We live in a mediatised world.
Our experiences of reality, relationships and politics are shaped by media and communication.
Our curriculum will enable you to:
Our courses will challenge your thinking, broaden your views and help you develop an increased awareness of the role of media in transforming society and culture.
Our mission is to prepare students to engage critically and creatively in an increasingly mediated world and allow them to contribute to their communities and chosen professional field. To serve this goal, our scholarship and teaching is interdisciplinary, inventive and practical.
But that is not all that we do. Employers look for life-long skills – written and visual literacy, communication skills, the ability to lead and contribute to teams, and to solve problems through effective research methods. All of these skills are taught in our programmes; they underlie most of what we do.
We also value and develop an understanding of cultural diversity and difference, so it is not surprising that our graduates are to be found in many walks of life.
We have a well-established record of teaching and research, with staff who are internationally recognised in their disciplines.
Our graduates work in a variety of fields, including media production, journalism, education, advertising, administration, archival and curatorial work, media policy analysis, public relations, and tourism. Some go on to postgraduate study in our honours, master's and PhD programmes.
A degree from our programme prepares you for a wide range of career options, including new and emerging career pathways. In the future, media will play an increasingly central role in how we understand and navigate our rapidly changing world. The skills and competencies developed across our two majors – the ability to think critically, communicate in a range of different ways, appreciate diversity, and respond effectively to change – will be in strong demand.
Film and Media Studies is one of two majors offered by the Media, Film and Communication Studies Programme. The other major is Communication Studies.
We offer majors in Communication Studies, and Film and Media Studies. Students are able to tailor their studies to pursue their specific interests and goals. Our degrees can also be combined with other subjects to form a double-major or double-degree programme of study.
In the Communication major, we explore:
In the Film and Media major, we explore:
Our academic staff are experts in their fields (you can read about their areas of interest at the staff page on our website).
Our papers are designed to help you engage with cutting edge research and ideas through a range of coursework and assessment that will help you develop your written, oral and visual communication skills and critical competencies.
In addition to the specialist skills gained, our programmes enable you to develop general personal and professional skills that are highly valued by employers. These are the kinds of skills that are applicable in many career contexts and in many aspects of your life:
No prior background is required.
Available as a minor subject for a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Music (MusB), Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA), Bachelor of Theology (BTheol), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Bachelor of Entrepreneurship (BEntr), Bachelor of Health Science (BHealSc), Bachelor of Arts and Commerce (BACom), Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc) or Bachelor of Commerce and Science (BComSc) degree
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | 36 | |
| Above 100-level | MFCO 210 Theory of Film and Media Two further MFCO papers, of which one must be above 200-level Note: GEND 205 or 305 or CHIN 242 or 342 may be substituted for one MFCO paper at the same level. | 18 36 |
| Total | 90 |
Explore your study options further. Refer to enrolment information found on the following qualification pages.
Media, Film and Communication Programme
School of Social Sciences
Web otago.ac.nz/mfco
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Regulations on this page are taken from the 2024 Calendar and supplementary material.
