Explore theories and histories of film and cinema, and develop creative skills in filmmaking, screenwriting and a range of creative, practice-based modules.

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Course overview

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With placement

With foundation year

Start date

September 2027

Location

Cambridge

UCAS course code

Duration

4 years with placement

4 years with foundation

for “Academic support” in the National Student Survey 2026.

Discover the history of global cinema and learn how cinema reflects and affects society by studying a range of genres, from avant-garde cinema to Hollywood blockbusters.

You’ll also explore the language of cinema from the perspective of a creative practitioner, writing screenplays and making experimental, narrative and non-fiction films using digital video as well as 8mm and 16mm film.

Everything you hear in this video comes straight from ARU Film & Media students, sharing what their course is actually like — in their own words.

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Why ARU?

Join a course that scored 91% for Satisfied with Feedback in the Guardian League Table 2027.

Use our extensive industry links to make contacts, find work placements, and take part in live briefs

Get hands-on in our specialist film facilities, with full training from our technical team

See your films screened at Cambridge Arts Picturehouse and take part in film festivals

Prepare for many careers in the film industries including screenwriting, filmmaking, and journalism

Receive support from our expert lecturers and close-knit community of students and graduates across disciplines

Designed for creative life

Our Creative Quarter brings together studios, workshops, performance and exhibition spaces. Be part of a community built around making, experimentation and innovation, while developing your practical skills and portfolio, and connecting with industry.

Our BA (Hons) Film degree will help you prepare for a career in many film and cinema-related roles.

These include film and television production or post-production, journalism, screenwriting, programming and curation, festival management and public relations.

You might also decide to continue on to a Masters course, such as our MA Film and Television Production. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.

Where have other Film graduates worked?

Here are where some of our previous students have found work:

Ed Frost, Theatrical Marketing Executive – Curzon/Artificial Eye

Eleanor Bougie-Smith, Digital Marketing Expert/Professional Speaker/Digital Marketing Trainer

Kayleigh Barnes, Marketing Professional (works with Cambridge Film Trust)

Jon Hazell, Junior Editor – VICE News

Seyi Odusanya, Screenwriter (worked as part of writers' room for BBC/CBeebies)

Shayne Thomas-Gordon, Production Content Producer – Sky

Adam Marsh, Freelance 3play Operator

Alison Devlin, Content Producer/Charity Sector

Mike Cooper, Media and Film Studies Teacher – JCoSS

Charlotte Wibrew, Social Media Assistant

Elle Haywood, Account Executive/Freelance Film Reviewer

Charlotte Ross, Account manager – twotogether (marketing/advertising)

Zoë Warburton, Marketing Manager

Sean Seymour, Freelance TV/Film Floor Runner

Alex Turner, Camera Trainee and 2nd Assistant Camera Operator

Mel Francis, Senior Research Executive – Tokyoesque

Andrew Cloke, Colorist/Post Production

Alex Oliver, Freelance Video Editor

Where have other Film students found work experience?

You'll have opportunities to show your films at the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse and work with a range of external partners. Our links with local and national organisations will help you make contacts, solve live briefs and find work placements in the industry.

Our recent students have found internships and placements with companies such as the BBC, Cambridge Festival of Ideas, Film & Video Umbrella, Cannes Film Festival, Cambridge Film Festival, Take One magazine, Watersprite Film Festival, CBBC, ITN Productions, London Studios, MTV, New York Film Academy, Pinewood Studios, StudioCanal UK (formerly Optimum Releasing) and Sight & Sound magazine.

They've taken part in live briefs with our partner organisations such as mental health charity Lifecraft, producing a series of short videos about the charity for their website and social media channels.

How can ARU help with my employability and career development?

We want you to be a step ahead when you graduate, so we offer:

courses designed with employers

tutors with professional industry knowledge

hands-on learning through Live Briefs, internships and placements

Ruskin Modules that help develop the skills employers value.

Alongside your course, there are lots of other opportunities to build your skills and experience:

add value to your CV with an ARU Certificate of Professional Development

get involved in a thriving volunteering programme

develop your brilliant business ideas

work with businesses to make a social impact.

We’re here to help you develop your CV and find that all-important role after graduation. Our Employability Service offers tailored career appointments, advice on writing your CV, help to complete job applications, and much more. You’ll have 24/7 access to an online Careers Centre too, which is packed with useful resources.

The support continues after you graduate, with lifelong access to our Alumni Career Centre.

Find out more about careers support at ARU.

Join our course to dive into global cinema, create your own films and explore screenwriting. Expand your creative and intellectual horizons.

Nina Lübbren, Course Director

You’ll start the course by discovering new ways of analysing and thinking about film from different perspectives.

You'll also learn about various aspects of filmmaking including screenwriting, cinematography, sound recording and editing.

In Year 2 you’ll explore theoretical issues around spectatorship and representation, including the changes introduced by digital cinema, and take part in critical discussions and debates around documentary cinema.

Finally you’ll bring together all you’ve learned on an individual research project and consider notions of gender in film, as well as extending your knowledge and expertise in an area of your choice.

Student work

Our student showcase

Since graduating, Jack has taken his one-man show to Edinburgh Fringe Festival, as well as presenting shows for Hospital Radio Lynn and working with Peterborough’s Key Theatre on various productions. Read Jack's Spotlight interview.

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Discover why Joe loves studying Film at ARU.

Find out how Film and Media student Jacob spends his time on and off the course.

Drink Drive campaign. A short film by ARU Film and Media students for Cambridgeshire Constabulary's Drink Drive campaign.

"The course has pretty much opened doors for me to finally do what I wanted to do... now that I'm in uni I can actually make [ideas] come to life." Read Michael's Spotlight interview.

Senior Lecturer Practitioner Toby Venables co-wrote Netflix’s BAFTA-winning horror film “His House”. Find out more about his work and inspirations.

MA Film and Television Production graduates Erato and Sand formed the company NoMargins Media, working with artists and creatives on a range of projects. Read Sand and Erato's Spotlight interview.

ARU MA Film Production student Megan Wiggins shares her highlights from the 2023 CFF, and its benefits to the community and ARU students.

A film by students James Pearson and Martha Wallam.

A film by student James Pearson.

A film by student Grete Kutkaite.

What will I study?

Modules are subject to change and availability, and may vary by location. If you have the choice of optional modules, these are indicated with a *.

Film Language and Concepts

Creative Moving Image

Screenwriting: The Short Film

History of Global Cinema

Into ARU

Filmmaking on Film: Super 8mm *

Anglia Language Programme (15 credits) *

Theorising Spectatorship

Classical Hollywood Cinema

Documentary Film Theory

Ruskin Module (15 credits)

Filmmakers on Film

Independent Cinema: US and Beyond *

Filmmaking on Film: 16mm Filmmaking *

Non-Fiction Filmmaking *

Film Criticism and Reviewing *

From Script to Screen *

Special Topics in Film Studies

Creative Industries Major Project

Screenwriting: Writing and Selling the Feature Film *

Experiments in Film and Moving Image *

Screen Drama Production *

Film Journalism *

Independent Film Practice *

Gender and Popular Cinema *

Narrative in Global Cinema *

Module details

You can choose to take an optional placement year as part of this course. Placements typically happen in Year 3, and your course will take four years overall. Find out more about placement years.

Placement year

Work Placement - Cambridge School of Creative Industries

To prepare you for university study, you can take a foundation year at the start of this course. Find out more about foundation years.

Foundation in Humanities, English, Media, Social Sciences and Education

What happens on a foundation year?

A foundation year prepares you for the rest of your course, and focuses on general skills such as researching and referencing, numeracy and ICT, and communication. We'll also start to look at some more subject-specific topics.

What happens on a placement year?

Your placement year is a chance to put everything you’ve learnt in Years 1 and 2 into practice. Spend typically 9-12 months working for an organisation, developing your skills and gaining valuable work experience. Our Placements Team is here to help you secure a placement.

How is Film assessed?

You won’t take any written exams. Instead, you’ll show your learning through a portfolio of creative work (including short films and film scripts), film reviews, critical essays and oral presentations. You’ll also critically evaluate your creative work, presenting and defending your work in ‘crits’.

Who teaches Film at ARU?

Read profiles of teaching and research staff on this course.

Dr Nina Lübbren

Associate Professor

Dr Simon Payne

Dr Tina Kendall

Dr Sarah Gibson Yates

Senior Lecturer

Neil Henderson

Deputy Head of School

Dr Tanya Horeck

Professor

You'll have access to all of our creative industries facilities including:

film studio with overhead lighting, tracks, dollies and green screen

multi-camera television studio with modular set panels

full range of location kit and sound-recording equipment

editing suites with Da Vinci Resolve and the full Adobe Creative Cloud software suite

finishing suite with audio monitoring and grading panels

Aaton cameras and Steenbeck editors for 16mm film production

motion capture equipment

podcast and video capture system.

ARRI Alexa camera

Media Service loans

Media Service helpdesk

Film editing suite

Film studio

Green screen studio

Screening room

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Standard entry requirements

Qualifications

112-96 UCAS Tariff points. We accept A Levels, T Levels, BTECs, OCR, Access to HE and most other qualifications within the UCAS Tariff.

3 GCSEs at grade C, or grade 4, or above.

If English is not your first language you will be expected to demonstrate a certificated level of proficiency of at least IELTS 6.0 (Academic level) or equivalent English Language qualification, as recognised by Anglia Ruskin University.

Important additional notes

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

Other equivalent qualifications may be accepted for entry to this course; please email answers@aru.ac.uk for further information. Applicants to undergraduate courses can also check our information about undergraduate entry qualifications.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.

We don't accept AS level qualifications on their own for entry to our undergraduate degree courses. However for some degree courses a small number of tariff points from AS levels are accepted as long as they're combined with tariff points from A levels or other equivalent level 3 qualifications in other subjects.

See entry requirements for the BA or BSc (Hons)

5 GCSEs at grade D, or grade 3, or above and evidence of two years post-GCSE study at Level 3.

If you have achieved at least grade E in one A level, or equivalent, you are exempt from the two years post-GCSE study requirement, but you still must meet the GCSE requirements.

Applicants who do not meet the two years post GCSE study at level 3 may be considered based on their satisfactory employment history, which must be a minimum of two years full time employment supported by employer evidence and deemed appropriate by the University for meeting the course of study applied for.

If English is not your first language you will be expected to demonstrate a certificated level of proficiency of at least IELTS 5.5 (Academic level) or equivalent English Language qualification, as recognised by Anglia Ruskin University.

International students

We welcome applications from international and EU students, and accept a range of international qualifications.

See international and EU entry requirements

See information about application deadlines

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you'll need to make sure you meet our English language requirements for undergraduate courses.

Check the section 'English language requirements' for IELTS requirements.

Contextual offers

You can find out more about the admissions process at ARU, including what happens after you apply and the different types of offer we may make.

We may automatically offer you a place at ARU if you meet any of these criteria:

are a care leaver or care experienced

have a declared disability

are from certain postcodes

provide unpaid care for another person

are currently, or were, in receipt of free school meals during secondary education

are a Service Child, where a parent or carer currently serves in the UK Armed Forces

participated in an approved activity in preparation for entry to higher education

attended a secondary school that had a Progress 8 score of average, below average or well below average

Find out more about contextual offers.

UK students

UK students starting 2027/28 (full-time, per year)

Paying your tuition fees

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland

EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

International students starting 2027/28 (full-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

Placement year fee

This course includes an optional placement year. The placement year fee is:

You will be responsible for covering the cost of travelling to your placement during your placement year. This cost could vary significantly depending on where your placement is located, where you live during your course and how you travel.

Living costs

Living at university

We understand that affordability is an important issue when you’re thinking about studying at university.

The overall cost of university can vary depending on where you’re studying and which course you’re taking.

Costs may also be lower if you're living at home. However, some of the main costs you’ll want to think about include:

accommodation

internet, mobile phone and calls

food and drink

socialising and going out

study materials.

Most full-time UK students can apply for a Maintenance Loan to help cover living costs. More about maintenance loans.

We also have a range of offers to help with the cost of living.

Our Money Advice Service is on hand if you’d like to chat about living costs, budgets and managing your money. You can also find out more about student finance at one of our Open Days.

Bursaries, scholarships and part-time work

We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries for UK and international students, which provide extra financial support while you’re at university.

If you're eligible for a scholarship, you'll generally receive it automatically – there's no need to apply.

Our campus employment bureau, ARU Temps, can help you find part-time work that fits around your studies (including any time you may spend on placements). It's a great chance to enhance your CV and boost your income while you study.

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