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Course Overview

The MA in Film Studies: Theory and Practice is a pioneering programme that prepares students for a range of careers in film, screenwriting and media related areas. The film and media industries today offer a broad mix of employment opportunities, including in academia, film and media practice and arts administration. This programme responds to this changing environment combining a strong academic focus on the critical and historical study of film with modules incorporating aspects of digital film practice, screenwriting or reflecting on film’s role in arts administration and festival curation.

This programme allows students to pursue either an academic focused pathway or a practice-based approach to film, including the possibility of completing a feature-length screenplay during the academic year.

Course Outline

The course may be taken as a full-time degree taken over a twelve-month period (September to August) OR as a Part-Time Degree taken over a twenty-four month period. The year is divided into two teaching semesters (September to December and January to April). The summer period (year 2 in the Part-Time programme) will be used to complete an 18,000 minor dissertation OR undertake a practice-based project consisting of either a video essay accompanied by a 7000 word extended essay OR a feature-length screenplay. The full-time programme comprises three core seminar courses during the academic year and a choice of a range of options (plus a research methods seminar) over two 12-week semesters. Part-time students will take half of these modules each year.

Core modules:

• Critical Theory I & II (Semester 1 and 2)
• Film History I: Hollywood & Genre

Optional Modules may include:

• Film History II: Cinema Beyond Hollywood since 1945
• Ireland on Screen
• Gender, Sexuality and Cinema
• Screenwriting Fundamentals
• Screenplay Development
• Digital Play & Practice
• Film Exhibition, Admin & Education
• Sport and Film

Why Choose This Course?

As a student on this programme you will experience small, intimate classes providing close interaction with lecturers and industry professionals. Classes are taught by leading film academics and practitioners who have made substantial contributions to their disciplines in Ireland and internationally. This programme is designed for students who want to deepen their knowledge of the world’s cinemas and the very latest approaches to studying them. It will train students in a wide range of film-related careers, including teaching, programming and exhibition, screenwriting, curatorial work, and arts journalism. There are also opportunities for graduates to undertake further research at PhD level. Furthermore, as a student at the Huston School you will be part of a collaborative creative community, working with students across a range of MA programmes to develop your understanding of film theory and practice.

Career Opportunities

Graduates have gone on to further research at PhD level and have acquired positions as lecturers and researchers in third level institutions. Graduates have also found employment in a range of film festival, film and media production, and journalism roles, including university lecturer, television producer, publisher’s production assistant, film producer and director, newspaper editor, journalist, teacher, theatre administrator, and film festival programmer.