Film & Television

Whether you are interested in the moving image as an art form or the creative media industry, our diverse degrees in Film and Television Studies; Filmmaking; Media and Communication Studies; and Writing for Broadcasting, Media and Performance at Aberystwyth University will give you the space to explore different technical and critical approaches in a creative environment.

At Aberystwyth, we offer specialist teaching on documentary film-making, fiction film-making, experimental film-making, multiplatform production, studio production and scriptwriting, as well as art cinema, horror and cult cinema, Hollywood, gender studies, television aesthetics, digital cultures, video games and media and communication studies.

Designed to equip you with a combination of practical skills, creative confidence and critical awareness, this versatile course opens up multiple pathways into an exciting industry.

Top 15 in the UK overall for Media and Film Studies (The Guardian League Table 2023)
2nd in the UK for Satisfaction with Assessment and Feedback in Media and Film Studies (The Guardian University League Table 2023)
You will be taught by our internationally recognised staff with strong professional reputations for writing for continuing television drama (eg Hollyoaks), radio drama, and adaptations and plays.

Why study Film & Television Studies at Aberystwyth University?

You will be taught and mentored by a team of internationally known experts and practitioners.
You will benefit from our complementary learning experiences where theory and practice are designed to feed into each other.
You can take advantage of 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.
You will have access to our superb facilities and resources for practical work - see the 'Facilities' tab.
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.
If you're looking for an experience beyond Aberystwyth, you will have the opportunity to take part in a study abroad placement with one of our partnered Universities in Europe or further afield through our Global Opportunities Programmes.

Employability

By studying one of our Film and Television degrees, you will be well prepared for a career in the creative industries and beyond. You will gain transferable skills that are highly sought after by employers. These include the ability to apply creative, imaginative and problem-solving skills in a variety of situations; be self-motivated and self-disciplined; an ability to structure and communicate ideas effectively in a variety of situations and using a variety of means, and to be able to work independently and with others.

In the second year, there is a dedicated module which looks specifically at your career aspirations and prepares you for employment and supports you with developing your CV. We also host a number of masterclasses, guest speaker and creative workshops throughout the year.

You will have access to a dedicated Careers Consultant who provides support with Employability through bespoke webinars, guidance appointments, dedicated careers pages and sessions within the curriculum. They will also be able to give you information about all work experience opportunities.

Many of our graduates are employed by the film and television industry working as directors, camera operators, editors, producers and researchers. Others work in film distribution, freelance film-making, film festival programming, journalism, marketing and public relations and arts administration.

Facilities

We can offer you superb facilities, resources and equipment that will assist you on all of our modules. These include:

a television studio and gallery
our own bespoke cinema
sound dubbing and colour grading facilities
collaborative editing workspace
post-production laboratory
an analogue film laboratory
a wide range of industry standard camera and sound equipment
lenses, lighting and grip equipment
costume and wardrobe facilities
three large well equipped rehearsal rooms
three fully-equipped performance studios
a dedicated scenography studio in the centre of town
the surrounding landscape: a resource for creative inspiration.

In addition to this, we enjoy a close partnership with and are situated very near to the following:

Aberystwyth Arts Centre, housing a main stage theatre, a studio theatre, concert hall, four galleries and a cinema
The National Library of Wales - one of the five copyright deposit libraries of the UK, including the specialist National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales and National Broadcast Archive.
In and around the town of Aberystwyth, there are a wealth of locations and sites for performance and filming, which we use throughout the year. These locations, along with the facilities of the Arts Centre meet the wide variety of needs of our students, staff and guest practitioners.

Research

Our research foregrounds the study of theatre, film, performance and media within historically, geographically and politically located cultural contexts. It emphasises formal innovation, technological developments and interdisciplinary enquiry.

We are playwrights, performers, theatre directors, scenographers, filmmakers, curators, media communicators and academics working at the intersection of theory and practice. We are involved in a range of exciting creative collaborations, both nationally and internationally.

Our research areas include site-specific performance; performance and rural community; relational scenography and the everyday; space, place and landscape in Welsh film and television; media, performance and sport; performance and architecture; dance and disability; theatre and new media; ecology and new materiality. We collaborate with artists, theatre companies, film and arts festivals, production companies, environmental organisations, archives, broadcasters and policy makers.

As part of our commitment to producing and sharing new and innovative research, we host numerous research events every year. Our ongoing series of research seminars allows postgraduate students, staff and distinguished speakers – including both academics and artists – from other universities to share and develop their ongoing research in a constructive and supportive environment. These seminars are open to any students and staff within and outside the university.

Study or Work Abroad

Aberystwyth University offers every student the opportunity to study, volunteer or work in another country either for an academic year, a single semester, or a few weeks during your holidays.

Find more information on our Global Opportunities webpages.

Studying through the medium of Welsh

Aberystwyth University prides itself on being a bilingual University. As a leading Welsh university, we are proud to offer dedicated support services and Halls of Residence for Welsh-speaking students, encouraging the sense of community and the feeling of a home away from home. Qualifying students will automatically receive the University's Welsh-medium scholarships and can also apply for Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol scholarships. Find out more about our Welsh Medium Scholarships here.