Course details

Summary

The cultural impact and influence of cinema has been enormous. Film pervades many aspects of our daily lives and a critical awareness of its tools and techniques is essential for understanding contemporary culture and society.

From its inception, cinema has been a truly global phenomenon. It was the most popular art form of the twentieth century and continues to play an important role in the development of digital media.

Cinema Studies classes encourage students to view films critically and to reflect upon their own role as spectators and consumers of cinematic images.

Why study Cinema Studies at UC?

Our courses reflect the global scope of film history by covering a wide range of films and directors from the era of silent film and the advent of sound (1896-1930s), the heyday of Hollywood and international art cinema (1939-1980s), the globalisation of film and contemporary world cinema (1990s to the present). There is certainly something for everyone and plenty of surprises along the way!

Recommended preparation

All students with a love of movies will find Cinema Studies an interesting academic subject. There are no entry requirements at 100 and 200-level, although previous classes in media studies at secondary school may be helpful. Courses in Cinema Studies complement study in other related Arts subjects.

Over the three years of your degree, you will gain critical thinking, creative problem solving, and communication skills that employers want. Unique practical experiences such as internships are on offer too.

The Bachelor of Arts requires a minimum total of 360 points:

• at least 255 points from Arts courses
• the remaining 105 points can be from either Arts courses or courses from other degrees.
• A minimum of 225 points must be from courses above 100-level, with at least 90 points at 300-level.

Double Degrees

It is possible to combine an Arts degree with other degrees such as the Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Health Sciences, Bachelor of Laws or Bachelor of Science.

Further study

The College of Arts has a wide range of options for postgraduate and graduate study with excellent research facilities. These include specialised research centres such as the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, Social Science Research Centre, New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies, Te Awatea Violence Research Centre and National Centre for Research on Europe.

Career opportunities

A Cinema Studies graduate is ideally suited for work in the creative and cultural sector, especially in the constantly evolving areas of film and multimedia. The film industry is not only limited to production but also encompasses screenwriting, exhibition, promotion, preservation, programming and education.

A critical knowledge of film culture is valued in festival programmers and organisers, curators, archivists, film historians, cultural planners, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The visual and critical literacy skills acquired by a Cinema Studies graduate are also useful in the related areas of television, interactive media (web design and video), advertising and journalism.

Film is now offered as an integral part of secondary school education and specialised teachers are in demand.

Entry criteria

Admission to UC with University Entrance, or equivalent, is required to enrol for a Bachelor's degree. Applicants must have completed New Zealand University Entrance through NCEA; or Cambridge International Examinations (CIE); or International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) or any other equivalent overseas qualification.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 550 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum C+ grade; CAE or CPE minimum score of 169 with at least 162 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 57 and no PTE communicative skills score below 50.