Film & Visual Culture
 Film Visual Culture (Major).jpg)
UCAS Code: Combined Honours only – see combinations tab|Duration: 3|Full Time|Both Campuses
UCAS Campus Code: L46
Work placement opportunities|International students can apply|Study Abroad opportunities
About the course
If you want an exciting career in the creative industries, but also want to understand the role that Film and Visual Culture plays in wider society, studying at Liverpool Hope is the right choice for you. Film and Visual Culture is an intellectually stimulating degree that combines practice and theory, giving you the opportunity to both create and analyse a range of cultural texts - from fiction film and documentary to photography and animation.
This degree is underpinned by creative and critical practice. It is creative because it gives you the opportunity to develop practical skills in the fields of screenwriting, filmmaking (drama and documentary), photography and animation. It is critical because it involves the in-depth study of film history and theory, including the way in which cinema intersects with a range of social and political issues. You will graduate with a degree underpinned by academic rigour, but with the transferable skills needed to pursue a wide variety of careers in the creative industries.
The degree is taught by leading international scholars and practitioners and you will also benefit from access to outstanding library resources and an extensive range of practical equipment and studio space. Extracurricula activities support the curriculum by widening critical and creative horizons. Recent activities on the degree include field trips to the National Science and Media Museum, Tate Britain, and the Manchester Animation Festival. We also have regular group visits to local film screenings.
- Study in the most filmed-in city in the country outside London.
- Our local partners include FACT, one of the leading independent cinema venues in the North West.
Course structure
Teaching on this degree is structured into lectures, where all students are taught together, seminars of smaller groups of around 15-20 students, and tutorials which typically have no more than 10 students. You will also have the opportunity to have a one-to-one meeting with your tutor each week, as well as regular local and national field trips.
For the Film and Visual Culture part of your combined honours degree, you will have approximately 7 teaching hours each week in your first year, which reduces to approximately 6 teaching hours in your second and third years. On top of teaching hours, you are also expected to spend around 14 hours studying independently each week, as well as group study to prepare for any group assessments you may have.
Assessment and feedback
Throughout your three years of study, you will have a number of assessments including written essays and exams, and practice-based portfolios in filmmaking, photography and animation. For all assessments, you will receive detailed written feedback by the course tutor. You will also be given the opportunity to discuss the work and feedback in a one-to-one meeting with the course tutor.
Curriculum overview
We believe that Film and Visual Culture should fully integrate theory with practice, but that ultimately you should be able to develop your own specialism. In your first two years, you study two main strands: film history and theory, and practical work. In your final year, you have a choice of topics to study.
Year One
Film History and Theory
The first year interrogates the key theories and concepts that underpin Film and Visual Culture. You will learn how to ‘read’ films, and will study topics such as narrative, cinematography, editing, and music. You will also look at auteur, genre, and star theories, and explore the way in which film represents themes of gender, sexuality, race, and class.
Practical Work
By the end of the first year, you will have gained a broad understanding of and will be competent in animation and filmmaking.
Year Two
Film History and Theory
The second year builds knowledge and understanding by introducing you to a range of different film movements, including early cinema, Italian neorealism, the French New Wave and the British New Wave. You will also study Hollywood film from the 1940s to the present day.
Practical Work
By the end of your second year, you will have developed your skills further in filmmaking and gained a broad understanding of photography.
Year Three
In the final year, you study contemporary Hollywood cinema and world cinema, including the national cinemas of countries such as Iran, New Zealand, and Japan.
In addition, you will choose one topic to study in depth from either film history or theory or a practical workshop (specialising in photography, animation, or filmmaking). You also complete an extended research project on a topic of your choice. Alternatively, you may choose to write a screenplay.
Entry requirements
| A-Levels | BCC |
|---|---|
| UCAS Tariff Points | 104 UCAS Tariff points must come from a minimum of two A Levels (or equivalent). Additional points can be made up from a range of alternative qualifications |
| BTEC | DMM |
| Access to HE | 104 Tariff Points |
| IB | 24 |
| Irish Leaving Certificate | 104 Tariff Points from Higher Level qualifications only |
| Welsh Baccalaureate | This qualification can only be accepted in conjunction with other relevant qualifications |
| T-Levels | Merit |
| Subject Requirements | No specific subject requirements |
International entry requirements
| Specific Country Requirements | Select your country |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.0 overall (with reading and writing at 6.0) and no individual score lower than 5.5. We also accept a wide range of International Qualifications. For more information, please visit our English Language Requirements page. |
Careers
Graduates of Film and Visual Culture have gone on to have careers in teaching, film journalism, cinema management, and film and television studio researcher. Other careers include screenwriters, producers and directors, and often graduates establish their own companies.
Some graduates also go on to postgraduate study to further their knowledge.
Enhancement opportunities
Work Placement Opportunities
During your degree, you may have the opportunity to work in the creative industries through links the department has with a variety of local businesses. These activities build your CV and portfolio before you graduate.
SALA
The Service and Leadership Award (SALA) is offered as an extra-curricular programme involving service-based experiences, development of leadership potential and equipping you for a career in a rapidly changing world. It enhances your degree, it is something which is complimentary but different and which has a distinct ‘value-added’ component. Find out more on our Service and Leadership Award page.
Study Abroad
As part of your degree, you can choose to spend either a semester or a full year of study at one of our partner universities as part of our Study Abroad programme. Find out more on our Study Abroad page.
Tuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year are £9,535* for full-time undergraduate courses.
If you are a student from the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, your tuition fees will also be £9,535*.
The University reserves the right to increase Home and EU Undergraduate and PGCE tuition fees in line with any inflationary or other increase authorised by the Secretary of State for future years of study.
*subject to Council approval.
Additional costs
You will also need to consider the cost of your accommodation each year whilst you study at university. Visit our accommodation pages for further details about our Halls of Residence.
Scholarships
We have a range of scholarships to help with the cost of your studies. Visit our scholarships page to find out more.
International tuition fees
The International Tuition fees for 2025/26 are £14,500.
Visit our International fees page for more information.
Course combinations
This course is only available as a Combined Honours degree with the following subjects: