Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £9,535 per year (£1,200 for placement year)
International/EU: £17,155 per year (£1,200 for placement year) -
How long will I study?
4/5 Years
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Where will I study?
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What are the entry requirements?
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What is the UCAS code?
C014
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When do I start?
September 2025
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Placement year available?
Yes
Come to an open day
Visit us to learn more about our gold-rated teaching and why we were awarded the highest possible rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.
Course summary
- Develop your passion for cinema by learning from the experts.
- Study films from around the world, and explore the changing nature of cinema.
- Work on live briefs and an accredited work placement.
- Benefit from our unique state-of-the-art cinema facilities specially designed to show films in a vast range of formats, including 35mm and DCP projection.
- Join at the foundation year and develop your personal skills, awareness of resources and commitment to the subject.
This is one of the longest-established film studies courses in the UK. You’ll study films, filmmaking and the changing face of the cinema industry. You’ll have amazing opportunities to enhance your professional profile and employability prospects — specialising in fields ranging from film journalism and marketing to film festival management.
Find out more about out screenwriting and film courses, facilities and student projects on the SHU Screen website.
How you learn
In the foundation year, you will start by developing a good base of knowledge, but also the personal skills and awareness of resources that will help you manage your studies effectively and be self-motivated.
Our modules include weekly screenings, either in our own cinema, The Void, or at Sheffield's leading art cinema, the Showroom, with whom we have a long-standing partnership.
You learn through
- lectures
- seminars
- film screenings
- workshops
- essays
- video essays
- presentations
- blogs
- professional portfolios
You may also be able to work or study abroad with the possibility of funding through the Turing scheme.
Applied learning
Live projects
You’ll collaborate with a wide network of industry, charity, and community partners — showcasing your knowledge and skills. You’ll work independently and in diverse teams at each stage of your study, bringing your ideas to life in response to real briefs. In the foundation year, you will undertake a series of projects that respond to real world debates.
Work placements
In your second year you’ll curate and build your professional profile, by taking a credit-bearing placement in collaboration with one of our partners that connects your work with audiences.
Field trips
We run regular field trips to film festivals and cinema visits. Our students have visited Berlin Film Festival, Salford MediaCity, Bradford WideScreen Weekend, BFI Southbank, and participated in Doc/Fest, Celluloid Screams, Sensoria, and Festival of Debate. Trips start from the beginning of the foundation year and continue throughout your studies.
Networking opportunities
We work with nationally and internationally renowned festivals such as Doc/Fest, Celluloid Screams, and Off the Shelf, as well as bringing leading talent in film programming, film journalism, and film festival organisers to Sheffield to work with our students. You’ll benefit from regular networking opportunities and masterclass events, and get a head start into the creative industries.
We invite speakers from different cultural sectors to talk to our students about professional careers in film.
Future careers
This course prepares you for a career in
- film journalism
- teaching in film and media
- film programming
- audience development
- events management
- arts administration
- community development
- the cultural industries
Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work for
- Sheffield International Documentary Film Festival
- Queen’s Film Theatre Belfast
- Film Hub North
- Showroom Cinema
- Sky Sports
- Site Gallery
- Rotherham College
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEquipment and facilities
On this course you work with
- a specialist cinema equipped with state-of-the-art 4K digital projection, twin 35mm film projectors, DCP projector, large screen and surround sound.
- an extensively stocked learning centre with 10000s of DVDs and film books/journals.
- a unique collection of archival material on microfiche
- individual viewing facilities for private study with access to the BFI's SIFT database
- dedicated co-working space equipped with flexible desks, large screens, laptop library, comfy seating, and a shared kitchen where you can collaborate with other students in the Department of Humanities, to shape your next big idea.
- our Performance Lab with two theatre studios, state-of-the-art lighting and audio rigs, and green room facilities.
Media Gallery
Entry requirements
All students
UCAS points
- 48
This must include at least 24 points from one A level or equivalent BTEC National qualifications excluding general studies. For example:
- DD at A Level
- PPP in BTEC Extended Diploma.
- Pass from a T level qualification with D or E from core
- A combination of qualifications, which may include AS levels and EPQ.
You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.
GCSE
- English Language at grade C or 4 or equivalent
Prior learning options available for students that have been out of education for a number of years, but can show some commitment to the subject (e.g. evidence of some creative writing when applying to Creative Writing course).
If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills, or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.0 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.
You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
Talent Accelerator
Year 2
Compulsory modules
Approaches To Film Analysis
Film Movements And Audiences
Film Poetics
Thinking About Movies
Year 3
Compulsory modules
Film Journalism
Rights, Camera, Action
Screen Storytelling
World-Wide Cinema
Elective modules
Study Abroad - Creative Industries
Year 4
Optional modules
Placement Year
Final year
Compulsory modules
Film Programming: Cinemas, Festivals, And Communities
Film Research Project
Moving Image Research Project
Specialising In Film: Teaching, Writing And Publishing
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students on full-time undergraduate degree courses in 2025/26 is £9,535 per year. These fees are regulated by the UK government and therefore subject to change in future years. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.
We are currently reviewing our tuition fees for the foundation year stage of this course following the Government announcement of fee changes for some foundation year courses and will confirm fees as soon as possible.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £17,155 per year. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.
Financial support for home/EU students
How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for Sheffield Creative Industries Institute (PDF, 153.7KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
