BA Film Studies and Archaeology / Course details

Our BA Film Studies and Archaeology course will enable you to study film from a range of historical and theoretical perspectives while exploring archaeology from the Palaeolithic period to the recent past.

Film Studies  

You will expand your experience of film through taught units and screenings that focus on both classical and contemporary films, 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.

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

Archaeology

Combining insights from humanities and science, our Archaeology units offer the opportunity to explore humanity from its earliest origins right up to the impact of industrialisation and globalisation on society.

You'll consider the key challenges of modern society - from climate change to new technologies, clashes of religion, violence and warfare - by examining the long-term record of our past.

You will also use scientific techniques to examine ancient objects, human remains and landscapes.

Fieldwork training will give you the opportunity to dig for four weeks, joining research teams at sites in England, Scotland, Jersey and the Mediterranean while learning about staff research in the Near East and Scandinavia.

• Develop your understanding and awareness of the rich possibilities of Film.
• Expand your approach to Film from a range of historical and theoretical perspectives.

Experience digs in the UK and abroad

Fieldwork training is an integral part of our course throughout the degree, and you'll be introduced to excavation techniques by experienced archaeologists.

Placement year option

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.

Explore in-depth collections on campus

Discover artefacts, architecture, ancient texts and beliefs using our well-equipped laboratories, our own departmental teaching collections and the exclusive archives and curatorial expertise of Manchester Museum.

Learn from the experts

You will be taught by world-class researchers with archaeological specialisms in identity, landscapes, monuments, material culture and social complexity.

Connect with like-minded students

Join The University of Manchester Filmmaking Society, which provides a platform for aspiring filmmakers to meet, exchange ideas and create their own cinematic productions.

Join The University of Manchester Drama Society, which is for anyone with an interest in drama, be that acting, directing, writing, filmmaking, costume, set building, stage managing or just watching. One of the largest in the Student Union, the society has links with many of Manchester's award-winning theatrical venues, including the Contact Theatre and the Royal Exchange Theatre. Each summer the society showcases at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The Archaeology Society is open to anyone with an interest in archaeology, including students and the wider community.

In Film Studies, you'll attend film screenings, which are designed to enable you to advance your interpretive skills and better understand the distinctive qualities of film as a medium.

There is also emphasis on close analysis, through which you'll learn to interpret films and their discursive surround, including relevant paratexts (eg promotional material such as trailers and posters).

In Archaeology, a variety of teaching methods are used, including:

• tutorials
• seminars
• laboratory sessions
• lectures
• fieldwork
• one-to-one tutorials
• group exercises
• presentations
• reports
• original research guided by academic tutors.

Archaeology fieldwork includes one-day site visits as well as extensive periods of excavation in locations as close as Stonehenge and Orkney or as distant as Africa and the Middle East.

The University subsidises the cost of fieldwork.

In Film Studies, assessment includes:

• essays
• seminar presentations and participation
• exams
• practical work.

In Archaeology, assessment includes:

• written examinations
• coursework essays
• research reports
• practical tests
• fieldwork workbooks
• individual projects
• oral presentations
• third year dissertation
• digital posters
• audio performances.

Archaeology field training involves a variety of assessment over a range of skills and techniques.

Study with us and you'll have exclusive access to award-winning learning resources, including some of the city's key cultural assets such as John Rylands Library, Manchester Museum and the Whitworth. 

For Film Studies, the Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama is a purpose-built creative facility that includes a flexible, fully equipped performance space, workshops, rehearsal rooms and screening rooms, as well as the Lenagan Library - our dedicated performing arts library. 

In Archaeology, our dedicated archaeological laboratories contain a wide range of equipment you can use during your degree. 

Get to grips with our extensive archaeological artefacts, ranging from the Early Palaeolithic to the 20th century. 

Use microscopes, professional photography and measurement equipment, a 3D scanner and printer, and portable XRF to analyse and record artefacts. 

Or try out our GPS equipment, total stations and drones when out in the field. 

Learn how to combine these with software for digital illustrations GIS analysis of maps and spatial data and 3D digital models to enhance your analysis and understanding. 

Throughout your degree, this equipment will be available for loan from our dedicated lab technician, who can also offer any extra training you need. 

Our separate teaching and research labs are used for teaching thorough our degrees and are available for independent student study and research. 

They also host our experimental archaeology group, which regularly meet to make and use types of artefacts from a range of archaeological periods.