a level switch

so I currently study film/tv in college BTEC and I need something more academic to fuel my brain. I want to go on to study film production and our college does both a film studies and media studies a level. I did media studies in GCSE and I didn't like it much However, I quite enjoy the look of film studies. Im trying to find out if ill be able to get into a uni with just a film Studies A level and not both media's. I am also considering taking psychology and law along side this to keep my options open. im not sure if this is a good idea or not?

so I currently study film/tv in college BTEC and I need something more academic to fuel my brain. I want to go on to study film production and our college does both a film studies and media studies a level. I did media studies in GCSE and I didn't like it much However, I quite enjoy the look of film studies. Im trying to find out if I’ll be able to get into a uni with just a film Studies A level and not both media's. I am also considering taking psychology and law along side this to keep my options open. im not sure if this is a good idea or not?

Hi Dan.

I am a Film, Television and Radio Student at Staffordshire University, who has a Media A Level background, so would love to help!

First of all I want to say that when choosing options, picking something you enjoy is a great way to go, so your thinking around this decision is definitely on the right track .

I myself did GCSE Media and went on to choose Media as an A Level option. I thought about choosing Film A Level as well, but decided that I had other subject areas I was interested in (English and History) and so decided not to pursue that alongside Media, especially as it it solely focuses on film and not other areas such as television and radio etc.

In terms of your choice, if you did not enjoy GCSE Media I would advice not to pursue it as an A Level as it is very similar, with just more in depth theoretical analysis. If you do have an interest in Film Studies, and think you will enjoy this, then there is nothing stopping you from taking this A Level without also taking A Level Media. To get into University you will need to acquire specific grades, however, unless specified by the University, these can be in any subject areas. For example, the Staffordshire University Film Production and Media Production courses require A Level Grades of BBC (you can view these requirements here and here, with), no push on specific subjects. So taking A Level Film, Psychology and Law would be a great choice for not only getting into a university, but also for taking subjects you enjoy whilst still keeping your career options open. This is similar to what I did as I chose A Level Media, English Language and History.

I hope this advice was useful, and I wish you all the best in your college and university journey.
Feel free to get in touch if you have any more questions.

Thanks,
Tiff - Staffordshire University Communications Ambassador

hi Tiff,
first of all, thank you for your help and input I really appreciate it
I did not enjoy media at GCSE much but I love learning and am stumped on what to pick as film studies is more watching and reviewing the specific films
you mentioned that some unis aren't specific a levels for film? do u know if that's for all unis as I was wondering if I decided to study bio, law and psychology (as I enjoyed bio in GCSE and psychology and law are topics that I am also interested in for future backups) if they would still accept me onto a film uni course?
thanks,
Dan

Hi Dan,

No worries, I am happy to help you in any way I can

I can only speak for the universities that I looked at (including Birmingham and Manchester) and universities that I applied for, (Staffordshire University and Bournemouth University). None of these had specific A Level subject requirements for their Film and Media courses. I would imagine this would be the same for most universities, however it would still be a good idea to check first. You should be able to see any course requirements on the university websites, just search for the course you are interested in on their websites. I would also double check this for Birmingham, Manchester and Bournemouth, as I applied a couple of years ago, and so requirements may have been updated or changed. I can confirm that there have been no changes for Staffordshire University though, there are still no specific subject experience required.

Hope this helps. Any more questions, please get in touch.

Thanks,
Tiff - Student Communications Ambassador for Staffordshire University
Second Year BA (Hons) Film, Television, and Radio

Hi Tiff,
I have looked at some universities online and had a look at the entry requirements. None of them specify whether specific A-levels are required but i dont want to assume that means that i wont need them. For staffordshire was there anything stating that you dont need specific A levels?
Thanks,
Dan - film & Tv student

so I currently study film/tv in college BTEC and I need something more academic to fuel my brain. I want to go on to study film production and our college does both a film studies and media studies a level. I did media studies in GCSE and I didn't like it much However, I quite enjoy the look of film studies. Im trying to find out if ill be able to get into a uni with just a film Studies A level and not both media's. I am also considering taking psychology and law along side this to keep my options open. im not sure if this is a good idea or not?