Official Master's Degree in Film Studies and Visual Cultures
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Overview
The Master’s Degree in Film Studies and Visual Cultures is an Official postgraduate programme whose fundamental objective is the research and critical reflection on contemporary audiovisual culture and the history and evolution of moving images.
Its scope encompasses cinema in all its diverse forms (fiction, documentary, experimental, auteur cinema, popular cinema…) examined from various perspectives (historical, aesthetic, and industrial, but also incorporating cultural studies, gender studies, and reception theory). It also addresses innovations within the field (virtual reality, augmented reality, 360-degree video, XR cinema, etc.) as well as the ever-evolving multi-screen landscape in which contemporary society is immersed: television series, video games, interactive or web-specific content, expanded cinema, video art, among others.
Its interdisciplinary approach, with a special emphasis on the intersection between audiovisual media and cultural studies, represents one of the programme’s most distinctive contributions to postgraduate education in Catalonia.
Learning Outcomes
The Master’s Degree in Film Studies and Visual Cultures provides students with the necessary critical tools to engage, with academic rigor and a creative mindset, in the study of the broad landscape of contemporary cinema and the most diverse audiovisual forms-ranging from serial fiction to web-based creation, and from video games to immersive virtual reality experiences.
- GENERAL AND CORE COMPETENCIES
- Ability to work independently and to carry out rigorous research projects using appropriate methodologies and sources.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with others and contribute to group projects, both inside and outside the classroom, within the fields of cinema and visual cultures.
- Possess and demonstrate an advanced understanding of knowledge that provides a foundation for originality in the development and/or application of ideas, particularly in research contexts.
- Ability to communicate conclusions, as well as the knowledge and rationale underpinning them, clearly and unambiguously to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
- Proficiency in written and spoken English for use in academic essays, research projects and audiovisual works.
- Demonstrate creativity in the management of information and the development of projects.
- SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES
- Ability to integrate new knowledge and skills creatively within the field of cinema and visual cultures.
- Ability to develop and communicate an original discourse based on research involving theoretical and audiovisual texts related to a specific topic, author or trend.
- Ability to acquire specialised knowledge in the humanities and cultural studies and apply it to the analysis and interpretation of screen culture phenomena.
- Ability to identify the basic parameters of iconographic and narrative analysis in audiovisual works, in order to critically and creatively interpret the discourses they generate from a personal perspective.
- Ability to demonstrate specialised knowledge of the history and evolution of cinema and audiovisual media, in order to properly contextualise acquired knowledge.
- Ability to design and execute projects based on the different languages of contemporary audiovisual media.
- CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
- The programme is oriented towards research in the fields of cinema and audiovisual media. Graduates may pursue careers as researchers, educators, film critics and professionals involved in other forms of audiovisual creation, as well as festival programmers or content creators for cultural and exhibition institutions.
Applicant Profile
The Official Master’s Degree in Film Studies and Visual Cultures is affiliated with the fields of Arts and Humanities, as well as Social and Legal Sciences.
Applicants whose undergraduate degree is not directly related to the programme’s core content must undergo a technical leveling phase. This requires the successful completion of 3 ECTS credits of preparatory coursework, delivered intensively at the start of the academic year:
- Theoretical Foundation: Introduction to documentary language.
- Narrative: Screenwriting and audiovisual story structures.
- Technical Training: Fundamentals of audiovisual production.
Admissions
To apply for this Master’s programme, the following materials must be submitted:
- Video pitch (max. 3 minutes)
- CV / Resume
- Academic Transcript / Official Degree Certificate
If you have a portfolio featuring projects you have participated in (whether professional or amateur), you may include it, though it is neither mandatory nor strictly required.
In cases where further clarification is needed to make a final admission decision, the programme directors will conduct an online interview with the candidate.
Academic Calendar
Dates
Instruction period and continuous assessment: from September 28, 2026 to July 16, 2027. Re-evaluation (Resits): from September 6 to 30, 2027.
Schedule
Monday to Friday, 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
Curriculum
Programme Name: Official Master’s in Film Studies and Visual Cultures
Qualification awarded upon graduation: Official Master’s Degree in Film Studies and Visual Cultures by the University of Barcelona
Programme duration and ECTS credits: One academic year and 60 ECTS credits.
The Official Master’s Degree in Film Studies and Visual Cultures consists of 60 credits and is completed over the course of one academic year. Mandatory courses account for 48 credits, while the Master’s Thesis accounts for 12 credits.
Master’s Final Project
The Master’s Thesis is a comprehensive academic project, presented in a written and/or audiovisual format, that synthesizes and demonstrates the competencies acquired throughout the programme. The student will apply these skills to weave the concepts introduced by the studied authors and films into an original, creative, and personalized critical discourse.
The thesis can be submitted in two distinct formats:
- A written academic paper focusing on one of the programme’s subjects, utilizing appropriate research methodologies to construct a personal discourse based on specific readings and film viewings.
- An original audiovisual piece exploring any subject within the programme, accompanied by a written academic report that employs appropriate research methodologies to document the project’s genesis and the knowledge acquired during the creative process.