Who is this course for?   

The MA in Film Studies: Theory and Practice is a pioneering programme that prepares students for a range of careers in film, screenwriting and media-related areas. Film today offers a broad mix of employment opportunities, including in academia, film and media industries, and in film/creative arts administration. This programme combines a strong academic focus on the theoretical and historical study of film, with modules addressing screenwriting, digital film practice, film education and film festival curation. The programme has close connections with PALAS— Galway’s award-winning arthouse cinema as well as the annual Galway Film Fleadh.

This programme allows students to pursue either an academic-focused pathway or a practice-based approach to film, including the possibility of completing a feature-length screenplay during the academic year.

What will I study?  

The full-time programme comprises three seminar courses during the academic year and a choice from up to six options over two 12-week semesters, from which students must choose three. Part-time students will take half of these modules each year. The course may be taken as a full-time degree taken over a twelve-month period (September to August) OR as a Part-Time Degree taken over a twenty-four month period. The year is divided into two teaching semesters (September to December and January to April). The summer period (year 2 in the Part-Time programme) will be used to complete an 18,000 minor dissertation OR undertake a practice-based project consisting of either a video essay accompanied by a 7,000 word extended essay OR a feature-length screenplay. The full-time programme comprises three core seminar courses during the academic year and a choice of a range of options (plus a research methods seminar) over two 12-week semesters. Part-time students will take half of these modules each year.

Programme Modules 

Core modules: 

• Critical Theory I & II (Semester 1 and 2)
• Film History I: Hollywood & Genre 

Optional Modules may include: 

• Film History II: Cinema Beyond Hollywood since 1945
• Ireland on Screen
• Gender, Sexuality and Cinema
• Screenwriting Fundamentals
• Screenplay Development
• Digital Play & Practice
• Film Exhibition, Admin & Education
• Sport and Film 

Curriculum Information

• Dual pathways: Academic-focused pathway or a practice-based approach to film, including the possibility of completing 
• Range of modules: Includes modules in screenwriting, film histories, film festival curation, and film education, providing both practical and theoretical expertise.
• Industry connections: Provides connections with Galway’s PALAS arthouse cinema and the Galway Film Fleadh and Generation Fleadh offering exposure to film culture and events.
• Collaborative Community: Part of a collaborative creative community at the Huston School, enabling cross-programme learning with students from other MA disciplines.
• Improve communication skills: Learn to effectively present and articulate findings to a range of audiences, from stakeholders to decision-makers.

Graduates have gone on to further research at PhD level and have acquired positions as lecturers and researchers in third level institutions. Graduates have also found employment in a range of film festival, film and media production, and journalism roles, including university lecturer, television producer, publisher’s production assistant, film producer and director, newspaper editor, journalist, teacher, theatre administrator, and film festival programmer. 

• Mr Tony Tracy
• Dr Conn Holohan
• Dr Seán Crosson

How will I learn?    

This programme allows students to pursue either an academic-focused pathway or a practice-based approach to film, including the possibility of completing a feature-length screenplay during the academic year. 

How Will I Be Assessed? 

Assessments on the programme are designed to develop students’ writing and presentation skills, as well as their ability to undertake individual and group work and to critically assess their own work and that of their peers. Assessments include essays, presentations, and blog or journal postings, as well as exercises in digital practice, module design and festival curation. Students have the opportunity to specialise in a particular aspect of the programme through a 16,000–18,000 word minor dissertation OR a practice-based project consisting of a video essay accompanied by a 7,000-word dissertation, which is submitted in early August. 

Dr Tony Tracy 
T:  +353 91 493 839 
E: tony.tracy@universityofgalway.ie

University of Galway recognises that knowledge and skills can be acquired from a range of learning experiences. This is in line with the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) goals which aim to recognise all learning achievements by supporting the development of alternative pathways to qualifications (or awards) and by facilitating the recognition of prior learning (RPL). 

Further information is available on the University’s Recognition of Prior Learning website 

Graduates of the MA in Film Studies will be able to:

• Demonstrate a breadth of understanding of a range of approaches to the study of literary texts and other cultural artefacts
• Evaluate received knowledge and articulate their own contribution to the existing scholarship
• Select and apply a variety of critical approaches to the study of literature
• Retrieve, select, sift, and deploy a range of sources to support original arguments
• Apply enhanced critical thinking and analytical skills to their object of study
• Plan, manage, and execute a substantial independent study project
• Reflect deeply on a range of research perspectives, topics, and approaches related to the object of study
• Exhibit the ability to self-assess and self-direct .

Minimum Entry Requirements 

QQI Level 8 degree or equivalent, H2.2. GPA 3.0 or equivalent international qualification. Students who do not meet the honours degree requirement but have a Level 7 degree (Merit 1) may be admitted to the PDip course with the possibility of progressing to the MA if they receive a minimum of 60% in their course work during the year.  

Academic entry requirements standardised per country are available here.  

English Language Entry Requirements 

In cases where English is not your first language you will need to provide an IELTS test that scores a minimum grade of 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.5 in any one component.

More information on English language test equivalency are available here.  

Supporting Documents

Applicants are required to submit a writing sample, consisting of either a graded academic essay or a review essay of a recent film (1,000 words), and a personal statement with their application. 

You can apply online to the University of Galway application portal here.  

Please review the entry requirements set out in the section above.  

You will be required to upload supporting documentation to your application electronically. See the section above on entry requirements for further information on the supporting documentation required for this course.  

Closing Dates 

For this programme, there is no specific closing date for receipt of applications. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and course quotes will be reviewed continuously throughout the application cycle.  

Notes 

• You will need an active email account to use the website and you'll be guided through the system, step by step, until you complete the online form.
• Browse the FAQ's section for further guidance. 

Fees for Academic Year 2026/27

For 26/27 entrants, where the course duration is greater than 1 year, there is an inflationary increase approved of 1.8% per annum for continuing years fees.

Postgraduate students in receipt of a SUSI grant – please note an F4 grant is where SUSI will pay €4,500 towards your tuition (2026/27).  You will be liable for the remainder of the total fee.  A P1 grant is where SUSI will pay tuition up to a maximum of €6,270. SUSI will not cover the student levy of €140.

Note to non-EU students: learn about the 24-month Stayback Visa here. 

Postgraduate Excellence Scholarships

This scholarship is valued at €1,500 for EU students applying for full-time taught master's postgraduate courses. You will be eligible if: 

• You have been accepted to a full-time taught master's course at University of Galway,
• You have attained a first class honours (or equivalent) in a Level 8 primary degree.  

An application for the scholarship scheme is required (separate to the application for a place on the programme). The application portal for 2025 is now open and available here. Applications will close on the 30th September 2025. Full details available here.  

Global Scholarships

University of Galway offers a range of merit-based scholarships to students from a number of countries outside of the EU. Visit here for schemes currently available.

Application Process 

Students applying for full time postgraduate programmes from outside of the European Union (EU), You can apply online to the University of Galway application portal here.  

Our application portal opens on the 1st October each year for entry the following September.

Further Information 

Please visit the postgraduate admissions webpage for further information on closing dates, documentation requirements, application fees and the application process.