BA

Film and Television / English Literature

BA Film and Television / English Literature Code QW36 Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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Key Facts

QW36

  • UCAS Tariff

    120 - 104

  • Course duration

    3 years

Available for September start 2025

Further details on entry requirements

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In choosing to study this Film and Television / English Literature degree you'll be immersing yourself in a rigorous and challenging discipline combining both practical and theoretic components. The Department of Theatre, Film and Television works closely with the BBC, S4C, and Boomerang. With a focus on developing the essential competences and capabilities demanded by the key industry employers, the Film and Television / English Literature degree will provide you with the skills and attributes demanded in the discipline. On top of that you'll be taught in one of the UK's pre-eminent facilities by enthusiastic and dedicated staff. Additionally, you will follow the complementary English Literature core syllabus.

Course Overview

Why study Film and Television / English Literature at Aberystwyth University? 

  • You will join a vibrant and creative department where drama and theatre, film and media, and scenography and theatre design collide.
  • In both disciplines, you will benefit from the complementary learning landscapes where theory and practice are designed to feed into each other. Ensuring that you graduate with a gold standard degree that is appreciated and recognised by all employers. 
  • Across both subjects and throughout the duration of this course, you will have the option to choose from a diverse range of practical and theoretical modules in film and television, from fiction to documentary, and from mainstream to experimental.
  • In your final year you will have the opportunity to take part in a writing retreat at a country house in mid-Wales - an amazing opportunity to spend time with fellow students and staff, developing your final year projects and dissertations, in a splendid rural setting.
  • You will be taught by excellent teaching staff who will guide and mentor you during this course. Your teaching experts are research active and working in partnership with external organisations.
  • The English & Creative Writing department is home to New Welsh Review, Wales’ foremost literary magazine - this could be an exciting opportunity for you to get involved. You will be immersed in a supportive and vibrant community of creative and critical thinkers, literary experts, and published scholars from every field
  • All students will have access to our superb facilities and resources for practical work in film and television: 3 Camera High Definition television studio and gallery with chroma key and auto-cue capability; 30 editing systems - Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro software; 50 industry standard HD cameras – P2 and AVCHD formats; DSLR and GoPro cameras available.
  • As the National Library is on our doorstep, we have unlimited access to the Sound and Screen archive at the National Library of Wales and Aberystwyth Arts Centre. This will be beneficial for you throughout your course, especially in your final year. 
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 academic staff in the Department of English and Creative Writing are active scholars and experts in their fields. They are either qualified to PhD level or have commensurate experience. Our Lecturers either hold or are working towards a Higher Education teaching qualification and the majority of academic staff also hold the status of Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Modules September start - 2025

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

Careers

What can I do with a Film and Television with English Literature degree?

Many of our graduates have been successful finding employment in these fields:

  • research, editing, floor managing, camera operation, designing and directing for film and television production companies
  • film distribution
  • freelance film-making
  • marketing and Public Relations
  • film festival programming
  • advertising
  • arts administration
  • education.

What skills do I gain from this degree?

Students in our department gain the following transferable skills that are sought after 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 cultural projects.

Are there any work experience opportunities whilst studying?

  • The department has strong partnerships and connections with many organisations eg the BBC, Fiction Factory and Boom Pictures, with whom our students have been offered work placements.
  • 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. 

Teaching & Learning

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 may explore:

  • core introductory modules in the history, theory and analysis of film and television products
  • practical modules that develop skills in all stages of the production process: scriptwriting, shooting, directing, and final editing
  • a choice of modules in British cinema, classical Hollywood cinema and studying media
  • new techniques in analysing literary texts
  • poetry, prose, drama, American literature, adaptations, classical literature, contemporary writing, medieval texts.

In your second year you may have the opportunity to:

  • develop skills in studio production, documentary filmmaking and writing for film and television
  • gain knowledge and key critical skills in a range of complementary theoretical modules that span Hollywood cinema, documentary filmmaking, art cinema and contemporary issues in digital culture
  • study the theoretical approaches to, and the practice of, literary criticism
  • study a range of selected core texts from the medieval period through to the twenty-first century
  • study a number of specialist topics chosen by you (these might focus on a specific genre (such as crime fiction), historical period (such as the Victorian era), or theme (such as “place”)
  • increase your employability prospects and transferable skills through the compulsory work placement module.

In your third year you will be able to:

  • specialise in documentary production, fiction film, experimental media or scriptwriting and build advanced skills in this area
  • study specialist subject areas that deal with histories of technology, experimental film, cult cinema, television and society in the 20thCentury, and stardom
  • study literary theory and the application of theoretical perspectives to literary analysis
  • undertake extended writing and independent research in your final year dissertation project (on a topic chosen and defined by you)
  • choose your own specialisms drawn from a diverse range of option modules taught by researchers in those fields. Our optional modules include topics such as Elizabethan drama, the ghost story, the early English novel, queer fiction, children’s literature, romanticism, and much more
  • embark on an independent research project, leading to a dissertation on a film and television-related topic of your choice
  • 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.

How will I be assessed?

We assess our students through:

  • group devised productions
  • individual film and video projects
  • practical analyses
  • production diaries and creative scriptwriting
  • formal essays and examinations
  • reflective journals, blogs, Wikis
  • seminar presentations.

Additional assessments may include:

  • storyboards
  • screenplays
  • pitches.

All of these materials you could use to generate a working portfolio to present to potential employers.

More information:

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 should feel free to contact them at any time for help and advice.

You will also have the opportunity to complete a Personal Development Plan (PDP) at Aberystwyth. This is a structured process of self-appraisal, reflection, and planning, which will enable you to chart your personal, academic and professional development throughout your time at university. By recording your academic performance, and highlighting the skills you already have and those you will need for future employability, the PDP portfolio will equip you with the necessary tools to plan effectively, develop successful approaches to study, and consider your future career options and aspirations.

Student Testimonials

What I love most about Film and Television 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 at Aberystwyth University is brilliant. The course has a great atmosphere which you can tell from how well the students and lecturers connect. The academic side of the course is illuminating, touching on a wide variety of topics and dealing with each of these topics in detail, which works well even for those students who want to focus 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 using departmental equipment. There is also a well-supported film society. Joe Williams

What I love about Film and Television 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 to gain from Aberystwyth University were the skills to become a film-maker; what I got were practical skills, a knowledge of academic debates and contacts that have given me an insight into the film and television industry. Peter Gosiewski

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff 120 - 104

A Levels BBB-BCC

GCSE requirements (minimum grade C/4):
English or Welsh

BTEC National Diploma:
DDM-DMM

International Baccalaureate:
30-28

European Baccalaureate:
75%-65%

English Language Requirements:
See our Undergraduate English Language Requirements for this course. Pre-sessional English Programmes are also available for students who do not meet our English Language Requirements.

Country Specific Entry Requirements:
International students whose qualification is not listed on this page, can check our Country Specific Entry Requirements for further information.

The University welcomes undergraduate applications from students studying the Access to Higher Education Diploma or T-level qualifications, provided that relevant subject content and learning outcomes are met. We are not able to accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas or T-levels as a general qualification for every undergraduate degree course.
Our inclusive admissions policy values breadth as well as depth of study. Applicants are selected on their own individual merits and offers can vary. If you would like to check the eligibility of your qualifications before submitting an application, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for advice and guidance.

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