Bachelor of Arts with Film Studies

Film and visual culture are powerful and influential forces in our society. The BA with Film Studies at NUI Galway offers students a unique opportunity to engage with film theories, histories and scholarship relevant to the critical discussion of cinema as a cultural form while also pursuing a traditional two-subject BA. The Huston School of Film & Digital Media is the designated centre for the study and production of film at NUI Galway. As well as a team of excellent teachers and teaching facilities for screen education, we have an unmatched DVD library and regular visits from noted Film Studies experts and film industry professionals.

Four subjects, including your specialism, Film Studies, are taken in First Arts from the 20 subjects on offer. Subjects are organised in seven timetable groups and not more than one subject may be taken from any one group. The specialism Film Studies will be delivered in the timetable of Arts subject Group Two, and may, therefore, not be studied together with the subjects Legal Studies, Psychology/ Psychological Studies or Celtic Civilisation.

Note: The BA with Film Studies is primarily a theoretically-based course. It does not teach film production.

In the first and second years of this programme, students take 25 ECTS (combined) in Film Studies, where they will encounter core concepts of the subject, including narrative form, film style, genre, realism and digital cinema. The scope of the course extends to Hollywood, European and world cinematic traditions.

The third year will expose participants to a full semester of more specialised film courses, allowing for greater depth and analysis in areas such as silent cinema, film adaptation and theories of film. There is also an ‘applied film studies’ module where students develop practical skills in the capture and manipulation of moving images.

In the second semester, the programme provides the opportunity for students to travel to an overseas university where they take courses related to their specialism. In consultation with the Course Director, a student can structure a work placement as an alternative to the Erasmus exchange.

Note: In entering the BA with Film Studies programme, potential participants should note that Film Studies takes precedence in year three over any language options. 

There are no dedicated Film Studies classes in fourth year, and students return to studying their two core subjects exclusively.