Bachelor of Film and Television (Honours)

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Swinburne University of Technology

Program Overview

If you've always dreamed of telling stories through film or television, Swinburne's Bachelor of Film and Television (Honours) gives you the skills and experience to turn that passion into a career. Over four years, you'll learn every stage of the production process—from developing ideas and writing scripts to directing, filming, editing, and completing an advanced honours project that showcases your creative and research abilities.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1

Your first year introduces you to the fundamentals of filmmaking and visual storytelling. Through subjects such as Screen Studies, Film and Television Production, and Scriptwriting, you'll learn how compelling stories are created while gaining hands-on experience with cameras, editing software, and collaborative production.

Year 2

In the second year, you'll start taking on more creative responsibility as you develop your technical and production skills. You'll study subjects including Cinematography, Directing, and Sound Design, giving you the opportunity to experiment with different production roles and produce increasingly polished screen projects.

Year 3

By your third year, you'll be working on larger and more ambitious productions while exploring specialist areas of filmmaking. Through units such as Documentary Production, Producing, and Post-Production, you'll manage projects from concept to completion, collaborate with classmates, and build a professional portfolio that reflects your individual creative style.

Year 4 (Honours)

The Honours year allows you to take your creative practice even further by combining advanced research with an independent film or television project. You'll undertake Research Methods, complete an Honours Research Project, and produce a substantial Creative Honours Project or Thesis, demonstrating your ability to investigate, create, and communicate original ideas at a professional level.

Focus Areas (in a string):

Film Production, Television Production, Screenwriting, Directing, Cinematography, Documentary Production, Producing, Post-Production, Screen Studies, Creative Research, Visual Storytelling.

Learning Outcomes (in a string):

Develop professional filmmaking and television production skills, create original screen content, master visual storytelling techniques, work effectively in collaborative production teams, conduct independent creative research, apply industry-standard production workflows, build a professional portfolio, communicate ideas through film and television.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

Although the program is not professionally accredited, it has been designed with a strong industry focus and emphasises practical production experience alongside creative research. The Honours qualification also provides an excellent pathway to higher research degrees such as a Master's by Research or PhD.

Reputation (Employability Rankings):

Swinburne is well known for its strong links with industry and its practical approach to learning. Ranked among the world's top 300 universities in the QS World University Rankings, the university prepares graduates with the technical expertise, creative confidence, and real-world experience needed to succeed in the film, television, and broader creative industries.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

At Swinburne, learning happens on set as much as it does in the classroom. From your first year, you'll work on real film and television productions using professional equipment and industry-standard facilities, gradually building the technical skills and creative confidence needed for a career in screen production. As you progress through the degree, you'll collaborate with classmates on increasingly ambitious projects, gain industry experience through Work Integrated Learning (WIL), and complete major productions that closely mirror professional filmmaking environments.

Your practical learning is supported by a wide range of industry-focused resources and experiences, including:

Access to state-of-the-art production workstations, purpose-built for film, television, and digital media production.
A professional green screen studio for visual effects, virtual production, and studio-based filming.
Use of high-end still, video, and cinema cameras for professional production work.
Interactive pen displays and render farms to support editing, visual effects, animation, and post-production workflows.
Extensive hands-on group productions where students rotate through key industry roles such as director, producer, cinematographer, editor, and sound designer.
Guaranteed Work Integrated Learning (WIL), allowing students to gain real industry experience as part of every bachelor's degree.
In Major Project: Production (FTV40010) and Major Project: Post-Production and Distribution (FTV40011), students produce a film in consultation with industry professionals, closely replicating real-world film production.
Optional International Study Tour to the Berlinale Film Festival (Germany) or participation in a creative residency in Italy, providing valuable international industry exposure.
Access to the Swinburne Library, including specialist film collections, research databases, journals, and digital resources to support both creative projects and honours research.
The program is recognised as an ARRI Certified Film School, giving students experience with workflows aligned to one of the world's leading cinema camera manufacturers.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Bachelor of Film and Television (Honours) prepares you to enter Australia's screen and creative industries with a strong portfolio, advanced production skills, and valuable industry experience. By the time you graduate, you'll have worked on professional-style productions, collaborated with industry mentors, and developed the research capabilities that can open doors to both creative careers and postgraduate study. Graduates commonly pursue roles such as Film Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Screenwriter, Editor, Television Production Coordinator, and Content Creator.

To help you build your career, Swinburne offers a range of dedicated opportunities and support services:

Swinburne Employability Services provides personalised career advice, résumé and portfolio reviews, interview coaching, networking events, and career development workshops tailored to creative industries.
Students have access to CareerHub, where they can explore graduate jobs, internships, employer events, industry projects, and career resources throughout their studies.
Every Swinburne bachelor's degree includes Work Integrated Learning (WIL), giving students the opportunity to gain practical industry experience before graduation.
The program maintains strong connections with Australia's screen and creative industries, with students working alongside industry professionals on major production projects and receiving feedback from experienced practitioners.
Swinburne is an ARRI Certified Film School, giving graduates experience with internationally recognised cinema production standards and professional filmmaking workflows.
While specific employment rates and salary figures are not published for this program, graduates leave with a professional showreel, substantial production experience, and collaborative project work that strengthen their employability across film, television, streaming, digital media, advertising, and content production.
The Honours qualification demonstrates advanced research capability and independent creative practice, making graduates highly competitive for both industry roles and research careers.

Further Academic Progression:

After completing the Bachelor of Film and Television (Honours), graduates can continue into higher research through a Master by Research or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at Swinburne or other universities. The Honours year provides the research foundation required for postgraduate study, enabling students to specialise further in filmmaking, screen production, media research, creative technologies, or academic careers.