Course Overview
* Price per academic year
Course summary
This three-year degree is one of the best-known film courses in the world, with an international reputation for its academic and practical teaching.
Our students’ films are shown at festivals globally and have won a host of honours and awards, including Royal Television Society Awards, a Student Academy Award and a Grierson Best Student Documentary Award.
We operate from a purpose-built studio facility in Harrow, with two sound stages, a set construction workshop, and extensive post-production facilities. The environment is both scholarly and creative, with all students studying film history, criticism and aesthetics alongside their practical work.
You'll learn to collaborate creatively as you develop production specialisms in areas such as writing, producing, cinematography, directing, production design, editing and sound. You'll also gain the transferable and cognitive skills necessary for lifelong personal and professional development.
We aim to develop thinking filmmakers who have something to say to, and about, the world. A very high proportion of our students go on to work in film and television, and recent work from notable alumni includes The Greatest Showman and Nocturnal Animals (Seamus McGarvey, cinematographer), Senna and Amy (Asif Kapadia, director) and No Time to Die and Skyfall (Neal Purvis, screenwriter, producer). Under the Shadow, the first feature directed by 2005 graduate Babak Anvari, was selected as the UK entry for the 2017 Best Foreign Language film Oscar and won the Outstanding Debut Award at the 2017 BAFTA Awards.
The course receives substantial support from the industry and you will gain experience of working with professional actors, negotiating with facilities houses, equipment hire companies and local authorities.
Based at the recently refurbished Harrow Campus – home to the Westminster School of Arts – you will work alongside students from design, photography, music, fashion and journalism, in a unique hothouse of creative opportunity.
We encourage every student to take on work experience as part of their Professional Practice module, which aids them in finding work after graduation.
Top reasons to study with us
- Oscar- and BAFTA-winning film alumni – graduates of this course have gone on to celebrated careers in the film industry
- State-of-the-art facilities – including a purpose-built film studio with two sound stages, a set construction workshop, and extensive post-production facilities
- Work experience with a difference – recent placements include Industrial Light and Magic, Working Title Films and positions on King Arthur, Jack Ryan and Mary Queen of Scots
Course structure
The course emphasises group work, with students participating in small-scale productions in the first year, larger groups in the second year, and substantial crews in the final third-year productions, which include the participation of second-year students. This film practice gives students the opportunity to explore different disciplines, before finding a specialism in the second year.
Teaching of specialisms on the course is supported by input from professionals through workshops, tutorials and feedback, introducing students to specialised skill-based roles that are crucial to a professional crew and may inform their career path.
The academic side of the course is assessed through presentations and coursework essays that build in length through the levels up to a substantial dissertation in the final year, where you carry out in-depth research into an academic or practical area of your own choice.
The following subjects are indicative of what you will study on this course.
Each student will have roles in a wide range of documentary and fiction production projects, shooting and editing on 16mm film as well as digitally, and working in small groups.
Subjects of study include:
- The Art of Cinema
- Creating the Real: Documentary Cinema and Television
- Film Theory and Analysis: Hollywood and Genre
- Introduction to Film and Television Practice
Credit Level 4
The focus is on specialist areas, including directing, cinematography, screenwriting, producing, editing and sound, to enable you to work in larger crews. You will each work on five substantial fiction films.
Subjects of study include:
- Aesthetics of Television Drama
- Cinema, Dream and Fantasy
- Contemporary British Cinema and Television
- Contemporary World Cinema
- Drama Production: Skills and Major Projects
- Story, Structure and Style
Credit Level 5
You will work on drama, documentary and commercials production, write a dissertation and undertake relevant work experience.
Subjects of study include:
- Advanced Production
- Advanced Screenwriting and Documentary Production OR
Documentary Production - Dissertation
- Professional Practice
Credit Level 6
Programme Recognition
This course offers industry-relevant teaching and is endorsed by ScreenSkills, the skills body of UK’s screen-based creative industries.
Studying film with us
Programme Specification
For more details on course structure and modules, and how you will be taught and assessed, see the programme specification.
Careers
Join our successful alumni
A high proportion of our graduates go on to well-paid and creatively satisfying careers in a wide range of production roles.
Industry-focused teaching
Your practical and creative development is supported by workshops and tutorials led by practising industry professionals, as well as by the course team.
90%
Graduates in work and/or further study
90% of our Film BA students are in work and/or further study 15 months after graduation.
Source: Discover Uni (Accessed November 2020)
Work experience
London is the centre of the UK’s film and television industries, so there are plenty of opportunities for students to gain work experience during their course, and doing this makes it easier to find paid work on graduating. Students undertake work experience that relates to their desired career path as part of the third year Professional Practice module, and recent placements include:
- Art Assistant on Bohemian Rhapsody
- VFX Production Assistant on King Arthur
- Location marshalling on Jack Ryan Season 2 and Annihilation
- Roles at Industrial Light and Magic, Working Title and Envy Post Production
- Positions at Emmerdale, Broadchurch and Mary Queen of Scots
- Runners for ESPN: Wimbledon and US Open
- Casting Assistant at Aston Casting
- Sound Assistant at Phenomenon Films
Industry links
Our strong industry links mean that the course is supported by professionals in the sector. Students benefit from workshops and tutorials that introduce them to different skills and specialisations, and allow them to develop these skills in an industry-style production context. As well as influencing career choices, leading professionals also tutor students on their productions.
Recent visiting professionals include:
- Kit Fraser (Director of Photography, Eternal Beauty, Under the Shadow)
- Louise Hooper (Director, Flesh and Blood)
- Mick Audsley (Editor, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
- Sara Dunlop (Commercials Director)
- Paul Trijbits (Producer, Fish Tank, Saving Mr Banks)
- Seamus McGarvey (Cinematographer, The Greatest Showman, Atonement, Anna Karenina, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Godzilla)
Job roles and graduate employment
Film and TV can be a difficult industry to break into, and our graduates’ success is partly down to the course’s emphasis not only on developing the capacity to progress to a Head of Department role, which may take many years, but also to equip graduates with skills in entry-level roles that allow them to gain immediate employment.
Typical entry-level roles can include:
- Art department trainee or assistant
- Location runner/location assistant
- Camera trainee
- Production assistant
- Script reader
- Script supervisor’s assistant
- AD runner or 3rd AD
- Researcher
- Editorial trainee/ 2nd assistant editor/assistant editor
Examples of graduate employment include:
- Assistant Location Manager on Annihilation (Saba Kia) and locations Assistant on The Nutcracker (Tara Acton)
- Production Assistant on The Danish Girl (Behnam Taheri) and on Set Production Assistant on Spider-Man: Far From Home (Pippa Howson) and Production Co-ordinator on Yesterday (Jannika Oberg) and Downton Abbey (Aneta Chalas)
- Director's Assistant: 2nd Unit on Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (Lois Gration) and 1st AD/2nd Unit Director on 47 Meters Down (James Nunn)
- Central Loader on Cats (Hannah Jell) and Aladdin (Cenay Said), clapper Loader: 2nd Unit on No Time to Die (Phil Barnes), 2nd AC: Sprite Unit on Bohemian Rhapsody (Maiya Rose) and Camera Trainee on The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Sarah Collins)
- VFX Production Assistant on Dumbo (Jack Lewis) and VFX Editor on Hellboy (2019) (Kieran Waller) and VFX Data Capture on Cats (Chris Upson)
- Assistant Script Supervisor on Men in Black: International (Alice Guillot)
Other recent graduates have gone on to further study, including:
- National Film and Television School – graduates currently doing MAs in Screenwriting, Cinematography, Editing, Commercials.
- MA Film and Screen Studies, Cambridge University
- MA History of Dress, Courtauld Institute
- PhD, Film Directing, University of Liverpool
- MA English Literature, City University
- MFA Production Design, American Film Institute
Graduate success
This course has helped to shape the careers of some of the most influential names working in the industry today, such as:
Seamus McGarvey - Cinematographer (The Greatest Showman, Atonement, Anna Karenina, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Godzilla)
Asif Kapadia - Director, 2016 BAFTA and Oscar Winner (Amy, The Warrior, Senna)
Cinders Forshaw – Cinematographer (Poldark, The Athena, Tipping the Velvet)
Paul Trijbits - Producer (Jane Eyre, Saving Mr. Banks, This is England)
Neal Purvis - Writer (Jonny English, Casino Royale, Skyfall, Spectre)
Lucia Zucchetti - Editor (Colette, The Queen, Rat Catcher, Testament of Youth, Game Change)
Babak Anvari - Director, 2017 BAFTA Winner (Under the Shadow)
Other recent graduate credits include:
- Cinematographer's Assistant – The Mummy, Wonder Woman, Beauty and the Beast (Jack Mealing)
- Production Assistant – Wonder Woman (Lois Gration)
- Cinematographer - Eternal Beauty, Wounds (Kit Fraser)
- 2nd Unit Electrician – Spiderman: Far from Home (Greg Probert)
- DoP – The Will Smith Bucket List (Edgar Dubrovsky)
- Technical Assistant – Warner Brothers Television Production UK (Amanda Fox)
- Writer/Director ‘After Love’ (BFI and BBC Films) – Aleem Khan
- Editor, ‘The Trip to Greece’, ‘The Trip to Spain’ – Marc Richardson
- Art Department Trainee on Spider-Man: Far From Home (Nathalie Carraro)
- Oscar for Best Live Action Short 2016: ‘Stutterer’ – Shan Ogilvie, Producer
- Oscar for Best Live Action Short 2017: ‘Sing’ – Kristof Deak, Writer/Director
- 2019 Screen Daily Star of Tomorrow – Dionne Edwards, Writer/Director
- In Competition at Cannes 2016: ‘Dreamlands’ – Sara Dunlop, Director
International Opportunities
Many of our courses offer international study and work experiences, and the University provides other global opportunities that all students can apply for - so whatever you're studying, you'll have the chance to go abroad.
Opportunities could include:
- Taking part in semester or year-long exchanges at institutions around the world
- Attending an international summer school or field trip
- Developing your CV through volunteering or work placements abroad
International experience broadens horizons, boosts self-confidence, and improves global understanding, alongside being fantastic for your career.
Find out more about our international opportunities, including funding options and where you can go.
Course Leader
Tom Hooper
Senior Lecturer
Tom’s background is primarily in film and television development, having worked for Sarah Radclyffe Productions and Portobello Pictures, and on projects for writers such as John Le Carre and Jez Butterworth. He started teaching in 2003 and has recently taken on running the Film BA in 2019. He has also worked as a commercials director and as a story consultant since 2002, developing work for companies such as Phoenix Films, Mentorn, ITV, Fiesta, Tomato and Head Gear.
All of our most successful graduates tell us that the course’s balance of filmmaking with film history, theory and aesthetics has been vital to their careers – and I’m talking about filmmakers with more than 40 Oscar and Bafta nominations and wins between them over the last 20 years.
Course Team
The film student experience
Special effects
Students film a car explosion for graduation film ‘Look Up’
Kodak Commercial Awards
3rd year students win three awards, including Best in Brief and third overall at 2019 Kodak Commercial Awards
On location
2nd year students filming ‘Husky’ using an Easyrig camera support on location in East London
Top Gear: paid work experience
2nd and 3rd year students working as location marshalls; they assisted in closing off streets in Central London for ‘Top Gear’
Students win in Beijing
Graduates travelled to Beijing for ISFVF and win Best Sound award for ‘Audrey and the Rocket’
Best Film School Award
Graduates were invited to the VIGK Festival in Moscow with three films and won the award for Best Film School Programme
Camera team
3rd year camera crew setting up during filming of ‘A Human Vice’
Why study this course?
“This is a highly impressive and well-thought-out course, which provides relevant and high-quality learning to its students, most of whom go on to work in the industry."
- Anthony Alleyne, ScreenSkills Select Industry Evaluator
Acclaimed films
Our students’ films are shown at festivals globally and have won a host of honours and awards, including Royal Television Society Awards, a Student Academy Award (2011) and a Grierson Best Student Documentary Award (2015).
Industry experience
The course receives substantial support from the industry and you will gain experience of working with professional actors, negotiating with facilities houses, equipment hire companies and local authorities.
World-class facilities
We operate from a purpose-built studio facility in Harrow, with two sound stages, a set construction workshop, and extensive post-production facilities.
Online open days
Join us at an online open day or information session and get a feel for student life at the University of Westminster.
You'll get a chance to:
- Speak to our academic staff
- Take a virtual reality tour of our student halls
- Ask us any questions you may have about student finance and accommodation
Entry Requirements
- A levels – ABB to AAB
- International Baccalaureate – 128 to 136 UCAS Tariff points from the IB
- BTEC Extended Diploma – DDM to DDD
- BTEC Diploma – Not accepted on its own
- Access – 128 to 136 UCAS Tariff points from the Access course
In addition to one of the above, you should have:
- GCSE English Language grade 4/C – IB grade 4 Higher level, GCSE Maths Pass - IB Pass
If your first language is not English, you will need an IELTS of 6.5 overall, with 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in the other components.
We also welcome applications from students who are taking a combination of qualifications listed above. For further information, please contact Course Enquiries.
Please note: we do not accept applications for deferred entry.
Selection for the course is highly competitive. You are considered for interview on your grades (predicted or achieved), your responses to a questionnaire, and the portfolio of relevant work you can present at your interview; this could include film or video work, photographs, artwork, scripts or creative writing. We are looking for evidence of ideas, creative expression and visual/audio awareness, and for self-motivated students who will work well in a team and individually.
View more information about our entry requirements and the application process
- International Baccalaureate – 128 to 136 UCAS Tariff points from the IB
If your first language is not English, you will need an IELTS of 6.5 overall, with 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in the other components.
Please note: we do not accept applications for deferred entry.
Selection for the course is highly competitive. You are considered for interview on your grades (predicted or achieved), your responses to a questionnaire, and the portfolio of relevant work you can present at your interview; this could include film or video work, photographs, artwork, scripts or creative writing. We are looking for evidence of ideas, creative expression and visual/audio awareness, and for self-motivated students who will work well in a team and individually.
More information
Develop specialist skills
Focus Pulling
Measuring focus for Butlins commercial shot on 16mm in the Film Studio
Documentary in Indonesia
Third-year students with local children in Indonesia during filming of documentary ‘Tono’
Props sourcing
Production Designer Liam Winter sourced a prop hog for his graduation film ‘Cuckoo’
Sound team
Second-year students recording sound on major drama ‘Yout’
16mm editing
First-year students edit black and white 16mm film on Picsyncs and Steenbecks
Script supervising
A third-year student works in her specialist role as script supervisor on the graduation film ‘Chalk’
Production design details
A third-year production designer working on the claymation miniatures for graduation film ‘Just Josie’
Learn new skills
Learn a new language
From Arabic to Spanish, you can learn a new language alongside your degree with our Polylang programme.
Develop your entrepreneurial skills
Our award-winning Creative Enterprise Centre offers industry networking events, workshops, one-to-one business advice and support for your startup projects.
Gain extra qualifications
We provide access to free online courses in Adobe and Microsoft Office applications, as well as thousands of specialist courses on LinkedIn Learning.
Facilities
Lighting workshop
Students learn how to light a car scene with professional Gaffer Freddie Bonfanti
Camera team
Camera crew on location with Arri Alexa for graduation film ‘Survive Us’
Working on set
Students preparing to shoot on the bedroom set, built in the Film Studio, for graduation film ‘Singularity’
Camera workshops
A student practising camera operating on the Arri D-21 during a camera workshop in the Film Studio
Office Shoes commercial set
Students built a military base in the Film Studio for a commercial for Office Shoes
Operating Arri Alexa
Third-year students practise prior to their graduation film shoot
16mm Bolex filming
First-year students shoot their final drama
Fees and Funding
UK tuition fee: £9,250 (Price per academic year)
When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.
Find out how we set our tuition fees.
Funding
As well as tuition fee loans, there is a range of funding available to help you fund your studies.
Find out about undergraduate student funding options.
Scholarships
The University is dedicated to supporting ambitious and outstanding students and we offer a variety of scholarships to eligible undergraduate students, which cover all or part of your tuition fees.
Find out if you qualify for one of our scholarships.
Additional costs
See what you may need to pay for separately and what your tuition fees cover.
International tuition fee: £14,400 (Price per academic year)
When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.
Find out how we set our tuition fees.
International student funding
Find out about funding for international students.
Scholarships
The University is dedicated to supporting ambitious and outstanding students and we offer a variety of scholarships to eligible undergraduate students, which cover all or part of your tuition fees.
Find out if you qualify for one of our scholarships.
Additional costs
See what you may need to pay for separately and what your tuition fees cover.
Alumni
Seamus McGarvey
Director of Photography for The Soloist, Atonement, The Hours
Film BA
They made me realise that every script has a cinematographic heart and you have to think about it before you fling a camera round the set. The course put helium in my balloon and set me on a career path.
Roma O'Connor
VFX Producer for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Film BA
The course was invaluable experience not only because it gave a sound technical grounding and therefore adaptability, but it also taught me to work within a team environment where every area is given due relevance, which is essential in film-making and especially in features.
Anna Bokova
Post Production Assistant at Nomadic Films
Film BA
The main thing that the course gave me was an opportunity to explore and experiment by providing the equipment and all the necessary knowledge and support in our attempts at film-making. One of the other key skills I gained is probably patience! The fact that I had experience in directing and AD-ing definitely helped me to get jobs. People want someone who knows what they're doing on and off the set and I gained enough skills and knowledge at the University to be able to handle the job and the pressure that comes with being on set.
Teaching and assessment
Below you will find how learning time and assessment types were distributed in the past on this course, through approximate percentages taken from previous cohorts. Changes to the division of learning time and assessment may be made in response to feedback and in accordance with our terms and conditions.
How you'll be taught
Teaching methods across all our undergraduate courses focus on active student learning through lectures, seminars, workshops, problem-based and blended learning, and where appropriate practical application. Learning typically falls into three broad categories:
- Scheduled hours: examples include lectures, seminars, practical classes, workshops, supervised time in a studio
- Placement: placement hours normally include placement opportunities, but may also include live projects or virtual activity involving employers
- Independent study: non-scheduled time in which students are expected to study independently. This may include preparation for scheduled sessions, follow-up work, wider reading or practice, completion of assessment tasks, or revision
Year
1
43%57%
2
49%51%
3
38%62%
How you'll be assessed
Our undergraduate courses include a wide variety of assessments.
The graphs below give an indication of what you can expect. Assessments typically fall into three broad categories:
- Practical: examples include presentations, videos, podcasts, lab work, creating artefacts
- Written exams: end of semester exams
- Coursework: examples include essays, reports, in-class tests, portfolios, dissertation
Year
1
25%75%
2
7%93%
3
11%89%
Data from the academic year 2019-20
Supporting you
Our Student Hub is where you’ll find out about the services and support we offer, helping you get the best out of your time with us.
- Study support — workshops, 1-2-1 support and online resources to help improve your academic and research skills
- Personal tutors — support you in fulfilling your academic and personal potential
- Student advice team — provide specialist advice on a range of issues including funding, benefits and visas
- Extra-curricular activities — volunteering opportunities, sports and fitness activities, student events and more
Follow us on Instagram
Showcases
Have a look through our graduate showcases from 2007–2015.
Browse through our Film BA newsletters from 2016-2019.
Course Location
Harrow is our creative and cultural hub, home to most of our arts, media and digital courses. It houses state-of-the-art facilities for every discipline, including project and gallery spaces, film studios, creative labs, collaborative learning spaces, and the creative enterprise hub.
Harrow Campus is based in north-west London, just 20 minutes from the city centre by train.
For more details, visit our Harrow Campus page.
Contact us
We have an FAQs page if you are applying this year.
Or you can contact the Course Enquiries Team:
Opening hours (GMT): 9am–4pm Monday to Friday
More information
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