Filmmaking & Screen Writing
Award
BA (Hons)
Duration & study mode
4 years full-time
School
Business & Creative Industries
Location
Ayr
Additional information
Ucas code
WW68
Course starting dates
-
Ayr: September
The BA Filmmaking & Screen Writing degree offers you the opportunity to engage creatively and critically with all aspects of Filmmaking.
The practical focus of the degree provides you with experience of scriptwriting, pre-production planning & research, hands-on filmmaking, and post-production techniques.
This programme is accredited by ScreenSkills Scotland and provides valuable preparation for careers in the creative industries.
We welcome Scottish, UK and international students and consider all applicants on an individual basis.
During Clearing our entry requirements remain flexible, and we are committed to providing opportunities to study with us based on a range of qualifications. Please get in touch, and we can discuss your specific circumstances.
All applicants will be expected to submit a strong personal statement and reference. Applicants may be invited for interview.
* for more information on standard and minimum entry requirements, see the drop-down section below
For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level. The qualifications below must have been gained within two years of the start of your course.
General English language requirements at UWS: International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training)
Exceptions to this level of IELTS scoring exist for some accredited or professionally-recognised courses (see section below for more details).
SOCIAL WORK DEGREES
For our BA (Hons) Social Work and MSc Social Work programmes, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
All stated English tests are acceptable for admission for both home/EU and international students for this programme:
For our research degrees (MRes, MPhil, PhD, DBA, DProf) applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For Health, Nursing & Midwifery courses that lead to, or require professional registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council, applicants are required to have an IELTS or Occupational English Test (OET)*.
For such courses, the IELTS score is as follows:
* Note that the Occupational English Test (OET) will now be accepted in addition to IELTS as proof of a Nurse's English Language Competence (Nursing & Midwifery Council, 2019).
For our BSc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science, BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science and MSc Advanced Biomedical Science programmes, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For our Certificate of Higher Education courses, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
TOEFL IBT*: 78; no sub-test less than:
* Please note that TOEFL is still acceptable for admission to this programme for both home/EU and international students.
For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use TOEFL to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level courses. We therefore still accept TOEFL tests taken in the last two years for admission to this programme.
West African Senior School Certificate of Education (WASSCE) including acceptance of WAEC Scratchcard*
*UWS will accept a WAEC scratchcard confirming that an applicant has achieved C6 or above as evidence of meeting English language requirement from Nigeria if the student graduated within the last 5 years. After 5 years applicants would be required to provide the WAEC Certificate.
Applicants who do not meet the minimum English language requirements have the option to study one of our preparatory and pre-sessional English courses. The UWS courses available are:
On our course pages, you will find details of our entry criteria listed as Standard Entry Requirements and Minimum Entry Requirements. These are the academic qualifications that, depending on your personal circumstances, you will be required to meet to allow your application to be considered for a place at UWS.
Competition for places on many of our courses can be very high and even if you meet the standard or minimum qualifications stated, there is no guarantee that your application will progress to the next stage of the admissions process. We review individual applications very closely and place great importance on your personal statement and academic reference as well as your academic qualifications before making selection decisions.
Our Standard Entry Requirements are the grades that you will need to achieve to allow you to be considered for entry to a specific programme of study.
Our Minimum Entry Requirements are applicable to those applicants who have not had an equal opportunity to demonstrate their academic ability at school or college and are known as ‘widening access’ applicants. We also sometimes refer to this type of applicant as receiving a ‘contextual’ offer. We may be able to provide you with a contextual offer if you fall into one of the categories below:
If you fall into any of the first four categories above, please mention this on your UCAS application. We will automatically apply category 5 if it applies to you.
If you have already achieved the required grades for either our standard or minimum entry criteria, we may be able to offer you an unconditional offer for some course areas. If you have not yet achieved these grades, we may be able to make you a conditional offer, which will rely on you achieving further qualifications before you can be accepted on to a programme of study.
The course combines three main strands. The first of these is practical and the focus is on developing competence in a variety of film production roles. The second is focused on screenwriting and developing confidence in presenting ideas on the page.
The final strand is broadly focused on the study of film as an artform. This strand encourages students to develop research skills and use these to further develop their own creative development as a budding filmmaker. The three strands are complimentary and inter-connected.
Many modules are taught by industry professionals, and you will use the latest digital film technology, television studios, and performance spaces. In recent years, students have benefited from masterclasses with internationally acclaimed writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, and editors.
Whilst the programme is based at Ayr campus, it also benefits from having a teaching space at Film City, Glasgow, which is the hub for filmmaking activity in Scotland.
The first year provides an introduction to digital filmmaking and screenwriting with core modules providing hands-on experience in a variety of practical roles.
Develop your own story ideas and learn how to communicate these ideas effectively with our innovative introduction to scriptwriting. Study the aesthetics of film and learn how the language of storytelling has evolved over the years. Find out more about the British film industry and the cinematic landmarks that have challenged and enriched our cultural lives.
You will continue to develop your craft skills with a focus on short film.
Begin your journey with an immersive documentary module before continuing your exploration of short fiction where you will further hone your craft skills before moving on to acquire new skills in post-production.
Deepen your knowledge and understanding of different filmmaking traditions and genres with two contrasting film studies modules. Consolidate your expertise in script development and add to your growing portfolio of short screenplays.
Engage in more ambitious filmmaking and scriptwriting projects, developing a sophisticated appreciation of contemporary themes in cinematic theory and practice.
At this level of study, you will be specialising in particular areas of practice and you will have the opportunity to choose an option to enhance your CV. Options include Work Related Learning, Writing Serial Television Drama and Studio Production.
Level 9 of the BA Filmmaking & Screen Writing is also delivered in collaboration with New College Lanarkshire, as a ‘top up’ degree for students progressing through their HND programmes. The programme is designed to equip students with the skills and attitude to meet the challenges of a career in the creative industries.
The Honours year is dedicated to building your confidence as a professional ready to enter the creative industries. You will complete a major creative project in a specialist area of filmmaking of your choosing, and consolidate your understanding of film production.
The Honours year is all about developing your creative autonomy and independence. In addition to undertaking a 60 credit creative project, you will also choose 3 options. Options include Experimental Film and Filmmaking (NEW for 2024), Writing the Feature Screenplay (NEW for 2024), Asian Cinema, Music, Film and Sound Aesthetics, Work Related Learning and Motion Graphics.
In May 2024, we celebrated the creative endeavours of UWS students at our annual showcase and awards event on our beautiful Ayr campus.
The event boasted film screenings, broadcast production work, live music performances, art exhibition displays, theatre productions, songwriters’ circle and news-room journalism material. Elements of the event were also broadcast via UWS Radio.
You can now view the Filmmaking & Screen Writing digital showcase to see the types of opportunities available to our students as part of their BA (Hons) Filmmaking & Screen Writing degree with UWS.
UWS graduates work as script editors, directors, camera operators and editors. The growth in the independent production sectors in Scotland and the UK, has broadened career opportunities in the industry. In addition to film and television production, graduates also work in journalism, marketing, management and education. Further study is possible at MA and PhD level.
Some graduates choose further study, leading to an MSc, PhD or teaching qualification. See list of courses available.
£1,820 cost per year of study (usually paid by the Scottish Government via SAAS*)
£9,250 Cost per year of study, but not more than £27,750
£9,250 Cost per year of study, but not more than £27,750
£15,500 per year of study
£305 per module (20 credits)
£1,550 per module (20 credits)
£1,550 per module (20 credits)
£2,580 per module (20 credits)
This programme is in clearing for students resident in Scotland, Rest of the UK, Republic of Ireland, EU.
Those not applying through an agent or partner, should apply through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).
Ready to apply? All UK & EU Undergraduate applications should be made through UCAS. Further information for international, part-time and exchange applications can be found below.
Apply on UCASAll UK and EU applicants for undergraduate study, not applying through an agent or partner, should apply through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service)
The on-time application deadline for 2025/26 entry is 29 January 2025, 18:00 (UK time). For some courses it may still be possible to apply beyond this period, subject to suitable vacancies remaining. The final deadline for late applications via UCAS is 30 June 2025. Beyond this deadline, you may be able to apply via ‘UCAS Clearing’ if the course you are interested in has remaining places.
Please refer to our Undergraduate Application Guide for domestic & EU/EEA to find more information on when and how to apply to study at UWS.
You can find out more about applying for this undergraduate course on UCAS.
Students from non-EU/non-EEA countries can apply directly to UWS via our dedicated online application system. The latest we can process your application is 6 weeks before the course start date to allow for visa processing times. For more information on when and how to apply to study at UWS please refer to our International Undergraduate Application Guide.
For part-time & online study, you should apply directly to the University through our online application system, not through UCAS. Please select the part-time mode of study when submitting your application. Before you begin your application, it is important to read the part-time application step-by-step guide for a smooth process.
To come to UWS as a visiting student on a study abroad or exchange programme, you must apply entirely through our online system.
An ATAS certificate is not required for overseas students applying for this course.
Do you have a question about applying for this course? Get in touch. We are here to help!
We will always try to make sure that we publish accurate course information but we do not accept responsibility for any mistakes or omissions. We will also try to make sure that we deliver our courses in line with our published information. However, we may not always be able to do so and you can find further information about this in our enrolment terms and conditions.