Master of Arts [M.A] [Film Studies] From Goldsmiths, University of London

Address the image world, find out how images create meaning, and discover what you can do with what you see on this eclectic MA programme

If this degree were a film weÕd be watching the beginning and the end. We think, like Walter Benjamin, that itÕs in these moments Ð in their inception and their obsolescence ÊÐ that you see the utopian possibilities of a form or social movement.Ê

The programme offered by the Goldsmiths, University of LondonÊgoes beyond the borders of a traditional film studies degree so we go back to the beginning of film history to explore what it meant to fashion yourself in an image, or for a society to see itself in an image.

WeÕre interested in the evolution of the image, but also image culture. As photographs and films constitute more and more of our communication, we encourage students to try to put their thought into audio-visual form for some modules.ÊFor the MAÕs Media Arts Pathway, you can make your own piece of work and submit it as part of the final project, the dissertation. Production values are not the focus for us. WeÕre interested in what you do with an idea.

We think learning is about trying to get hold of something you donÕt know yet; wrestling with ideas youÕre unsure of so as to work critically and imaginatively across multiple media forms. While we do look at films, we also investigate such things as contemporary gallery work, the cityÕs screens, computer and phone interactivity to reconsider our relationship to images.

We study our heritage of image taking and making not just to discover how that relationship has changed over time, but also to find jumping off points for own experimentation and try to create something new.Ê

Careers

Our graduates go on to work in areas such as programming and curating, film and video distribution, and film and television criticism, but many also create their own careers. Twenty per cent of our graduates pursue PhD degrees.Ê