Overview
The BA in Film and Theatre Making combines the strengths of Queen’s highly regarded Film (ranked first in the Guardian University league tables 2017) and Drama departments, offering students a unique opportunity to study the intricacies of production practice in both film and theatre. Over the three years of the programme, students will learn the basics of directing and acting, along with technical and production elements for both stage and screen.
Film and Theatre Making Degree highlights
Queen’s is unique among Russell Group institutions in offering a pathway in Film and Theatre Making, allowing the best and brightest students to focus on practical skills in both disciplines.
Global Opportunities
- Students in the BA in Film and Theatre making will receive training in acting, directing and film and theatre production from professionals in both areas. In addition, Film and Drama have partnerships with the Universities of Tours and Utrecht (through Erasmus) and the University of North Carolina.
Professional Accreditations
- Accredited as Avid Authorised Learning Partner for Education, we offer industry accredited certification in Media composer.
Industry Links
- This programme features close links to the Lyric Theatre Belfast, Film NI and the BBC.
World Class Facilities
- Students make use of Queen’s state-of-the- art Film Studio, the QFT with two digital cinemas, the 120-seat Brian Friel Theatre (with full lighting and sound facilities) and studio rehearsal space.
Internationally Renowned Experts
- The programme features world-leading experts in Documentary film, British Film and Drama, Irish Drama, Shakespeare, dance, etc.
Student Experience
- Extracurricular performance opportunities are offered by the Tyrone Guthrie Society and the student Drama Society, which have taken productions to student festivals in Ireland and the UK as well as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and to festivals in Belgium and Italy.
"The drama department offers an excellent program of study that finely balances practice and theory, giving students adequate freedom to tailor the options according to their strengths, preferences or interests. Along with a strong support network of staff, the opportunities to establish links with theatre practitioners serves only to enrich the experience of studying drama at Queen's."
Kevin McCluskey, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. in Drama
Course content
Course Structure
| Course Content In each year, students will integrate practical learning with historical and theoretical modules that encourage them to take lessons from the history of theatre and film to create new, exciting and innovative work. A typical student pathway might include: |
| Level 1 Practical Theatre 1 Introduction to Film Practice Performance Analysis Introduction to Film Studies 1 Film Editing |
| Level 2 Practical Theatre 2 American Drama Cinematography Experimental Practice Hollywood Cinema 1 |
| Level 3 Advanced Film Practice 1 Advanced Film Practice 2 Dance Theatre Theory and Practice of Adaptation Contemporary Cinema |
People teaching you
Dr. Kurt Taroff
Lecturer in Drama; Director of Undergraduate Education
Arts, English and Languages
Contact Teaching Times
| Large Group Teaching 3 (hours maximum) hours of lectures |
| Medium Group Teaching 10 (hours maximum) 3-6 hours of seminars/tutorials; 6-10 hours of workshops and practical training |
| Personal Study 22 (hours maximum) 20-22 hours of reading and group preparation |
| Small Group Teaching/Personal Tutorial 0 (hours maximum) Varies |
Learning and Teaching
The BA in Film and Theatre Making provides a range of learning experiences which enable our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners. Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course are:
E-Learning technologies
Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Queen’s Online. A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree through, for example: interactive group workshops in a flexible learning space; podcasts and interactive web-based learning activities; opportunities to use IT programmes associated with design in practicals and project- based work etc.
Lectures
Introduce basic information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading. Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assessments (normally delivered in large groups to all year group peers).
Personal Tutor
Undergraduates are allocated a Personal Tutor during Years 1 and 2 who meets with them on several occasions during the year to support their academic development.
Practicals
Where you will have opportunities to develop technical skills and apply theoretical principles to real-life or practical contexts. Workshops will help you develop practical skills in both film and drama.
Professional projects
Students will engage in projects in film and theatre in second and third year in which they will receive guidance from industry professionals throughout the process.
Self-directed study
This is a vital part of life as a Queen’s student when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work is carried out.
Seminars/tutorials
Significant amounts of teaching are carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students). These provide the opportunity for students to engage with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess their own progress and understanding with the support of peers. You should also expect to make presentations and other contributions to these groups.
Work placements
Students have the opportunity to undertake a work placement in Year 3. This is a significant learning and employability enhancement opportunity.
Assessment
Details of assessments associated with this course are outlined below:
Assessment is by film projects, performances, presentation, and written coursework. The way in which you are assessed will vary according to the Learning Objectives of each module. Some modules are assessed solely through project work or written assignments. Others are assessed through a combination of coursework and end of semester examinations. Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Module Outline Document which is provided to all students.
Feedback
As students progress through their course at Queen’s they will receive general and specific feedback about their work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, placement supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study and your peers. University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work. Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:
Feedback provided via formal written comments and marks relating to work that you, as an individual or as part of a group, have submitted.
Face to face comment. This may include occasions when you make use of the lecturers’ advertised “office hours” to help you to address a specific query.
Placement employer comments or references.
Online or emailed comment.
General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.
Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid. In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars which you can review in your own time.
Feedback and outcomes from practical classes.
Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as, Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.
Once you have reviewed your feedback, you are encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of your work.
Facilities
Film and Theatre Making students have access to the Brian Friel Theatre, a 120-seat black box theatre with full lighting and sound facilities, backstage area and shop, and dressing rooms. Classes and rehearsals take place in a rehearsal room that also serves as a studio theatre.
http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/ael/Discover/facilities/BrianFrielTheatre/
For film work, students have access to Queen’s brand new state-of-the-art Film Studio, opened in 2015.
http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/ael/Discover/facilities/filmstudio/
Entry Requirements
Entrance requirements
Irish leaving certificate requirements
H3H3H3H3H3H3/H2H3H3H3H3
Access/Foundation Course
Successful completion of Access Course with an average of 70%.
All applicants
There are no specific subjects required to study the Film and Theatre Making degree.
Selection Criteria
In addition, to the entrance requirements above, it is essential that you read our guidance notes on 'How we choose our students' prior to submitting your UCAS application.
Applications are dealt with centrally by the Admissions and Access Service rather than by individual University Schools. Once your on-line form has been processed by UCAS and forwarded to Queen's, an acknowledgement is normally sent within two weeks of its receipt at the University.
Selection is on the basis of the information provided on your UCAS form, which is considered by the Selector for that particular subject or degree programme along with a member of administrative staff from the Admissions Service. Decisions are made on an ongoing basis and will be notified to you via UCAS.
Applicants for this BA programme must have, or be able to achieve, a minimum of five GCSE passes at grade C or better (to include English Language). Performance in any AS or A-level examinations already completed will also be taken into account and the Selector checks that any specific entry requirements in terms of GCSE and/or A-level subjects can be fulfilled.
Applicants who are made an offer for this degree pathway may be invited to attend an interview/audition day, which includes a practice-based workshop and an individual interview. Applicants are assessed at interview and the scores may be used to differentiate between applicants who have borderline grades in August.
Offers are normally made on the basis of three A-levels. Two subjects at A-level plus two at AS would also be considered. The offer for repeat candidates is set in terms of three A-levels and may be one grade higher than for first time applicants. Grades may be held from the previous year.
Applicants offering two A-levels and one BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/National Extended Certificate (or equivalent qualification), or one A-level and a BTEC Diploma/National Diploma (or equivalent qualification) will also be considered. Offers will be made in terms of performance in individual BTEC units rather than the overall BTEC grade(s) awarded. Please note that a maximum of one BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/National Extended Certificate (or equivalent) will be counted as part of an applicant’s portfolio of qualifications. The normal GCSE profile will be expected.
Applicants offering other qualifications, such as BTEC Extended Diplomas, Higher National Certificates and Diplomas, the International Baccalaureate, Irish Leaving Certificate or an Access course, will also be considered.
The same GCSE profile is usually expected of those candidates taking a BTEC Extended Diploma or a Higher National Certificate (HNC).
The current entrance requirements for applicants offering a BTEC Extended Diploma are successful completion of the BTEC Extended Diploma (180 credits at Level 3) with 120 credits at Distinction and 60 credits at Merit. For applicants offering a HNC, the current requirements are successful completion of the HNC with 2 Distinctions and remainder Merits.
For those offering a Higher National Diploma, some flexibility may be allowed in terms of GCSE profile but, to be eligible for an offer, the grades obtained in the first year of the HND must allow the overall offer to be achievable. The current entrance requirements are successful completion of the HND with 2 Distinctions, 10 Merits and 4 Passes overall. Any consideration would be for Stage 1 entry only.
Candidates offering Access/Certificate in Foundation Studies courses will be considered individually on their own merits. Where offers are made, these will be conditional on achieving an average of 70%.
The information provided in the personal statement section and the academic reference together with predicted grades are noted but, in the case of BA degrees, these are not the final deciding factors in whether or not a conditional offer can be made. However, they may be reconsidered in a tie break situation in August.
A-level General Studies and A-level Critical Thinking would not normally be considered as part of a three A-level offer and, although they may be excluded where an applicant is taking four A-level subjects, the grade achieved could be taken into account if necessary in August/September.
If you are made an offer then you may be invited to an Open Day, which is usually held in the second semester. This will allow you the opportunity to visit the University and to find out more about the degree programme of your choice and the facilities on offer. It also gives you a flavour of the academic and social life at Queen's.
If you cannot find the information you need here, please contact the University Admissions Service (admissions@qub.ac.uk), giving full details of your qualifications and educational background.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
For information on international qualification equivalents, please check the specific information for your country.
English Language Requirements
An IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent acceptable qualification, details of which are available at: http://go.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.
- Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
- Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - FOUNDATION AND INTERNATIONAL YEAR ONE PROGRAMMES
INTO Queen's offers a range of academic and English language programmes to help prepare international students for undergraduate study at Queen's University. You will learn from experienced teachers in a dedicated international study centre on campus, and will have full access to the University's world-class facilities.
These programmes are designed for international students who do not meet the required academic and English language requirements for direct entry.
- Foundation
The INTO Progression Course suited to this programme is
http://www.intostudy.com/en-gb/universities/queens-university-belfast/courses/international-foundation-in-business-humanities-and-social-sciences.
INTO - English Language Course(QSIS ELEMENT IS EMPTY)
Careers
Career Prospects
Introduction
With its practical and professional components, study in Theatre and Film at Queen‘s provides an excellent background for work in film, television, on the stage, and in the creative industries. Our graduates have
progressed to a range of entertainment and media-based careers.
Employment after the Course
Our graduates have progressed to a range of entertainment and media-based careers.
Positions obtained by recent graduates of Film and Drama at Queen’s include:
Researcher at BBC NI
Production Trainee at BBC
Professional actors & directors for the stage
On-set VFX Supervisor for HBO (Game of Thrones)
Camera Department for HBO (Game of Thrones)
Festival Director at Belfast Film Festival
Editor at Fifty Fifty Productions, London
Graduates of our separate Film and Drama programmes have gone on to significant successes in the professional world. Success stories include Des Kennedy, Touring Director of Once and Associate Director of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; Shaun Blaney, an actor, winner of the 2015 International Academy of Web Television Best Male Actor Award for Farr (RTÉ); Seamus O’Hara, an actor, currently featured in My Mother and Other Strangers (BBC).
Other popular graduate career routes include education and training, arts administration, public relations, marketing and postgraduate study.
Further study, including Master’s programmes,
is also an option; see the School website for
further information.
Additional Awards Gained
Avid Certified Professional (Media Composer)
Prizes and Awards
Students in Film recently won 4 Royal Television Society student awards at both local and national level.
Students in the programme will have the opportunity to compete for the Brian Friel Award in theatre practice as well as Queen’s Foundation Awards.
Degree plus award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Degree Plus. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.
Fees and Funding
Tuition Fees
| Northern Ireland (NI) | £4,275 |
|---|---|
| England, Scotland or Wales (GB) | £9,250 |
| Other (non-UK) EU | £4,275 |
| International | £16,400 |
Tuition fee rates are calculated based on a student’s tuition fee status and generally increase annually by inflation. How tuition fees are determined is set out in the Student Finance Framework.
Additional course costs
All Students
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.
Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library.
If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. A programme may have up to 6 modules per year, each with a recommended text.
Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.
Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.
If a final year includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.
Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.
There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
Film and Theatre Making costs
An Avid Authorised Training Manual for Media Composer is required at level 1 at a cost of approx. £45. Students will be provided with all of the film equipment and editing suites needed. Students are not expected to purchase their own camera, laptop or editing software. Students are required to purchase a USB 3 hard drive at a cost of approximately £90 for personal use. Students are occasionally required to purchase tickets for performances. This is estimated at a maximim of £100 per year. Students may also incur some costs on props or costumes, but these are discouraged as the School will be able to provide these (or similar) in most cases.
How do I fund my study?
There are different tuition fee and student financial support arrangements for students from Northern Ireland, those from England, Scotland and Wales (Great Britain), and those from the rest of the European Union.
Information on funding options and financial assistance for undergraduate students is available at http://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/Undergraduate/Fees-and-scholarships/.
Scholarships
Each year, we offer a range of scholarships and prizes for new students. Information on scholarships available.
International Scholarships
Information on scholarships for international students, is available at http://www.qub.ac.uk/International/International-students/International-scholarships/.
How and When to Apply
How to Apply
Application for admission to full-time undergraduate and sandwich courses at the University should normally be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Full information can be obtained from the UCAS website at: www.ucas.com/apply.
When to Apply
UCAS will start processing applications for entry in autumn 2019 from 1 September 2018.
Advisory closing date: 15 January 2019 (18:00).
Late applications are, in practice, accepted by UCAS throughout the remainder of the application cycle, but you should understand that they are considered by institutions at their discretion, and there can be no guarantee that they will be given the same full level of consideration as applications received by the advisory closing date.
Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as is consistent with having made a careful and considered choice of institutions and courses.
The Institution code for Queen's is QBELF and the institution code is Q75.
Further information on applying to study at Queen's is available at: http://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/Undergraduate/How-to-apply/
After an offer is made this will be notified to applicants through UCAS. Confirmation will be emailed by the Admissions and Access Service and this communication will also include Terms and Conditions (www.qub.ac.uk/Study/TermsandConditions) which applicants should read carefully in advance of replying to their offer(s) on UCAS Track.
Additional Information for International (non-EU) Students
- Applying through UCAS
Most students make their applications through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) for full-time undergraduate degree programmes at Queen's. The UCAS application deadline for international students is 30 June 2019. - Applying direct
The Direct Entry Application form is to be used by international applicants who wish to apply directly, and only, to Queen's or who have been asked to provide information in advance of submitting a formal UCAS application. Find out more. - Applying through agents and partners
The University’s in-country representatives can assist you to submit a UCAS application or a direct application. Please consult the Agent List to find an agent in your country who will help you with your application to Queen’s University.
Register your interest
Course location
2 University SquareQueen's University Belfast
Belfast BT7 1NN
Explore the campus
Experience Queen's for yourself by exploring our virtual tour, or book to visit the campus.
Accommodation
Some of the most affordable, purpose-built student accommodation in the city.