Film, Media and Language (French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish) with Foundation Year

Our BA Film, Media and Language course combines studying a modern language and its associated culture with film and media studies. You will gain a thorough grounding in different areas of media study and an understanding of the ways in which the media relate to each other. You will develop a critical approach so that you can put your own and others' work in context. You will also have the opportunity to study a number of cross-cultural modules which allow you to explore specific themes across a variety of language-speaking areas.

This course introduces you to the academic study of film, television and screenwriting and will equip you with core knowledge and practice-based skills for work in film and media organisations, and in the creative industries. You will learn how technology, business and human creativity have forged our contemporary media world, and will be challenged to engage critically and imaginatively with a wide variety of film/media forms and styles from around the world and from different historical periods.

The languages component of this degree is designed to give you the chance to reach a high level of competence in a modern language of your choice and study the associated culture(s) of that language. You can choose French, German, Italian, Japanese, or Spanish starting at the level of language learning that suits you, whether you are a complete beginner or a native speaker. Korean is offered starting from beginner level. If you decide to take this language, your final degree award will be a ‘with’ degree, so for example BA Film and Media with Korean, because we currently offer this language up to intermediate level only.

This course is one of a cluster of courses in Film and Media which are taught by highly experienced tutors with links in key film and media institutions. Other courses can be found under the pathways section of this page.

If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree.

This course has an evening timetable with lectures, seminars and classes taking place in the evening.

Highlights

Birkbeck was ranked as one of the top four universities in the UK for its Art and Design research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.

The award-winning Birkbeck Cinema is central to the course, where most of our film classes take place. The cinema is equipped with 35mm and state-of-the-art digital projection, which offers you an opportunity to watch and study films in the best possible conditions.

Located in central London, in the heart of historic Bloomsbury, Birkbeck is within easy reach of cinemas and galleries, as well as facilities such as the British Film Institute and the British Library.

In film, media and cultural studies, Birkbeck fosters a research-intensive environment and offers an extensive portfolio of internationally respected courses that span a variety of academic disciplines and engage with the latest ideas and techniques in journalism, media and cultural theory, arts policy and management, film and television studies, creative marketing, digital culture and East Asian cultural studies.

Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image (BIMI) runs a busy, intellectually stimulating programme of events, including conferences, screenings and film-related events of all kinds, which students on this course are encouraged to attend.

Careers and employability

Graduates can pursue career paths in film and television companies, arts administration or education. Possible professions include:

programme researcher (broadcasting/film/video)

arts administrator

higher education lecturer

museum/gallery curator.