Film and Screenwriting - BA (Hons)

If you choose the BA (Hons) Film and Screenwriting at Birmingham City University (BCU), you’re not just signing up for lectures and essays — you’re stepping into the world of storytelling itself. From your very first week, you’ll be crafting scripts, exploring visual storytelling, and collaborating with other creatives who share your passion for film and television.

Taught by experienced film scholars and professional screenwriters, this degree places you right at the heart of Birmingham’s vibrant city centre — not tucked away on a remote campus — so you’ll be surrounded by culture, creativity, and opportunity every day.

Experiential Learning

From day one, you’ll dive straight into production-writing workshops, creative writing sessions, and film screenings where you’ll explore how theory and practice come together. You’ll experience a mix of lectures, seminars, and hands-on workshops that let you put ideas into action — whether you’re writing scripts, analysing films, or producing short projects.

Your campus facilities are designed for collaboration and creativity, giving you access to spaces and technology that mirror the professional film environment. Alongside your classes, you’ll find structured opportunities that take your learning even further:

• Work on external events such as the Cine-Excess International Film Festival, hosted at BCU. This gives you direct exposure to visiting international filmmakers, UK theatrical premieres, and real industry networks.

• Access specialist film collections, including through BCU’s partnership with the British Film Institute (BFI), giving you the chance to research, view, and analyse authentic screen content.

• Take an optional Professional Placement Year after your second year, spending a full year in a film, media, or screenwriting-related role. You’ll build valuable industry experience and connections through BCU’s strong network of employers.

• Learn the business of film with modules such as Film Entrepreneurship and Film Industry Primer — helping you understand how ideas move from the page to production.

• Create across genres and traditions, from romcoms and thrillers to European cinema and smartphone filmmaking, building a diverse and impressive writing portfolio.

What You’ll Experience

• Collaborate with fellow students from different disciplines through modules like Professional Practice, where you’ll respond to real-world creative briefs and develop joint projects.

• Use BCU’s production suites and writing workshops to develop scripts for short films or features — culminating in your final-year Major Project, where you can write a feature-length screenplay or undertake an independent research study.

• Participate in film festivals and events, including Cine-Excess, where you’ll network with filmmakers, attend premieres, and see how the film industry operates behind the scenes.

• Make the most of BCU’s Curzon Building — home to modern studios, open-access creative work areas, and production facilities designed for collaborative learning.

• Work with industry-standard tools and access extensive research collections like the BFI Player and film archives, enriching both your creative and analytical work.

• Build professional awareness through modules that explore film finance, entrepreneurship, and festival programming, giving you insight into the wider industry and how to position your work within it.

Your Future in Film

This course is about much more than learning how to write scripts. It’s about developing your voice, building your network, and understanding how the screen industries operate. You’ll graduate with not just creative and technical skills, but also the confidence to navigate real-world opportunities.

Whether you want to become a screenwriter, script editor, story consultant, or work in film production or festival programming, BCU gives you the experience, portfolio, and professional grounding to make it happen.

If you join the BA (Hons) Film and Screenwriting at Birmingham City University, you’ll be setting yourself up for an exciting creative career. Graduates from this course often move into roles such as screenwriter, script editor, film or TV script researcher, or story-development assistant. Thanks to the blend of hands-on filmmaking experience and industry-informed teaching, you’ll graduate ready to thrive in the ever-changing world of film, television, and digital storytelling.

Progression & Future Opportunities

• Careers & Employability Support:
Birmingham City University’s Careers+ service will help you every step of the way — from perfecting your CV and preparing for interviews, to attending networking events and finding industry placements. You’ll have access to expert guidance tailored to creative careers.

• Graduate Outcomes & Salaries:
While specific employment data for this exact degree is still being gathered, graduates from related film and photography programmes at BCU earn a median salary of around £21,336 fifteen months after graduation — showing strong early career potential in creative roles.

• Industry Connections:
As part of BCU’s “Film Futures” suite, you’ll have opportunities to connect directly with the industry — for example, through collaborations and events like the Cine-Excess International Film Festival, where students engage with filmmakers, producers, and critics.

• Accredited & Respected Institution:
You’ll be studying at a TEF Gold-rated university for student experience, within a creative campus equipped with professional-standard studios and production spaces. This environment encourages collaboration and prepares you for real-world film and media work.

• Career Readiness:
By the time you graduate, you won’t just have developed strong screenwriting and storytelling skills — you’ll also have the creative confidence, professional mindset, and industry connections needed to pursue roles across film, TV, streaming platforms, or even develop your own independent projects and festival submissions.

Further Academic Progression

After completing your BA (Hons), you may choose to continue your journey with a master’s degree in areas such as Film Studies, Screenwriting, Film Production, or Media Entrepreneurship. This can help you refine your specialism — for instance, focusing on TV writing, directing, or digital storytelling — and position you for more advanced or specialised roles in the creative and media industries.