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Film Programming and Curating

MA

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Key information

Key information for 2026-27

Start date:
October 2026 | January 2027
Study route:

  • One year full-time, on campus

  • Two years part-time, on campus

Status:
Fully approved
Location:
Birkbeck Campus, Central London
Awarding body:
University of London
Study options:
Full-time | Part-time | On campus

Course overview

A first of its kind, this MA Film Programming and Curating enables you to explore the many ways films are conceptualised, selected, and presented to audiences. Based in the heart of London — one of the world’s leading media hubs — the course takes full advantage of its location, offering opportunities for you to build professional networks and engage with film events and screenings that deepen your understanding of contemporary programming and curatorial practice.

  • Why choose this course?
    • It is designed for those interested in film programming and curating, including cultural programming, screen media archives, and exhibition and distribution services.  
    • Taught by leading academic researchers and practitioners, this course offers you opportunities to learn from expert guest speakers, film programmers and archivists through workshops and site visits.
    • It includes a placement at a cultural institution or film centre in London or beyond.
    • With its distinctive practice-led research approach, this course encourages you to apply contemporary theoretical perspectives to professional practice. Working with archives will help you build a career portfolio, develop critical and curatorial skills, expand your theoretical and cultural understanding, refine professional goals and establish valuable industry connections.

  • What will I learn?

    The course fosters independent intellectual thought and a creative spirit, providing you with a historical, theoretical, and conceptual understanding of film programming, curatorial practice, and moving image culture. The curriculum explores:

    • theories of spectatorship, audiences and the changing conditions of film reception
    • sites of exhibition and the architecture of the film experience, from local cinemas to international festivals
    • the role of the archive, film canons and the curation of archival and alternative film collections
    • the practicalities of programming films and engaging audiences
    • approaches to curating diverse film forms and for specific exhibition contexts, such as film festivals.

  • How will I learn?

    This MA can be studied full- or part-time. The course takes place during the day in the Birkbeck Cinema (including screenings) and through site visits across London, such as to the British Film Institute (BFI), Barbican and Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA).

    You will learn through lectures, seminars, question and answer sessions and practice-led research workshops, complemented by guest lectures and a 20-day work placement (or a research report). You will also have opportunities to attend film and cultural events across London, including the London Film Festival, take part in professional practice activities such as Korean Film Nights, and enjoy free film screenings curated by the Birkbeck Institute of the Moving Image (BIMI).

  • How often will I attend classes?

    Full-time October start: Two days a week, October to July.

    Full-time January start: Two days a week, January to December.

    Part-time October start: One day a week, October to July.

    Part-time January start: One day a week, January to December.

  • Course disclaimer

    Birkbeck makes all reasonable efforts to deliver educational services, modules and programmes of study as described on our website. In the event that there are material changes to our offering (for example, due to matters beyond our control), we will update applicant and student facing information as quickly as possible and offer alternatives to applicants, offer-holders and current students.

    Most of our courses are taught in the evenings, however some of our courses offer a daytime timetable. Where there is an option to attend daytime teaching sessions, this is stated in the How will I learn? section.

More highlights

  • The award-winning Birkbeck Cinema is central to the course, where most of our classes take place. The cinema is equipped with 35mm and state-of-the-art DVD projection, which offers you an opportunity to experiment with programming and watch films in the best possible conditions. Located in central London, in the heart of historic Bloomsbury, Birkbeck is within easy reach of cinemas and galleries, as well as facilities such as the British Film Institute and the British Library.
  • You will receive accreditation, sponsored by Birkbeck, to the BFI London International Film Festival. 
  • On this course you will also have the opportunity to participate in professional programming initiatives with organisations as diverse as the Korean Cultural Centre UK and its Korean Film Nights.
  • The Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image (BIMI) runs a busy, intellectually stimulating programme of events, including conferences, screenings and film-related events of all kinds, which students on this course are more than welcome to attend. You will have the opportunity to participate in and attend the Essay Film Festival, jointly run by BIMI and the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), with free admission to events hosted at Birkbeck. 
  • Birkbeck was ranked as one of the top four universities in the UK for its Art and Design research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
  • We offer a number of bursaries for postgraduate students.

Modules and Teaching

School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication

The school's teaching and research is highly interdisciplinary, spanning cultures and periods. Academic and practice-based study will equip you for a career in the creative and cultural industries.

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Entry requirements

A second-class honours degree (2:2 or above), or international equivalent.

We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential.

On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.

Apply now to secure your place. The earlier you apply, the sooner your application can be considered, and you can enrol. You do not need to have completed your current qualification to start your application.

  • What are the English language requirements?

    If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. We also accept other English language tests.

    If you don't meet the minimum English language requirements, please contact us or see our international study skills page for more details about how we can help.

    Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country.

  • What are the visa and funding requirements?

    If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa.

    The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:

    • Courses of more than six months' duration: Student visa
    • Courses of less than six months' duration: Standard Visitor visa

    International students who require a Student visa should apply to study on our courses full-time as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Student visa, you will not be eligible to enrol to study part-time courses at Birkbeck (with the exception of some modules).

    As a Student visa student, you should also apply to study on campus only, as online and flexible options of study (if they are available for your course) may affect the conditions of your visa.

    For full information, read our visa information for international students page.

    Please also visit the international section of our website to find out more about relevant visa and funding requirements by country.

    Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.

  • Credits and accredited prior learning (APL)

    If you have studied at university (or have an HND or Foundation Degree), you may have accumulated credits. It may be possible to transfer these from your previous study to Birkbeck or another institution.

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Fees

MA: One year full-time or two years part-time, on campus, starting in October 2026

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £6,375 per year
Full-time home students: £12,750 per year
Part-time international students: £11,115 per year
Full-time international students: £22,230 per year

MA: One year full-time or two years part-time, on campus, starting in January 2027

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £6,375 per year
Full-time home students: £12,750 per year
Part-time international students: £10,425 per year
Full-time international students: £20,850 per year

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing their course may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the Fees Policy.

Discover the financial support available to you to help with your studies at Birkbeck.

Birkbeck's campus is located in the historic and vibrant Bloomsbury area of central London - named one of the best places to live in London 2025 by The Times.

Careers and employability

Graduates can pursue career paths in the creative arts, academic, media and cultural institutions. Graduates from this MA Film Programming and Curating have gone on to progress their studies at PhD level or to work for:

  • film festivals, including Edinburgh International Film Festival, London Korean Film Festival, Belfast Film Festival, Costa Rica International Film Festival, Nordic Baltic Film Festival, Gateway Film Festival, Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival, Third Horizon Film Festival, Moscow International Experimental Film Festival
  • film cultural organisations, such as the BFI Southbank
  • film archives, such as Cinemateca Portuguesa
  • film collectives, such as Club de Femmes
  • cinemas, such as Cinema PARK, Stockholm and Lexi Cinema, London, and other local independent cinemas
  • film artists, such as Isaac Julien
  • founders of film organisations, such as Cine-Sister
  • freelance film curators
  • film marketing organisations, such as Dogwoof.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

Student support

Birkbeck offers study, learning and wellbeing support to undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them succeed.

Our Learning Development Service provides a lively programme of free weekly workshops building essential academic skills - from writing and critical thinking to maths and referencing - offering flexible sessions, practical tips, and online resources to boost your skills and confidence.

Our Disability and Mental Health Service can support you if you have disabilities, specific learning differences, mental health conditions or neurodivergence, by providing practical support to help you achieve your academic potential.

Our Counselling Service aims to support you with any emotional and psychological difficulties that are affecting your experience and engagement with your studies at university. It is a free, non-judgemental and confidential service which consists of a consultation process followed by time limited counselling contact.

Find out more about the full range of student services we offer at Birkbeck.

How to apply

You apply directly to Birkbeck for this course, using the online application link.

You will need to prove your identity when you apply. Find out more about how to apply.

Related courses

Study routes for Film Programming and Curating (MA)

Please select a study route below to continue your application.

Please note that international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK can only apply for full-time, on campus routes.

Starting in October 2026

Full-time

Part-time

Starting in January 2027

Full-time

Part-time