The Masters in Film Journalism covers the wide variety of writing about film which takes place in different contexts, ranging from the extended essay to film reviewing and interviewing. There is a strong emphasis on engaging with Scotland’s vibrant film culture through involvement in activities such as the Glasgow Film Festival (February) and the Edinburgh International Film Festival (June).

Programme overview

• MLitt: 12 months full-time; 24 months part-time

Over the first two semesters your will take a core course and choose an optional course for each semester. The practical training in film writing takes place in workshops. These sessions will involve presentations by the lecturers or visiting practitioners, as well as group discussion and review around your practical writing tasks.

Visiting Lecturers include:

• Hannah McGill (Former Artistic Director, Edinburgh International Film Festival)
• Alistair Harkness (Film Critic, The Scotsman)
• Janice Forsyth (BBC Radio Scotland)
• Phil Miller (Arts Reporter, The Herald).

The third semester is devoted to individual research, which is supervised on an individual basis. The final piece of assessment will allow you to develop either a portfolio of journalistic writings (up to 12,000 words) or to pursue a topic about film writing in a 15,000 word dissertation

The core course provides an introduction to the theoretical study of film journalism, from both historical and contemporary perspectives. The course also offers a key practical component and an introduction to the wide variety of tasks carried out by film journalists.

Optional courses

The following options have been offered recently

• Screen bodies
• Screen animation
• History of critical writing on film and television
• Music and the moving image
• Screen adaptations
• Aspects of European cinema.

Career prospects

Your potential career paths include journalism, publishing, media research, and organising or promoting film festivals. Many graduates also go on to pursue an academic career.

Academic entry requirements

Entry requirements for postgraduate taught programmes are a 2.1 Honours degree or equivalent qualification (for example, GPA 3.0 or above) in a relevant subject unless otherwise specified.

International students with academic qualifications below those required should contact our partner institution, Glasgow International College, who offer a range of foundation courses.

English language requirements

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training):

• overall score 7.0
• no sub-test less than 7.0
• or equivalent scores in another recognised qualification (see below)
   

Common equivalent English language qualifications:

• ibTOEFL: 100; no sub-test less than 24
• CAE (Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English): A minimum
• CPE (Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English): B minimum
• PTE Academic (Person Test of English, Academic test): 68; minimum 60 in writing

Pre-sessional courses
The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the Language Centre Pre-sessional courses. We also consider other BALEAP accredited pre-sessional courses:

• Language Centre, University of Glasgow
• BALEAP guide to accredited courses 

FAQs

Visa requirements and proof of English language level

It is a visa requirement to provide information on your level of English based on an internationally recognised and secure English language test. All test reports must be no more than 2 years old. A list of these can be found on the UK Border Agency website. If you have never taken one of these tests before, you can get an initial idea of your level by using the Common European Framework self-assessment grid which gives you a level for each skill (e.g. listening B1/writing B2 etc.) However, please note that this is not a secure English language test and it is not sufficient evidence of your level of English for visa requirements.

If you require a Tier 4 student visa, your qualification must be one of the secure English language tests accepted by UK Border Agency:

• UK Border Agency Tier 4 English Language requirements
• UKBA list of approved English language tests [pdf]

For further information about English language requirements, please contact the Recruitment and International Office: pgadmissions@glasgow.ac.uk

Apply now

For 2013-14

MLitt