(Full time / Part time) 2021 start
Film, Photography and Media MA
Coronavirus information for applicants and offer holders
We hope that by the time you’re ready to start your studies with us the situation with COVID-19 will have eased. However, please be aware, we will continue to review our courses and other elements of the student experience in response to COVID-19 and we may need to adapt our provision to ensure students remain safe. For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, regularly visit our website, which we will continue to update as the situation changes www.leeds.ac.uk/covid19faqs
Overview
This course allows you to think about the critical and creative relationships between film, photography and the media while developing your skills to produce projects of your own.
You'll complete a major independent project, supported by modules that put your practice into the context of contemporary debates. You’ll explore the different critical approaches to the making and consumption of photography and film, to inform the short film and photography projects you’ll work on.
The flexibility of this course allows you to choose from optional modules that suit your personal and career aspirations. You could study cultural policy, international film industries, film and TV writing, feminism in the media and more.
The content of the course modules is informed by the research interests and practice of academic staff who teach them.
Please refer to the application deadlines.
Photography studio
Our School has a range of fantastic facilities to support your studies. Our 58-seat cinema is equipped with Dolby Digital sound, high-definition projection facilities and projectors for 16mm and 35mm film.
You can work on your own projects in our 44 editing suites, equipped with Avid Media Composer editing software and Adobe Creative Cloud. Our fully equipped TV studio has a large green screen area, lighting and photo-flash facilities. We have a track and dolly, sliders, Glidecam, cranes and a photographic darkroom.
We run a loans service where you can borrow HD digital camcorders and Canon stills cameras to help with your project work.
Course content
The whole course is based around a major independent project, in which you can create a short film, or photography project. Alternatively, you can choose to complete a written dissertation, whilst taking classes to develop your knowledge of research methods to support your work.
Both the core and optional modules you study throughout the course provide you with the theoretical, critical and contextual knowledge you need to inform your project, as well as further developing your creative and technical skills in filmmaking and photography.
You'll study two core modules on the course. One will explore the creative and critical links between photography and cinema, allowing you to work on a short film project. The other will explore the historical development of photographic creative practice, within contemporary issues and debates.
Alongside these modules, you'll also be able to choose from a range of options, enabling you to engage in topics that interest you, from screenwriting, film industries around the world, to new media, cultural policy, communication and development, television narrative and more.
If you choose to study part-time, you’ll complete the course over two years, instead of one, taking fewer modules each year.
Have a look at some student work produced on this course.
Course structure
The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.
Modules
Year 1
Compulsory modules
- Cultures of Contemporary Photography 30 credits
- Film Theory and Practice 30 credits
- <strong>Choose one from:</strong>
- Dissertation and Research Methods 60 credits
- Final Independent Project 60 credits
Optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
- <strong>Choose 30 credits from:</strong>
- Media and Communication Theory 30 credits
- Communication and International Affairs 30 credits
- Promotional Media, Culture and Society 30 credits
- Feminism, Identity and Media 30 credits
- Understanding the Audience 30 credits
- Keywords in Political Communication 30 credits
- Journalism Theory and Research 30 credits
- The Media Industries 30 credits
- Transnational East Asian Cinemas 30 credits
- Rhetoric and Public Speaking 15 credits
- International Organisations: Context, Theory and Practice 15 credits
- Story Workshop 30 credits
- <strong>Choose 30 credits from:</strong>
- Critical Issues in Media and Communication 30 credits
- Critical Studies in Visual Communication 30 credits
- Media, Culture and Globalisation 30 credits
- Innovations in Political Communication 30 credits
- Communication and Development 30 credits
- Identity and Culture 30 credits
- Media Production Analysis 30 credits
- The Cultural History of Promotional Communication 30 credits
- Urban Narratives 30 credits
- Managing Business Across Cultures 15 credits
- Writing for Professional Purposes 15 credits
- Critical Debates in Culture and Place 30 credits
- Cultural Policy and the Politics of Culture 30 credits
- Writing for Film and Television 30 credits
- Racism, Decoloniality and Migration 30 credits
- Researching Inequality in the Media 30 credits
- Reality TV: Truth or Fiction? 30 credits
Discovery modules
You can choose to replace up to 30 of your optional credits with up to 30 discovery module credits. (Discovery module codes must begin with a three or five).
Learning and teaching
We use learning methods that reflect the diversity of the course, including workshops, lectures, seminars, group learning, tutorials and film screenings. Independent study is a vital element of the course as this allows you to develop your skills and explore your creativity in practical work.
You'll be taught by active researchers in the field of film, photography and media. The research interests and practice of your tutors inform the content of the course.
On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.
Assessment
We use different methods of assessment, some of which will depend on the modules you choose. These are likely to include portfolios of practical work, group and individual projects and reports, essays, exams, literature reviews, case studies, presentations, scripts and commentaries.
Applying, fees and funding
Entry requirements
A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (Hons), preferably with some background in lens-based or image practice. This course encourages applications from students whose undergraduate degree has investigated one of the following subject areas:
creative photography (with evidence of some critical/reflexive writing)
film practice (including fiction, documentary, experimental)
film studies/filmology (as long as the applicant is aware that creative practice is at least 50% of this course)
English literature (if there is significant evidence of creative practice)
fine art (as long as there is evidence of photographic/time-based work)
media studies (with evidence of creative practice).
Please note that this course is not specifically ‘vocational’ (a technical skills-based experience), though it will provide you with regular technical support to help you to realise your creative aims within each module.
All applicants are required to submit a portfolio of recent practical work. Applicants with degrees in other creative subjects, or with relevant professional experience, may also be considered.
This course includes a substantial amount of theoretical study, so may not be suitable for those with largely practice-based backgrounds. We may request additional documentation to inform our decision. Please note that meeting the entry requirements of this course doesn't guarantee an offer of a place.
International qualifications
To see equivalent entry requirements for your country, check our international entry requirement directory.
For more information contact the School of Media and Communication admissions team.
Applying from China
Due to the large numbers of applications we receive, we’re only able to offer places to applicants who have attended selected Chinese institutions. With regret, any applications we receive from applicants awarded a qualification in China from an institution that isn’t on this list will be rejected, and we recommend applying elsewhere.
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.
Improve your English
International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.
This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Communication and Society (6 weeks) and Language for Social Science and Arts: Communication and Society (10 weeks).
We are now offering online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. To find out more, read Online Academic English pre-sessional (10 weeks) and Online Academic English pre-sessional (6 weeks).
Read about differences between our online and on-campus summer pre-sessionals.
If you need to study for longer than 10 weeks, read more about our postgraduate pre-sessional English course.
How to apply
Application deadlines
We operate a staged admissions process for this course with application deadlines throughout the year.
If you don’t receive an offer or a notification that your application has been unsuccessful in a particular stage, your application will be carried forward to be considered in the next stage.
If you intend to apply for funding, we advise you to submit an application for your chosen course as early as possible and at least one month before any scholarship deadline.
Please see our How to apply page for full details and for application deadlines for each stage.
This link takes you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.
If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.
Documents and information you need
Your degree certificate and transcripts, or a partial transcript if you’re still studying
Your most recent CV
A supporting statement in response to the questions asked in the ‘supporting statement’ section of the online application form
If English is not your first language, you’ll need to provide evidence of your English language qualifications
A selection of practical work is required to demonstrate your technical ability for this course.
We may also ask you to attend an interview in some cases.
Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.
Admissions policy
University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2023
Fees
- UK: £9,750 (total)
- International: £22,250 (total)
For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.
Read more about paying fees and charges.
Part-time fees
Fees for part-time courses are normally calculated based on the number of credits you study in a year compared to the equivalent full-time course. For example, if you study half the course credits in a year, you will pay half the full-time course fees for that year.
Additional cost information
There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs.
Scholarships and financial support
If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more at Masters funding overview.
Head of School Masters Scholarships
We offer scholarships to applicants holding an offer to study a Masters at the School of Media and Communication in the form of tuition fee waivers.
To find out how to apply and to see all funding opportunities, visit our scholarship and funding opportunities page.
Career opportunities
This course will provide you with a broad knowledge base and creative skills across two important forms of media communication. You'll develop a critical awareness of the broader visual/ media culture to help you have a successful career in the media industries, including the creative and film industries, as well as roles in visual communication.
Additionally, the course’s emphasis on advanced skills in research, critical analysis, interpretation, presentation, and oral/ written communication will give you the skills you need to pursue a career in academia.
Careers support
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.