MA Film and Screen Studies

This MA doesn’t just teach theory — it gives you direct access to one of the UK’s richest film archives, opportunities to work with real historical materials, and to engage with a research community of screen scholars. You’ll develop curatorial and archival skills, deeply explore primary artefacts, and build your own research project using the museum’s collection. At the same time, you’ll be part of Exeter’s Screen Studies Centre, which brings together academics, postgraduates, and practitioners — so you’re not operating in isolation, but immersed in a vibrant intellectual and practical network.

Here’s how the programme offers practical, hands-on learning:

• Bill Douglas Cinema Museum access: This MA gives you exclusive access to the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum, which holds over 70,000 film-related artefacts — the largest university-based archive in the UK. 

• Digital Humanities Lab: You’ll use state-of-the-art equipment in the Digital Humanities Lab for examining, digitising, and analysing archival film materials. 

• Research‑led teaching & supervision: Teaching is led by world-class academics, and your dissertation (60 credits) is research‑driven with one‑on‑one supervision, giving you the freedom to develop a project that deeply interests you.

• Exeter Screen Studies Centre: As a student, you’ll join this interdisciplinary research forum — attending workshops, lectures, and research events with scholars and practitioners. 

• Creative Dialogues lecture series: You’ll have opportunities to network with industry professionals and academics through Exeter’s “Creative Dialogues” series. 

• Archival modules: Some optional modules are very hands-on: for example, Archival Encounters: Material Film Histories lets you work with physical film history objects.

• Dissertation conference: As part of your dissertation, there’s a conference-style workshop where students present their projects, helping you practice academic presentation and get feedback. 

• Library & Film Collections: You’ll also benefit from Exeter’s large audiovisual collection — over 12,000 film titles in the university library, plus journals and other research materials.

• Postgraduate research community: Through the Screen Studies Centre and department seminars, you’ll engage with a community of postgraduate researchers – great for collaboration, peer feedback, and developing your academic voice. 

• Career‑relevant skills: You develop transferable skills like archiving, curation, critical research, project management, plus oral and written communication. These are directly valued in careers in journalism, cultural heritage, film festivals, archiving, academia, and more. 

Graduates from Exeter’s MA Film & Screen Studies can build meaningful careers in cultural heritage, screen curation, media research, and higher education. Typical job roles might include: film archivist / curator, screen researcher, festival programmer / manager, or university lecturer / PhD researcher.

Here’s how Exeter supports you — and why this MA is a strong investment:

• University Support & Services

  • You’ll have access to Exeter’s Career Zone, part of the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, which offers tailored career advice, networking support, and employability guidance.

  • The programme is deeply research-led: you’ll work with the Exeter Screen Studies Centre, which gives you exposure to cutting-edge academic work and event series. 

  • You gain hands-on curatorial experience through the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum — the only university film museum in the UK — allowing you to work directly with archival collections. 

• Employment Roles & Graduate Paths

  • According to Exeter, graduates go on to roles in cultural heritage, communications / journalism, film festival management, screenwriting, media research, film & media industries, and teaching / lecturing. 

  • The career‑relevant skills you’ll gain include advanced research, critical thinking, project / dissertation management, and curatorial / archival competence. 

  • Your international and interdisciplinary training (e.g. world cinema, queer studies, star studies) helps you build intercultural competencies — valued in global media sectors. 

• University–Industry / Cultural Partnerships

  • You benefit from the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum, which provides a world-class archive for research, curatorial work, and practical engagement.

  • The Creative Dialogues lecture series brings in industry professionals and academics, giving you valuable networking opportunities.

  • Through the Department of Communications, Drama & Film, Exeter has active research and teaching partnerships — giving you exposure to real-world debates in media, gender, adaptation, and transnational cinema. 

• Long-Term & Accreditation Value

  • Exeter’s MA is backed by strong academic research in film studies, and the department’s reputation helps when applying for PhD positions or research roles. 

  • Having curated experience via the Museum, plus deep theoretical training, you’ll be uniquely placed both for cultural-sector jobs and academic roles — giving long-term flexibility.

• Graduation Outcomes

  • You’ll complete a 60-credit dissertation, under supervision, that can be archival, theoretical, or data-driven depending on your interests.

  • With the curatorial module and museum access, you graduate with concrete portfolio work (e.g., archival research, exhibitions, cataloguing), not just essays. 

  • Alumni have used this MA as a springboard into further study (PhD) or employment in screen-based cultural institutions, media organizations, and festival contexts. 

Further Academic Progression:
After completing the Exeter MA, you could:

• Apply for a PhD in Film Studies, Screen Studies, or Media Theory, specialising in areas like archival research, transnational cinema, or adaptation.

• Take on a research assistant role in the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum or within the Exeter Screen Studies Centre.

• Pursue a postgraduate fellowship in curatorial studies, focusing on film heritage, preservation, or museum curation.

• Or combine with a more practice-led degree or short course (e.g., film production, curatorial practice) to further your professional profile in the screen industries.