted drama to site-specific performance and from Shakespeare to experiments in new media. You will be taught by leading researchers and experienced practitioners in a department that places an emphasis on intellectual development, technical proficiency and industry partnerships. Across your three years of study, this course will prepare you for a variety of careers in the creative media, creative arts and beyond.
Why study Film and Television Studies/ Drama and Theatre Studies at
Aberystwyth University
You will be taught and mentored by a team of internationally known experts and practitioners.
All students benefit from our complementary learning experiences where theory and practice are designed to feed into each other.
As a department, students benefit from our connections with key industry partners, such as the BBC, S4C, BAFTA Cymru, Tribeca Film Festival (New York), Fiction Factory, Tinopolis, Edinburgh International Film Festival, the National Broadcast Archive of Wales at the National Library of Wales and Avid. These partners provide an excellent opportunity to network and liaise with those in the industry before graduation.
Students in the department have access to our superb facilities and resources for practical work: professional cameras and sound equipment, industry-standard software, professional TV studio, editing lab, postproduction suite, cinema, grading and dubbing suite, three rehearsal studios, and costume & wardrobe facilities, three rehearsal studios, each with flexible technical facilities; 2 large professionally-equipped studios with digital lighting rigs controlled via ETC Congo and Strand Lighting consoles, Yamaha and Soundcraft PAs, Sanyo AV systems and Strand lighting and two NXAMP; and costume and wardrobe facilities.
On our campus and situated next door to the department is one of the largest Arts Centres in Wales, which regularly presents screenings, talks, master classes, exhibitions and film festivals.
Aberystwyth University is known for having a large number of clubs and societies, so be assured that your time will be occupied with your studies and taking part in your chosen club / society's activities.
If you're looking for an experience beyond Aberystwyth, all students will have the opportunity to take part in a study abroad placement with one of our partnered Universities in Europe through the Erasmus + programme and some further afield through our International Exchange programme. Find out where your adventure could take you!
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.
Modules
Please note: The modules listed below are those currently intended for delivery during the next academic year and may be subject to change. They are included here to give an indication of how the course is structured.
* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh
Employability
What can I do with a Film and Television Studies / Drama and Theatre studies degree?
One of our notable alumni is Ben Thompson who is currently the short film programmer for the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. During his time at Aberystwyth University, Ben Thompson studied Joint Honours Film and Television Studies / Drama and Theatre Studies.
Many of our students have been successful in obtaining employment in these fields:
Acting and performing
Directing
Designing
Camera operating
Script writing
Editing
Teaching and education
Researching
Administration
Marketing
Management
Public Relations.
What skills do I gain from this degree?
Students in this degree gain the following valuable skills that are sought after by employers. These include the ability to:
Work effectively in group settings to develop, rehearse and produce live and filmic events
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 media
The ability to work independently and with others
Effective time and organisation
Self-motivation and discipline
Information technology skills
Entrepreneurial skills.
What work experience opportunities exist whilst studying?
Click here to find out about the various opportunities that our Aberystwyth University Careers team offer.
Enhance your employability prospects with GO Wales and YES (Year in Employment Scheme) managed by our Careers department.
Learning & Teaching
What will I learn?
The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study during the three year degree scheme.
In your first year you will discover:
Key historical moments, practices and methods in drama and theatre
Core introductory modules in the history, theory and analysis of film and television products
Practical skills through engaging with all stages of the media production.
In your second year you will explore:
Contemporary theatre-making, through practical, historical and theoretical approaches
Skills in studio production, documentary filmmaking and writing for film, television and performance
Skills in acting, directing, devising and designing
Knowledge and key critical skills in complementary theoretical modules that span Hollywood cinema, documentary film-making, art cinema, contemporary issues in digital culture, new media performance, the development of modern European theatre and Shakespeare in contemporary performance.
In your third year you will have the opportunity:
To specialise in documentary production, fiction film, experimental media or scriptwriting and build advanced skills in this area
To extend your skills in ensemble, solo, and Applied theatre projects
To undertake a major independent research project, leading to a dissertation on a film and television or drama and theatre-related topic of your choice
To study specialist subject areas that deal with histories of technology, experimental film, cult cinema, television and society in the 20th Century, stardom, place, space and landscape, , theatre, gender and sexuality, musical theatre dramaturgy, documentary theatre and contemporary British drama
To benefit from extensive support and guidance whatever pathway you decide on.
How will I be taught?
You will be taught through a variety of lectures, seminars, screenings, technical demonstrations and group-based project work. The diversity of activity is essential part of our philosophy, and creates a uniquely exciting and productive learning environment
You will be assessed through group devised productions, individual film and video projects, practical analyses, practical productions and performance projects, production diaries and creative scriptwriting, formal and performed essays and examinations, reflective journals, blogs and wikis, seminar presentations, storyboards, screenplays and pitches
You will be assigned a personal tutor throughout your degree scheme, who will help you with any problems or queries, whether these are academic-related or personal issues. You are free to contact them at any time for help and advice.
Student Views
Drama & Theatre at Aberystwyth University is dynamic, challenging, engaging and exciting. It offers students a broad range of practical modules which take place in a controlled and encouraging environment. The facilities of the Parry Williams building are second to none and offer a chance to perform a range of theatrical concepts. The course offers theoretical modules which are also engaging and offer a deeper insight into the world around us and society's relationship with the arts. The most rewarding aspect of the academic modules is that you can transfer the skills learned from study to practical work. The theory work often enhances the skills on a practical level. Working together between practical and theoretical modules the course offers students many useful skills.
Daniel Andrew Radbourne
Film and Television Studies at Aberystwyth University is brilliant. The course has a great atmosphere from which you can tell 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
The wide range of module choices paired with the wide variety of drama societies means we can easily be prepared for any area of drama and theatre practice. The academic and practical elements are brilliant, allowing us to either focus on one or the other and/or ground ourselves in the theory in order to better our practical exploration. The staff are always friendly and enthusiastic, always encouraging us to do more and explore further.
Jemma Rowlston
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.
