self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students
Check eligibility →MA (Hons) Film and Visual Culture and French Bachelor's degree at the University of Aberdeen
MA (Hons) Film and Visual Culture and French at University of Aberdeen covers core theory, research and methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project, and professional skills development.
About this course
MA (Hons) Film and Visual Culture and French is a Bachelor's degree (MA (Hons)) at the University of Aberdeen, based in Old Aberdeen. It runs 5 years, studied full-time.
For Languages and area studies graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 50% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £24,500. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Media & Communications, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 90% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 70% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 10 modules
- Academic Writing for Language & LiteratureCompulsory
Module details
Evaluation designed to find out if your academic writing is of a sufficient standard to enable you to succeed at university and, if you need it, to provide support to improve.
- Getting Started at the University of AberdeenCompulsory
Module details
Course prescribed for level 1 undergraduate students and articulating students who are in their first year at the University, studied entirely online, takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Topics include University orientation overview, equality & diversity, MySkills, health, safety and cyber security, and academic integrity.
- Introduction to Visual CultureCompulsory15 credits
Module details
Introduction to key concepts that shape visual culture: the digital archive, the embodied look, foundations of visual knowledge, image, vision, looking, gazing, and spectating.
- Introduction to Film and the Cinematic ExperienceCompulsory15 credits
Module details
Introduction to the language and practice of formal film analysis. Exploration of different elements of film form and the ways in which it shapes the moving image across a wide range of genres, styles, historical moments, and national contexts.
- Beginners French Language 1Optional15 credits
Module details
Intensive language course designed for students who have little or no previous knowledge of French.
- Beginners French Language 2Optional15 credits
Module details
Builds on the work done in FR1028, providing students with an adequate command of French language to allow them the possibility of continuing their studies into level 2 and Honours.
- French Culture and Society: From Occupation to DecolonisationOptional15 credits
Module details
Introduction to twentieth and early twenty first century French and Francophone culture and society, focusing on the occupation of France during World War II, gender issues, and the impact and aftermath of colonialism and decolonisation.
- The Global City in Text and FilmOptional15 credits
Module details
Uses a range of texts, including films, poetry and fiction, to investigate urban spaces as sites of promise, power and loss. Focuses on major cities in Europe and the Americas and examines representations of global cities.
- Qualified French Language 1Optional15 credits
Module details
Course intended for students who have studied French to Higher or equivalent level. Will enable them to consolidate and extend their knowledge of French, written and spoken.
- Qualified French Language 2Optional15 credits
Module details
Course intended for students who have studied French to the equivalent of Scottish Higher or beyond. Seeks to enable students to consolidate and extend their knowledge of French, written and spoken.
Year 2 8 modules
- Visualising ModernityCompulsory30 credits
Module details
First half of a film history sequence at the second year level, focusing on crucial moments, concepts and cinematic works from the period 1895 to 1945.
Assessment: Mid-term essay, final exam, short assignments on Blackboard, and attendance in lectures and tutorials.
- Visualising RevolutionCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Second half of a film history sequence at the second year level, focusing on crucial moments, concepts and cinematic works from the period between 1945 and the present.
Assessment: Mid-term essay, final exam, short assignments on Blackboard, and participation and attendance in lectures and tutorials.
- Revolution and Revolt in Modern and Contemporary FranceCompulsory15 credits
Module details
Introduction to the history, culture and identity of contemporary France by examining key moments and themes in the development of France as a political and cultural entity from the Early Modern period to the present.
- Decentering France: Social Movements and Cultural TransformationCompulsory15 credits
Module details
Introduction to the history, culture and identity of contemporary France by examining key moments and themes in the development of France as a political and cultural entity from the Early Modern period to the present.
- Advanced Introductory French Language 1Optional15 credits
Module details
Second year French language course which runs in the first half-session, only open to students who have passed FR1528. Will improve their written, oral and aural skills.
- Advanced Introductory French Language 2Optional15 credits
Module details
Second year French language course which runs in the second half-session, only open to students who have followed FR2012. Will improve their written, oral and aural skills.
- Advanced French Language 1Optional15 credits
Module details
Second year French language course which runs in the first half-session, only open to students who have passed FR1529. Will improve their written, oral and aural skills.
- Advanced French Language 2Optional15 credits
Module details
Second year French language course which runs in the second half-session, only open to students who have followed FR2002. Will improve their written, oral and aural skills.
Year 4 1 modules
- Junior Honours French LanguageCompulsory15 credits
Module details
Junior Honours French language course for Single and Joint Junior Honours degree in French students. Building on the skills gained during their first two years of study of French, will improve the students' French language skills in all four areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing, whilst increasing their grammatical and lexical knowledge, as well as their sensitivity to linguistic variety.
Assessment: Four equally weighted assignments.
Year 5 1 modules
- Senior Honours French LanguageCompulsory30 credits
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This joint degree combines film and visual culture with French language study. A course like this typically moves from foundational media theory and production skills, covering audience, representation and technical camera and audio work, towards specialist options in later years, such as journalism, PR and advertising, film and TV, social media, games and interactive media, or production portfolio work. You'll usually study research methods for media, analyse how media industries operate, and explore digital cultures and platforms. In your final year, you'll typically undertake specialist options, an industry project or placement, and complete either a dissertation or substantial media production. Throughout, you'll develop alongside French language and cultural study, integrating both disciplines.
Who it's for
Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent qualifications. Recent entrants typically had a UCAS tariff between 176 and 191 points. This course suits those interested in combining visual media analysis with French language and culture.
University & format
The University of Aberdeen is a public university founded in 1495, located in Old Aberdeen. This course is taught in English and is full-time, running for 5 years, leading to an MA (Hons) award. Your degree is nationally recognised as awarded by a UK degree-awarding body. The university also offers bursaries and scholarships; check the university's funding pages for details.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively. Overall student satisfaction: 100%.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 95% |
| a Baccalaureate | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code WR6C). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page. Set under Scotland's student-finance system; the provider's page is authoritative.
Check fees at University of Aberdeen →If you normally live in Scotland
For eligible Scottish-domiciled students at an eligible Scottish provider, SAAS can pay tuition directly. Living-cost support can combine bursary and loan and depends on household income and student circumstances. Students from elsewhere use their home funding body.
Check the current amounts with SAAS →Paying for it
- SAAS tuition payment: paid directly to the university for eligible Scottish-domiciled students, applied for through SAAS.
- Living-cost support: a mix of bursary and loan from SAAS, depending on household income.
- Repayment: only above the Scottish repayment threshold, and written off at the end of the plan term.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
Scotland runs its own system through SAAS; check saas.gov.uk for current rates.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
Named awards published by the university. Compare the eligibility and application route before budgeting for one.
Amounts, exclusions and deadlines can change. An award is not guaranteed unless the university confirms it.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Media & Communications graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £24,500 | £23,000 – £28,500 | 10 |
| 3 years after | £25,000 | £21,500 – £31,000 | 40 |
| 5 years after | £30,000 | £27,000 – £36,500 | 45 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in media & communications · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Media & Communications nationally
National figures for Media & Communications graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Media & Communications courses at the same study level.
Compared with 541 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Artistic, literary and media occupationsSOC 2020 341 · 30% of published destinations · ASHE median £33,824
- Sales occupationsSOC 2020 71 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £15,975
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Leisure, travel and related personal service occupationsSOC 2020 62 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £22,297
- Managers, directors and senior officialsSOC 2020 1 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £51,733
- Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 30; response rate: 75%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Media & Communications graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Media & Communications graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Media companies
- Agencies
- In-house comms teams
- Broadcasters & charities
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Media & Communications graduates.
Is this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
Fees for this course are set under Scotland's own student-finance system, not the England cap; check the provider's course page for the exact figure. Tuition for eligible Scottish-domiciled students is paid by SAAS directly to the university, applied for through SAAS and not Student Finance England. Living-cost support is a mix of bursary and loan, and you repay only above the Scottish threshold.
Where graduates go
90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £24,500. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.4 out of 10: NSS 90.9% · in work or study 90% · continued 70%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Aberdeen
Media, journalism and communications across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Is Media & Communications right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to University of Aberdeen from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £20,800 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
University of Aberdeen offers the Aberdeen Global Scholarship (£6,000/yr) for international students, see Scholarships above.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with University of Aberdeen and gov.uk before you apply.
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