BA Film Studies and Music

Year of entry: 2024

Overview

Degree awarded
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Duration
3 years
Typical A-level offer

AAB, including A in Music.

If you are not taking A-level Music, we require AAB plus ABRSM Grade 7 Theory.

Students wishing to pursue performance units should have the equivalent of ABRSM Grade 8 on an instrument or voice (preferably at Distinction).

Typical contextual A-level offer

ABB, including A in Music.

If you are not taking A-level Music, we require AAB plus ABRSM Grade 7 Theory.

Students wishing to pursue performance units should have the equivalent of ABRSM Grade 8 on an instrument or voice (preferably at Distinction).

Find out more about contextual admissions.
Refugee/care-experienced offer
Applicants who have been in local authority care for more than three months or have refugee status may be eligible for an offer two grades below the standard requirements.
Find out more about contextual admissions.
Typical International Baccalaureate offer

35 points overall. 6,6,5 in Higher Level subjects to include 6 in Music

Full entry requirements

How to apply
Apply through UCAS

Course overview

  • Examine the development of film culture and explore the interaction between music and film.
  • Discuss and analyse film/media from an international context.
  • Specialise in musicology, theory/analysis, ethnomusicology, performance, or composition.
  • Combine course units tailored to your own interests, passions, and ambitions.
  • Study in a friendly, supportive department, with world-leading academic staff, professional instrumental/vocal tutors, vibrant student societies, professional facilities, and 100+ performances per year.
  • Prepare for careers in TV, radio, film, music, broadcasting, or the wider arts and cultural industries sector.

Open days

We are pleased to announce that we are returning to hosting on-campus open days in the summer and autumn.

Please see open days for the dates, registration, and other information.

If you're a prospective student, you can also find out more about student life by chatting with our student ambassadors at a time that suits you, and ask any questions you may have about life at Manchester. 

Please check our Coronavirus FAQs for the most up to date information regarding events. 

You can also look at our virtual open day content to help you learn more about the University.

Fees

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2024 will be £9,250 per annum. Tuition fees for international students will be £25,500 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Contact details

School/Faculty
School of Arts, Languages and Cultures
Contact name
Liam Armstrong
Telephone
+44 (0)161 275 8129
Email
Website
http://www.alc.manchester.ac.uk/subjects/drama/
School/Faculty overview

See: About us

Courses in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

Compare this course

Entry requirements

A-level

AAB, including A in Music.

If you are not taking A-level Music, we require AAB plus ABRSM Grade 7 Theory.

The joint course with RNCM requires AAA, including Music.

Students wishing to pursue performance units should have the equivalent of ABRSM Grade 8 on an instrument or voice (preferably at Distinction).

Contextual offer

ABB, including A in Music for applicants who meet our contextual offer criteria.  For further information and to check eligibility visit our Contextual Offers page.

If you are not taking A-level Music, we require AAB plus ABRSM Grade 7 Theory.

The joint course with RNCM requires AAA, including Music.

Students wishing to pursue performance units should have the equivalent of ABRSM Grade 8 on an instrument or voice (preferably at Distinction).

AS-level

AS level results are not considered as part of the standard admissions process at The University of Manchester.

Unit grade information

The University of Manchester welcomes the provision of unit information where available.  Like all other information provided by applicants this may be taken into consideration when assessing your application.  Unit grades will not normally form part of an offer conditions.

GCSE

Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade C or 4 in GCSE/iGCSE English Language and Mathematics. GCSE/iGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/iGCSE English Language.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language iGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications or achieve a higher grade in your iGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.

International Baccalaureate

35 points overall. 6,6,5 in Higher Level subjects to include 6 in Music

Other international entry requirements

We accept a range of qualifications from different countries. For these and general requirements including English language see Accepted entry qualifications from your country

Scottish requirements

Two Advanced Highers at AB, plus one additional Higher at A in relevant subject (see A-level subject requirements).

English Language and Mathematics not taken at Higher/Advanced Higher must have been achieved at SCQF level 5 (minimum National 5 grade C / Intermediate 2 grade C / Standard Grade Credit level grade 3).

If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the Academic School(s) to which you plan to apply.

Welsh Baccalaureate

The University welcomes and recognises the value of the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma/Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate and usually requires two A Levels or equivalent to be included within this.

The minimum grade required will normally be the same as the lowest grade listed in the A Level entry requirements.

If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to.

European Baccalaureate

The University of Manchester welcomes applicants with the European Baccalaureate. Acceptable on its own or in combination with other qualifications, applications from students studying for this qualification are welcome and all applicants will be considered on an individual basis.

We normally require 80% with a mark of 8.0 in the required subject (see A-level requirements for these).

AQA Baccalaureate

The University recognises the benefits of the AQA Baccalaureate and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills.

In making offers, the University will focus on the three A Levels taken within the AQA Baccalaureate. Students need to check the standard A Level requirements for their chosen course.

The units of broader study, enrichment activities and the Extended Project are considered to be valuable elements of the AQA Baccalaureate and we would therefore strongly encourage students to draw upon these experiences within their personal statement.

Foundation year

The University recognises a number of foundation programmes as suitable for entry to this undergraduate programme:

Applicants completing the INTO Manchester in partnership with The University of Manchester international foundation programme are required to achieve AAB in academic subjects and grade A in the EAP with writing, speaking, listening and reading grade B.

Applicants completing the NCUK International Foundation year are required to achieve AAB in academic subjects and grade A in the EAP with writing, speaking, listening and reading grade B.

Please read this in conjunction with our A-level requirements, noting any pre-requisite subjects.

For all other foundation programmes please see this list of approved UK foundation programmes .

Pearson BTEC qualifications

In all cases below, students should normally also have the equivalent of ABRSM Grade 8 on an instrument or voice - preferably at Distinction - upon entry to the course in September.  

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma : we consider the National Extended Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course.  Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Extended Diploma with grades Dist, Dist, Dist, plus one A-level at Grade A in Music.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma : we consider the National Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course.  Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Diploma with grades Distinction, Distinction, plus one A-level at Grade A in Music.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma : we consider the National Foundation Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course.  Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Foundation Diploma with a Distinction grade, PLUS one A-level at Grade A in Music, PLUS an EPQ or AS at Grade B.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate : we consider the National Extended Certificate for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course.  Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Extended Certificate with a Distinction grade, PLUS two A-levels at Grades AA; one of which must be in Music.

The University of Manchester welcomes applications from students who have achieved legacy BTEC qualifications (pre-2016) such as the BTEC Extended Diploma, BTEC Diploma, BTEC Subsidiary Diploma, and BTEC Certificate.  The grades required are likely to be the same or vary similar to the new BTEC qualifications (first teaching 2016, awarded 2018). Please contact the Academic School for clarification.

If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the academic School(s) to which you plan to apply.

OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications

In addition to any of the below, applica nts should normally have the equivalent of ABRSM Grade 8 on an instrument or voice - preferably at Distinction - upon entry to the course in September. 

Cambridge Level 3 Technical Extended Diploma (CTEC): we do not consider the Technical Extended Diploma for entry to this course.

Cambridge Level 3 Technical Diploma (CTEC): we consider the Technical Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to the chosen course.  Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Diploma with grades Distinction, Distinction, plus an additional level 3 qualification such as an A Level at grade A in Music.

Cambridge Level 3 Technical Foundation Diploma (CTEC): we consider the Technical Foundation Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to the chosen course.  Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Foundation Diploma with grades Distinction, Distinction, plus an additional level 3 qualification such as an A Level/A Level at min. Grade A in Music, PLUS an EPQ or AS Level at grade B.

Cambridge Level 3 Technical Extended Certificate (CTEC) : we consider the Technical Extended Certificate for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to the chosen course.  Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Extended Certificate with grade Distinction, plus two additional Level 3 qualifications such as A Levels at grades AB, one of which must be in Music.

The University of Manchester will consider applications from students who have achieved legacy CTEC qualifications (pre-2016) such as the CTEC Extended Diploma, CTEC Diploma, CTEC Subsidiary Diploma, and CTEC Certificate.  The grades required are likely to be the same or vary similar to the new CTEC qualifications (first teaching 2016, awarded 2018). Please contact the Academic School for clarification.

If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the Academic School(s) to which you plan to apply.

Access to HE Diploma

We require a QAA-recognised Access to HE Diploma (a minimum of 60 credits overall with at least 45 at Level 3), with merit or distinction in a subject area relevant to the chosen course.

The specific course requirements are a minimum of 39 credits with a Distinction grade, plus 6 credits with a Merit grade, all in a Humanities-related subject. Where possible, 15 of the Distinction credits should be in the pre-requisite subject required for A-levels.

Applicants to Languages programmes are also required to have a minimum of GCSE grade B/6 in a modern language or in English Language.

Cambridge Pre-U

We consider applicants offering Pre-U Principal Subjects, or a mix of Pre-U and A Level subjects, provided a minimum of three distinct subjects overall is taken.

Candidates taking Pre-U principal subjects in conjunction with A levels are expected to achieve a combination of D3, D3, M2 in the Pre-U and AAB at A level in three distinct subjects.

If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the Academic School(s) you plan to apply to.

Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

The University recognises the benefits of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills. We strongly encourage you to provide information about the EPQ in your personal statement (and at interview, if  relevant).  We may also choose to take your performance in the EPQ into account, should places be available in August for applicants who narrowly miss the entry grades for their chosen course.

For this programme, you will be made the standard offer plus an alternative one, if you are studying for an EPQ.  The alternative offer will be one grade below the standard offer but you will also be asked to achieve a Grade A in your EPQ.

Core Maths

The University recognises the value of Level 3 Core Mathematics qualifications. Core Mathematics is not a compulsory element of post-16 study and as a result we will not normally include it in the conditions of any offer we make. However, if a student chooses to undertake a core mathematics qualification this may be taken into account when we consider a student's application, particularly for courses with a distinct mathematical or statistical element that does not require A Level Mathematics. Academic Schools may also choose to take a student's performance in Core Mathematics into account should places be available in August for applicants who narrowly miss the entry grades for their chosen course.

Where a course requires applicants to have at least grade 6/B or higher in GCSE Mathematics we would be likely to consider a pass in Core Mathematics at a minimum grade C or B as an alternative way to fulfil this requirement. Where an A Level in Mathematics is required then Core Mathematics will not be accepted in lieu of an A Level.

A Level and GCSE Mathematics requirements for our courses vary according to subject so we advise students to contact the academic School, who will clarify whether a student's portfolio of qualifications is acceptable for entry onto the chosen course.

Home-schooled applicants

If you are a student who has followed a non-standard educational route, e.g. you have been educated at home; your application will be considered against the standard entry criteria of the course for which you are applying. You will be required to demonstrate that you meet the specified academic entry requirements of the course. We will also require a reference from somebody who knows you well enough, in an official capacity, to write about you and your suitability for higher education. If you are a home schooled student and would like further information or advice please contact the academic School for your chosen course who will be able to help you. 

Non-standard educational routes

Mature students are some of our most well-equipped learners, bringing skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences.  Students come from a whole array of backgrounds, study every kind of course, undertake full-time and part-time learning and are motivated by career intentions as well as personal interest.  There is no such thing as a typical mature student at Manchester.

The application process is the same as for other prospective undergraduates.  If you require further clarification about the acceptability of the qualifications you hold please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to.  Further information for mature students can be found here ( http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/mature-students/ )

English language

All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency.  The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:

  • GCSE/iGCSE English Language grade C/4 or;
  • IELTS 7.0 overall with no less than 6.5 in any one component, or;
  • An acceptable equivalent qualification.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language iGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications or achieve a higher grade in your iGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.

The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student from outside the UK and the EU must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language in order to be granted a UK visa (Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level. This level is often referred to as the 'B2 level'.

Additionally, our individual Schools may ask for specific English Language proficiency levels that are necessary for their academic programmes. In most cases these requirements are likely to be higher than the B2 level. Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found  here .

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Application and selection

How to apply

Apply through UCAS

How your application is considered

Your application is considered via your UCAS personal statement, supporting reference and a short essay.

We do not expect you to have studied film before applying here, but we seek evidence in your statement that you have a sincere interest in film (even though you may not have already studied film formally, you might be involved in a local film society, write film reviews for your school magazine/websites or have worked on short films in your spare time) and, above all, that you have intellectual curiosity and a strong sense of socio-cultural openness.

We will introduce you to films and ways of thinking from different eras, countries and cultures, so we need evidence that you are keen to have those conversations with us (this might be through involvement in voluntary/community activities, work experience or visits to other parts of the world).

Please also include in your statement a brief overview of your musical background, particular musical interests and how this prepares you to get the best out of the opportunities offered by the Music part of the course.

In addition to the personal statement we require a 500-word essay  responding to the following question:

Provide a critical discussion of a scene or shot from a film you have seen recently (whether at the cinema or on DVD, online etc) which has contributed significantly to your decision to take Film Studies at Manchester.  Why has this particular film compelled you to study film further at University?

You don't have to write about a so-called classic or 'highbrow' film! We are just as interested in mainstream, popular, cult or 'trash' cinema - it could be a much-loved childhood favourite or a film that has troubled or perhaps even outraged you.  Mainly we are looking for your ability to think critically about film, whether that's a blockbusting franchise or experimental 'art' film.

Returning to education

We welcome applications from mature students and will consider them on an individual basis.

Deferrals

We welcome applications for deferred entry and feel a gap year benefits many students.

We do ask applicants to let us know as early as possible if they are intending to defer.  This helps us to adjust the number of offers we make, in order to achieve the required number of students in a given year.

Policy for applicants who resit their qualifications

The University will consider applicants who have re-sat their final examinations but we may require further information in order to make an informed academic judgment on your application.

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry.  In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved.  We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.If you are applying for a place for the same year of entry through UCAS Extra, you should provide additional evidence of your suitability for the course. If you are applying through clearing you are required to meet the clearing requirements. In both UCAS Extra and clearing the places will be subject to availability.

Transfers

We will consider applications to transfer to Manchester from other universities and would normally ask for a letter explaining why a transfer was needed, relevant transcripts, a copy of the applicant's UCAS form and a confidential reference from one of the applicant's current university tutors.

We will consider applications to transfer from other degrees within the University of Manchester but applicants are required to have the A-level grades (or other qualifications) needed for entry to the degree programme for which they are applying.

Both of the above are subject to our having enough places to accommodate such applicants.   Enquiries should be made to the admissions administrator for the subject (see contact details).

Course details

Course description

Our BA Film Studies and Music joint honours course aims to develop your understanding and awareness of the rich possibilities of both creative media, encouraging you to approach your study from a range of historical and theoretical perspectives. 

Film Studies  

At the heart of our Film Studies courses is a commitment to expanding your experience of film through modules and screenings that focus on both classical and contemporary cinema, covering a wide range of film cultures from around the world. 

You will study mainstream and non-mainstream films in order to broaden your understanding of the history of film, as well as the debates and issues that are informing and generated by current practice in film and shaping its future. 

As you enhance your skills of close analysis, you will also develop an understanding of how film engages with socio-cultural and political concerns, placing the films you study in their historical context, as well as thinking about current debates and future challenges for cinema as a medium. 

You will be taught through a combination of lectures and smaller seminar discussion groups, with the vast majority of course units supported by a programme of relevant film screenings, taking advantage of cinema-standard digital projection facilities. 

The course emphasises historical and theoretical approaches to studying film, rather than practical production modules. 

You will be encouraged to develop as independent critical thinkers able to work in a diverse range of assessment scenarios, taking in solo written assignments, presentations and, on certain units, group work and creative projects that enable you to put theory into practice. 

One of our core aims is to deepen your enthusiasm and understanding of film and equip you with the skills and confidence to be able to convey your knowledge in a diverse range of settings and employment situations.

The course seeks to develop and enhance your transferable skills so that you will be able to look to making meaningful contributions to relevant fields, including careers in film education, distribution, exhibition and curation. 

Music   

We admit students of a high calibre, with graduates who go on to work in the music profession, the creative industries and beyond. 

We offer excellence in Performance , Composition  and Musicology , incorporating specialisms in Music Theory & Analysis and Ethnomusicology. 

Underpinned by our excellence in research, regular updates in the course content reflect the latest findings in music scholarship. 

With a range of course units to choose from (see the lists below), the course is diverse and flexible, enabling you to build upon existing interests, while allowing you the room to discover new ways of understanding, performing and creating music. 

With our mix of academic and practical experience, you will be taught by internationally recognised academics and a roster of professional instrumental and vocal tutors, drawn from Manchester and the North West. 

Our teaching and music-making takes place in the Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama. 

You will rehearse, take masterclasses and perform in the Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall and can get your hands on the latest digital-audio technology in the award-winning NOVARS studios for electroacoustic music and interactive media. 

You will also benefit musically, academically and socially from the extensive music-making and management opportunities provided by the Music Society and the 100+ concerts and events that the department sponsors each year.  

And this is to say nothing of the diversity of music to be experienced in cosmopolitan Manchester, a global city for the performing arts with a rich heritage of professional and amateur music-making.

Special features

  • Apply your subject-specific knowledge in a real-world context through a placement year in your third year of study, enabling you to enhance your employment prospects, clarify your career goals, and build your external networks.
  • You may also apply to spend one semester  studying abroad  during the second year of your degree. Exchange partners are offered in Europe, through the Erasmus Exchange scheme, or via the Worldwide Exchange scheme, in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong or Singapore.
  • You have a huge range of course units to choose from, with a range of theoretical and practical methodologies to discover, develop and innovate. You will also have access to a range of course units beyond Music or Drama, from modern languages to the Manchester Leadership Programme. Staff specialisms span all aspects of film and screen studies, theatre and performance studies, musicology, composition and performance.
  • You will receive 18 hours of one-to-one practical tuition, by professional specialist performers, on your first-study instrument/voice with 20 hours in the final year (when solo performance courses are taken for credit).
  • Join The University of Manchester Filmmaking Society, which exists to provide a platform for aspiring filmmakers attending the university to meet, exchange ideas and create their own cinematic productions.

Teaching and learning

You will learn through a flexible combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials (both group and one-to-one), e-learning techniques and practical group projects, designed to maximise opportunities for personalised learning within the course. 

You are placed in tutorial groups for first year course units and allocated a personal tutor who will monitor and advise on progress throughout your academic career.

The most significant and distinctive features of the methods used include the following. 

Film Studies  

  • The emphasis on attending film screenings, which are compulsory for all students and are designed to enable you to advance your interpretive skills of close analysis and better understand the distinctive qualities of film as a medium.
  • The emphasis on close analysis which is attached to most courses and which is designed to enable you to learn to interpret films and their discursive surround, including relevant paratexts (eg promotional material such as trailers and posters).
  • You will take a variety of lecture-based units on historical and contextual themes. These units are supported by a related programme of films on the big screen, projected via cinema-standard facilities.
  • We also have a substantial film library, as well as access to online film streaming sites featuring releases by major DVD labels and encourage students to expand their film knowledge through independent study and viewings. 

Music  

  • All students who study solo performance as part of their degree programme receive one-to-one tuition on their first instrument, enabling learning goals and long-term targets to be tailored precisely to each student. This individual approach is enhanced by the fact that, in most cases, you will continue to learn with the same instrumental teacher throughout your degree.
  • Every course unit is underpinned by online resources supporting your active study. Online resources range from downloadable lecture handouts to blogs, discussion pages, digitised copies of key reading, links to broadcasts and webcasts. Most course materials for electroacoustic course units are delivered using the studio-wide networking facility.
  • Teaching and learning in Participatory Music and Making Art Public includes lectures from guest speakers, site visits and volunteering opportunities designed to help you engage with the city's broad range of artistic provision and with local communities.
  • You will attend lectures and small group seminars for some course units, while others are taught entirely through seminar groups with workshops. You are also encouraged to study independently.
  • Students taking solo performance courses for credit also receive private tuition for instrumental or vocal lessons. You have ample opportunity to test run your pieces as a performer or composer in informal lunchtime concerts.

Coursework and assessment

Coursework is regularly assigned and assessed either continually or at the end of the semester, depending on the course units taken.

Film Studies

Assessment methods include assessed essays and other written coursework, written examinations, group and individual presentations, poster presentations and small-scale practical assignments (eg video essays, storyboards, screenplay extracts, concept art and sound design) combined with self-reflexive analysis on your creative process and the theory informing your practice.

Music

Assessment methods range from assessed essays and other written coursework, written examinations, group and individual presentations, analytical assignments, technical exercises, practical tests, aural tests and studio projects, to composition portfolios, individual and group recitals (many of our students choose to present a formal music recital for assessment on their instrument) and the Level 3 dissertation.

Composition courses are assessed through submission of scores of compositions, which (in the case of instrumental or vocal works) have been performed by fellow students.

Course content for year 1

In Year 1, you will take three compulsory course units that establish the conceptual building blocks of studying film before progressing into the various new wave movements and contemporary cinema. 

The Art of Film covers the core concepts and terminology in studying film. The unit addresses the distinctive properties of film as a medium and engages with debates about film's status as an art. 

Introduction to Early Cinema Histories covers the origins of cinema up to the 1950s. 

Introduction to World Cinema covers a range of film cultures from different countries with an initial emphasis on the various new wave movements, which began to emerge around the world in the 1950s and 1960s, addressing significant post-Second World War developments in the cinema of countries such as France and Japan. 

This is alongside the core and optional Music units, enriching your understanding of the art form, allowing you to build upon existing interests and discover new forms and traditions of music.

Course units for year 1

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
The Art of Film DRAM10031 20 Mandatory
Drama and Film Study Skills DRAM11111 0 Mandatory
DRAM12220 - Drama and Film PASS DRAM12220 0 Mandatory
Introduction to Early Film Histories DRAM13331 20 Mandatory
Approaches to Musicology MUSC10511 20 Mandatory
Introduction to World Cinema SALC11002 20 Mandatory
Tonality: Form and Harmony MUSC10011 20 Optional
Tonality: Theory and Analysis MUSC10022 10 Optional
Techniques of Tonal Harmony MUSC10112 10 Optional
Sonic Invention A MUSC10311 10 Optional
Sonic Invention B MUSC10312 10 Optional
Music and Its Contexts MUSC10512 20 Optional
Displaying 10 of 12 course units for year 1

Course content for year 2

Course units for year 2

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Screen, Culture and Society DRAM20041 20 Mandatory
American Film Studies AMER20072 20 Optional
Black on Screen DRAM20092 20 Optional
God at the Movies DRAM20632 20 Optional
A Score is Born: History and Ideology in Hollywood Film Music DRAM20711 20 Optional
Introduction to Documentary Film Practice DRAM21091 20 Optional
Audio Project 1: The Audio Feature DRAM21222 20 Optional
Horror Film: Genre, Periods, Styles DRAM21261 20 Optional
Virtual Reality (VR) Film Making DRAM21282 20 Optional
Television Drama DRAM21291 20 Optional
Introduction to Screenwriting DRAM21551 20 Optional
Introduction to Screenwriting DRAM21552 20 Optional
Discipline and Punish: The Modern Prison on Stage and Screen DRAM21902 20 Optional
Gender and Sexuality in French Cinema FREN21331 20 Optional
Weimar Culture? Art, Film and Politics in Germany, 1918-33 GERM20261 20 Optional
Spectres of Fascism: Literature, Film and Visual Arts in Germany and Austria since 1945 GERM20902 20 Optional
Core Themes in Animated Film and Visual Culture of Postwar Japan JAPA20132 20 Optional
Fixed and Electroacoustic Composition MUSC20061 10 Optional
Interactive Media Composition Environments MUSC20072 20 Optional
Music post 1900 MUSC20222 20 Optional
Instrumental Composition MUSC20321 20 Optional
Vocal Composition MUSC20362 10 Optional
Solo Performance II MUSC20600 20 Optional
Ensemble Performance A (10 credits) MUSC20611 10 Optional
Ensemble Performance A (20 credits) MUSC20621 20 Optional
Ensemble Performance B (10 credits) MUSC20650 10 Optional
Ensemble Performance B 20 Credit MUSC20660 20 Optional
Conducting MUSC20670 10 Optional
Music Cultures of the World MUSC20721 20 Optional
Introduction to Participatory Music MUSC20802 20 Optional
Early Opera MUSC20932 20 Optional
Jazz Improvisation, Theory, and Analysis MUSC21500 20 Optional
Visual Culture in Modern Spain: Film, Painting and Photography SPLA20062 20 Optional
Empire and its Aftermath: The Making of Modern Portugal in Literature, Art and Film SPLA20142 20 Optional
Displaying 10 of 34 course units for year 2

Course content for year 3

In your third year, all of your Film Studies options are free choice; in Music, you must choose at least one 40-credit unit from Composition, Dissertation or Recital. The remaining Music units are free choice.

The Year 3 Film Music Composition course requires advanced skills and is only open to students who have completed the Year 1 and Year 2 composition courses. 

Course units for year 3

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Dissertation in Drama/Film (Semester One) DRAM30001 20 Optional
Dissertation in Drama/Film (Semester Two) DRAM30002 20 Optional
Docufiction Filmmaking DRAM30062 40 Optional
Queer Bodies and the Cinema DRAM30331 20 Optional
Social Lives of Cinema DRAM30842 20 Optional
Extended Dissertation DRAM30990 40 Optional
From Documentary to Mockumentary DRAM31011 20 Optional
Falstaff and Gandalf go to the Movies: Adapting Fantastic Texts to Screen DRAM31042 20 Optional
Global Television Industries DRAM32012 20 Optional
Contemporary Documentary Film Making DRAM32102 40 Optional
Screen Acting & Stardom DRAM33301 20 Optional
Screening the Holocaust GERM30482 20 Optional
Advanced Analysis MUSC30011 20 Optional
Composition Portfolio MUSC30300 40 Optional
Dissertation MUSC30400 40 Optional
Aesthetics MUSC30502 20 Optional
Advanced study in Musicology A MUSC30510 20 Optional
Advanced Study in Musicology B (40) MUSC30520 40 Optional
Composition for Film or Game Audio MUSC30540 20 Optional
Recital MUSC30600 40 Optional
Music Performance Studies MUSC30711 20 Optional
Early Opera MUSC30932 20 Optional
Social Issues in Portuguese and Spanish Film SPLA30642 20 Optional
The Supernatural in Latin American Literature and Film SPLA31132 20 Optional
Displaying 10 of 24 course units for year 3

Facilities

The Martin Harris Centre is equipped with superb technical facilities, including sound-editing and video-editing suites.

You also have access to the University's Media Services facility, which houses additional editing suites and camera kits which can be hired for student projects. 

The Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall seats 350 spectators and is the primary venue for the concerts and recitals of our fellow staff and students in Music. 

It also sometimes hosts interdisciplinary events, with staging of works such as Brecht/Eisler's The Mother, Monteverdi's Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda and Harrison Birtwistle and Tony Harrison's Bow Down. 

Generously endowed by Ian Lenagan, the Lenagan Library is a reference library that complements the extensive facilities of the John Rylands University Library, and houses collections in Drama and Music.

These consist of book holdings, multiple play texts, CDs, audio tapes, videos and DVDs. 

A viewing suite (sponsored by the Granada Foundation) and listening facilities are available, as well as an online catalogue. 

Learn more on the Facilities  page.

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk

Careers

Career opportunities

Study with us and you'll learn to interpret and critically analyse different forms of screen media, create original work for audio-visual production, and demonstrate a high level of transferable skills - especially in interpersonal communication, group work, leadership, and creative problem solving.

You'll find our graduates in a broad range of occupations - a fact that underlines their considerable adaptability and aptitude for collaborative work, effective communication, and negotiation.

These include roles in the theatre, film, television and radio, journalism, teaching, and applied theatre.

Some of our most recent graduates are currently pursuing further study in Film Studies, Creative Writing, and Screenwriting. Our graduates have gone on to work in a variety of industries, including positions in:

  • applied theatre;
  • television and radio;
  • theatre;
  • film and broadcast;
  • journalism;
  • teaching at schools, colleges, and universities;
  • community arts and arts administration;
  • law and business management.

Our award-winning careers service provides a wealth of tools, advice, development opportunities, and industry links.

You'll have access to dedicated, subject-specific support throughout your studies and for up to two years after graduation.

Our undergraduate courses are also designed to provide an easy transition into postgraduate study, if desired. 

We offer a wide range of specialist master's courses within the University and even offer fast-tracked enrolment to high-achieving undergraduate students.

Our students can take part in our Stellify programme alongside their degrees, developing professional and leadership skills while contributing to their local and global communities through volunteering.

By studying Music at Manchester, your creativity and training will be nurtured in a friendly department with performance at its heart, at a research-intensive university with an award-winning Careers Service, and in a city with the creative industries at the heart of its vision for the 21st century.

Our graduates include some of the country's leading new performers, composers, conductors, music scholars and music teachers.

A degree in Music doesn't limit you to a career in music by any means.

Employers know that Music graduates are dedicated, creative, versatile, excellent team members, natural leaders, highly organised, self-motivated and equipped with exceptional powers of concentration.