Film, Exhibition and Curation MSc

Level: Postgraduate taught

Subject: Film and Intermediality

Year of entry: 2026

Study options

Mode of study

On campus

Full-time
  • MSc | 1 year | Start date: September 2026
Part-time
  • MSc | 2 years | Start date: September 2026

Key facts

School

School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

College

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Study location

Central Area

Accreditation

Not available

Apply now

19 to 21 November 2025: Postgraduate Virtual Open Days

Join us live to explore postgraduate taught and research study at Edinburgh and gain key insights before you apply.

Register now

About the degree programme

Our taught masters programme in Film, Exhibition and Curation combines rigorous critical thinking with experiments in creative practice, deepening your understanding of film and the ways in which it communicates with many audiences.

One of the first universities in the world to offer a dedicated programme in this field, Edinburgh is pioneering in its development of an active learning and teaching environment for the study of film exhibition and curation.

As a Film, Exhibition and Curation student, you’ll explore a series of approaches to the often neglected consideration of film’s movements and migrations within the context of the rich and varied festival, gallery, archive and exhibition cultures of Scotland, the UK and beyond.

You’ll work on imaginative curatorial projects, both independently and collaboratively, with input from industry partners. Assignments range from presentations to programming, and you’ll be assessed in ways that support you in producing experimental work and discovering yourself as a reflective professional.

Our community

You’ll be part of a close-knit, international community of film enthusiasts under the guidance of two dedicated Programme Directors - Susan Kemp and Jane Sillars - who combine industry experience with teaching excellence, gaining them multiple University of Edinburgh Teaching Awards nominations.

Our School is a highly creative environment in which you’ll also meet students from Film Studies, Intermediality, Creative Writing, literatures, and many languages.

Based in a world-renowned festival city, filled with independent cinemas, galleries and venues, Edinburgh offers a wealth of cultural experiences. Two of the UK's largest film festivals, the Edinburgh International Film Festival and the Glasgow Film Festival, are on your doorstep.

Across the city and beyond, you can learn from a rich film culture that hosts a variety of themed, experimental and mainstream festivals and expanded cinema events. Throughout the year, we also welcome visiting professionals who generously share their expertise with our community. These contributors range from individual creative practitioners to collective enterprises and festival directors and producers.

Study options

There are two study options for this programme, both starting in September of the academic year.

Full time

If you take the full-time study option, you will complete the programme in one academic year.

You will take one core course and one option course in Semester 1 (September to December) and two core courses in Semester 2 (January to May).

You will submit your final project around 10 weeks after Semester 2 ends.

Part time

If you take the part-time study option, you will complete the programme in two academic years.

In your first year, you will take one core course in Semester 1 and another in Semester 2.

In your second year, you will choose one option course in Semester 1 and take one core course in Semester 2. You will also submit your final project around 10 weeks after Semester 2 ends.

What's the best type of masters programme for you?

Programme rankings

  • 3rd in the UK in the broad subject area of Arts and Humanities (QS World Rankings by Subject, 2025)

Programme benefits

  • Combine theoretical study and creative practice
  • Find your own voice and space within the world of film
  • Experience life in Scotland's capital city - a cultural treasure trove filled with independent cinemas, galleries and annual festivals
  • Build your portfolio and graduate with a range of work that showcases your abilities
  • Learn in a supportive teaching environment that fosters creativity and curiosity
  • Gain transferable skills in research, critical thinking, analysis, collaboration and project work

This degree programme offers the opportunity to work and learn along an incomparable teaching staff that is caring, passionate and dedicated to each student. With an emphasis on self-development through reflective practice, the programme, carefully curated by its teachers, provides time, space and tools to cultivate your personal curatorial practice.

Charline Froment MSc in Film, Exhibition and Curation, 2023

Tuition fees

Tuition fees by award and duration

Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year.

Full-time
Part-time

Graduate discount

If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.

Find out how to receive your graduate discount

Deposit

You do not have to pay a deposit to secure your place on this programme.

Costs

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that you might spend £1,167 to £2,330 per month if you are a single student.

Living costs include:

  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel, clothes, books and stationery
  • recreational costs (for example, TV subscriptions and social events)

Living costs

Accommodation costs depend on where you live while studying and the type of accommodation you choose.

University postgraduate accommodation options and costs

Funding opportunities

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • borrowing money
    • taking out a loan
    • family support
  • personal savings
  • income from work
  • employer sponsorship
  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Search for other funding opportunities

You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

These entry requirements are for the 2026-27 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2027-28 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2026.

Qualifications

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent.

Multidisciplinary and comparative approaches are key aspects of film studies and we therefore welcome students coming from areas of study other than film.

We may also consider your application if you have relevant work experience; please contact us to check before you apply.

International qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 8 with at least 7 in each component.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 155 with at least 145 in each component.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Trinity ISE
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.   

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

What you will study

Over the duration of the programme, you’ll take three core courses, and choose an optional course from a wide range of subjects.

As well as studying film exhibition practice from a range of perspectives, and the relationships between the moving image and its audiences, your core courses will involve a research-led, project-based, 40-credit course in Applied Exhibition and Curation. 

This will help you develop the research and planning skills required for your final, 60-credit project where you will apply and critically engage with the concepts explored across the programme.

To enable you to develop a specific area of professional and/or academic competence, you’ll choose from a range of assessment designs and programme outcomes for your final project. Currently, these are:

  • an individual dissertation
  • an individual or collaborative applied research project
  • a collaborative curatorial project proposal
  • producing an individual or collaborative video essay and written reflection

You will be supported in developing your final project through close individual supervision through the latter months of the programme.

Compulsory courses

The core courses on our programme are:

  • Exhibiting Film (taken in Semester 1): An overview of film exhibition practice from a range of perspectives, including historical, geographical and theoretical.
  • Mediating Film (taken in Semester 2): A course exploring the relationships between the moving image and its audiences across a range of cross-disciplinary approaches.
  • Applied Exhibition and Curation (taken in Semester 2): A project-led course featuring practical activities designed to prepare you for professional environments, enhance your critical thinking, and develop essential skills for planning your final project.

Option courses

You will choose one optional course in Semester 1. You will select these from a wide range of courses. These courses typically include:

  • Cult Film Cultures
  • Documentary Aesthetics
  • Global Women Filmmakers
  • Scotland on Screen

Find courses for this programme

Find out what courses you can study on this programme and how each of them are taught and assessed.

The courses on offer may change from year to year, but the course information will give you an idea of what to expect on this programme.

Full-time
Part-time

We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

On our MSc in Film, Exhibition and Curation, we have developed a distinctive culture of active learning across our teaching. This approach fosters high levels of student engagement and equips graduates to navigate the shifting professional territories of film exhibition and curation.

Our teaching emphasises education as a space of exchange, encounter and discovery. We encourage you to find your own space within the world of film, and will work with you to develop your own voice and areas of expertise.

We prioritise applied approaches to learning which integrate theory and practice, and are designed to respond critically and creatively to a field in motion. Our teaching ethos aims to create a place where you can deepen your knowledge of the field and build your confidence in the skills required to understand and traverse it.

By fostering an environment that centres around experiment and curiosity, our programme will help you build key professional skills in collaboration, in research and in reflective practice.

Assessment

Our innovative approaches to assessment will enable you to stretch and extend your knowledge in new directions, and to become confident in expressing your ideas across a range of forms – from presentation work, collaborative exchange, written and audio-visual projects, to creative thinking.

We encourage you to choose assessment topics that are driven by your interests and equip you for your individual professional journey.

The focus on innovation within our assessment methods is designed to sustain and guide you in testing new approaches. Your assignment work will build upon each other, helping you to gradually advance your autonomy and improve your understanding during your time with us.

We will work closely with you to identify both the topics and types of research that are right for you. You will be supported by your Cohort Lead, an academic member of staff, and, as you progress in your degree, your final project supervisor. This approach helps our students to produce impressive and original work that responds imaginatively to a rich and mobile field of study and practice.

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.  

How we support you

Our academic staff

Where you will study

Academic facilities

The Main University Library holds academic books, journals and databases, films, newspapers and other media.

Many of our Special Collections are digitised and available online from our excellent Resource Centre, Computing Labs, and dedicated study space in LLC - where you will be based. LLC also has:

  • a high specification, 100-seater digital screening room
  • an extensive collection of film books and journals
  • a large number of films available to stream

Career opportunities

On completion of the programme, you will be equipped with the insights and skills essential for a career in film programming, festival organisation and related professional activities.

You will have gained the knowledge of film curation and exhibition required for further academic research or professional practice.

You will also have a transferable skill set that can be applied to any career you decide to pursue, including skills in:

  • communication
  • research
  • collaborative working
  • project management
  • critical thinking

You will also leave with a portfolio of projects that demonstrates both rigorous academic and professional skills, as well as your ability to work independently and with others. Previously awarded the Students’ Association’s Teaching Award for Developing Student Employability, we were one of the early contributors to ‘Making the Most of Masters’, a cross-university initiative which won the Times Higher Education Award for Outstanding Employer Engagement.

Our students come from a range of backgrounds and have gone on to careers across film exhibition and curation, in cultural mediation, in communications, research, and the arts, forming a connected international graduate community of engaged professionals. As the programme matures, this has led to a number of collaborations, both between alumni and between current and former students.

We have excellent links with a range of industry partners in Scotland, the UK and internationally. There is a lively and growing network of FEC graduates working around the world.

Further study

After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.

Applying for research degrees

Moving on to a PhD (advice from the University's Careers Service)

Graduate profiles

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. 

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. 

With the Careers Service, you can: 

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions 

Visit the Careers Service website 

How to apply

You apply online for this programme. After you read the application guidance, select your preferred programme, then choose 'Start your application' to begin.

If you are considering applying to more than one programme, you should be aware that we cannot consider more than 5 applications from the same applicant.

When to apply

Programme start date Application deadline
14 September 2026 30 July 2026

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible so that we have enough time to process your application. This is particularly important if you are also applying for funding or will require a visa. Applications may close earlier than published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand.

For an application to be reviewed, it must be a complete application by the application deadline with all supporting documentation uploaded, including your transcripts.

If you already have evidence that you meet the English language entry requirements, such as via an approved English language test, please upload this evidence at the time of your application. If you have not already met your English language requirements, we will still review your application and issue a decision providing it is otherwise complete.

Application fee

There is no fee to apply to this programme.

What you need to apply

As part of your online application, you will need to provide: 

You will also need to submit some or all of the following supporting documents:

When you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide.

References

You do not need to provide a reference when you submit your application for this programme.

There may be certain circumstances when a reference will be required, for example if we need to verify work experience. If that is the case, we will contact you after we have reviewed your application to request a reference.

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

After you apply

Once you have applied for this programme, you will be able to track the progress of your application and accept or decline any offers.

Checking the status of your application

We will notify you by email once we have made a decision. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it might take a while until you hear from us.

Receiving our decision

What to do if you receive an offer:

What our students say

Living in Edinburgh has been a truly enriching experience: not only because of the city’s historical and aesthetic importance, cultural events, and proximity to nature, but specifically due to the traces of Scotland’s great writers and literary heritage you can find around every corner in monuments, landmarks, museums, libraries, archives, bookshops, and literary festivals.

Julia Voigt MSc Literature and Society graduate, 2025

Julia, who provided us with this quote about her experience of living and studying in Edinburgh, is originally from Germany. While studying with us, she was the Postgraduate Taught School Representative for the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC). 

Together with Programme Representatives, Postgraduate Representatives are your voice in the university - sharing your feedback to continually improve the student experience for everyone. Their roles are voluntary, and supported by the Edinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA).

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single postgraduate taught students from outside the UK and new, single postgraduate research (typically PhD) students who:

  • apply for accommodation by 31 July in the year when you start your programme
  • accept an unconditional firm offer to study at the University by 31 July
  • study at the University for the whole of the academic year starting in September

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

We also offer accommodation options for couples and families.

Accommodation for couples and families

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sport Clubs

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life. 

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include: 

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustments

Health and wellbeing support services 

Disability and Learning Support

General enquiries

Contact our enquiry team about your eligibility or how to apply.

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences Admissions Office

Related degree programmes