BA (Hons) Film & Creative Media

  • Overview
  • Course Content
  • Structure
  • Career Opportunities
  • Fees
  • Next Steps

BA (Hons) Film and Creative Media

Overview

The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Film and Creative Media programme is designed to give students an in-depth understanding of film and creative media, emphasising their social, collaborative, personal, and expressive aspects. It highlights the importance of individual critical engagement and the analysis of diverse film and creative media practices. The programme also covers the institutional, historical, and technological evolution of media and film, stressing the need for continuous reflection and reassessment of one's involvement with media and film culture.

This interdisciplinary programme is for students who want to gain critical insights into creative media and film practices while also acquiring practical experience for future careers in the creative media industry.


Objectives

The programme objectives are as follows:

  • Provide a rich and stimulating environment of critical creative practice across film, audio, photography, design, and media, and to provide a foundation at the undergraduate level for learners who wish to develop their careers in film and creative media.

  • Introduce learners to the history, theory, values, aesthetics, and ideology of the moving image.

  • Expose learners to new media research tools and develop a critical approach to the use (and misuse) of these technologies in film and media.

  • Assist learners with hands-on experience to develop proficient production skills while simultaneously acquiring analytical expertise and knowledge of film and creative media.

  • Develop hands-on learner experience and understanding of the current cultural changes in media production and consumption.

  • Prepare learners for the challenges of society and evolving technologies in the future of work.

  • Help learners relate communication technologies with narrative possibilities and a perspective on telling stories to defined audiences.

  • Inculcate professional practices and ethical codes of learner and employee behaviour within the industry.

  • Develop learners’ knowledge of the theoretical and methodological skills necessary for producing rigorous research on new and emerging media.

  • Connect learners to a network of artists, producers, and practitioners.

 

Delivery

All learners are expected to attend in person in class.

Minimum Entry Requirements

To be eligible for the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Film and Creative Media programme, applicants must meet the following minimum entry requirements:

  • Leaving Certificate: 2 H5s + 4 O6/H7s (including English or another language), or equivalent from pre-2017 grading.

  • FETAC: Level 5 full award with at least 3 distinctions.

  • A-Levels/GCSE: Four GCSE passes at grade C and 2 A-Level passes at Grade C or higher (including English or another language).

  • BTEC: National Diploma in a cognate area.

  • Mature Applicants: Age 23 or older by January 1st of the application year; assessed based on age, work experience, and educational attainment.

  • International Applicants: Must meet minimum entry requirements and provide English language proficiency (CEFRL B2 or above) if their first language is not English and prior degrees were not taught in English.

  • Transfer: Learners from other Higher Education Institutions may apply for transfer to later stages if places are available and they meet the required learning outcomes.

All applicants, including EU and non-EU, apply directly to the Admissions Office, with non-EU applicants residing outside Ireland/EU applying to the International Admissions Office.


Student Testimonial

"Intimate classes, excellent location and excellent student support. I enjoyed the in-class conversations the most. The diverse subject matter influenced my taste and my understanding of my chosen field significantly. The course introduced me to many new career paths and helped me to acquire a job in the film industry in Vancouver. The experience taught me tenacity and the value of hard work."


Andrew Murphy

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Audio Tech & Techniques

Audio Editing, Mixing and Cross Collaboration in Media

Principles: Light, Camera, Photography

Digital Photography

Video Editing Fundamentals

Video Editing Competency

The Moving Image 1

The Moving Image 2

Media & Identity 1

Media & Identity 2

Professional Practice: The Creative Workplace

Writing for Screen Media

Audio for Podcasting, Performance & Radio

Cinematography 1

Cinematography 2

Scriptwriting and Development 1

Scriptwriting and Development 2

VFX Fundamentals

VFX Competency

Exploring Popular Culture

Project Management for Creative Media Outputs

Audio for Film & Screen

Contemporary Film and Television

Creative Projects Portfolio 

Animation, Titles & Publishing 1

Animation, Titles & Publishing 2

Screen Theory & Criticism

Research Skills

Professional Practice: Budgeting & Scheduling

Dissertation

Transmedia – Theory and Practice

Transmedia Practice Today

Generative AI in Film & Creative Media 1

Generative AI in Film & Creative Media 2

Industry Engagement / Internship

Digital Artefact Creation 


Teaching and Assessment

The curriculum of the BA (Honours) in Film and Creative Media is structured into three stages (Developmental, Competent, Advanced) and six pillars: Creative Professional Practice, Writing and Creation, Theory and Context, Audio Production, Visual Production, and Post Production.

Teaching emphasises the link between theory and practice, often in studio settings. It also incorporates blended learning, combining face-to-face sessions with online activities, including a "flipped classroom" approach.

Assessment is 100% continuous, without proctored exams, to promote ongoing learning. Both formative (assessment for learning) and summative (assessment of learning) methods are used, with a focus on feedback and real-world application.

Module: Industry Engagement / Internship 

Overview
Taking place in semester two of the final year, the Industry Engagement or Internship module allows learners to integrate into professional crews and teams for specific creative events, with past placements including Culture Night, TiLT, and the National Concert Hall. The placement can be completed as a continuous block or a series of weekly engagements designed to fit within the academic schedule. To successfully pass this mandatory module and graduate, students must maintain strict professional conduct, receive a satisfactory employer assessment, and submit a comprehensive DBS work placement report at the end of their term.
 

Placement and Host Company Requirements
Host organisations are expected to provide meaningful roles within creative teams and must complete a formal, electronic assessment of the learner’s performance at the end of the placement. During the internship, a designated DBS Supervisor will conduct an interim assessment via a site visit (or an online/phone interview if a physical visit is not possible). Students are fully covered by the DBS insurance policy for the duration of their work. Strict adherence to host company policies is mandatory; leaving a placement early without employer and DBS consent, or breaching professional protocols, will result in failing the module.
 

Arranging Your Placement
Placements can be arranged by either DBS or the student. When participating in the DBS led process, the first employer to offer a role through the Careers Hub becomes the student's confirmed placement, and all other college facilitated applications are closed. Alternatively, students may choose to source their own internship. In this scenario, their DBS managed applications are paused, and the student must provide evidence of a job offer, a detailed job description, and a contract of employment to be formally ratified by their Supervisor and an academic contact. Failing to engage with either process or attend organised interviews will result in a module failure.

 

Structure

The curriculum is structured into three stages (Developmental, Competent, Advanced) and six core "pillars": 

  • Creative Professional Practice

  • Writing and Creation

  • Theory and Context

  • Audio Production

  • Visual Production

  • Post Production

Each stage includes mandatory modules, with the final Award Stage offering elective pathways in areas like Transmedia or Generative AI in Film & Creative Media.

 

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Film and Creative Media programme have access to a wide array of employment opportunities within the creative industries. Industry feedback and graduate surveys indicate that alumni are likely to find positions in various fields.

Potential career paths and roles include:

  • Videographer & Photographer (Content Creator)

  • Video Editor & Animator

  • Video Editor

  • Digital Marketing and Video Editor

  • Sound Designer – Freelance

  • Broadcast presenter

  • Film director

  • Content Creator

  • Researcher

  • Editor

  • Screenwriter

  • Arts Event Co-Ordination

  • Film/video editor

  • Location manager

  • Production designer, theatre/television/film

  • Programme researcher, broadcasting/film/video

  • Runner, broadcasting/film/video

  • Television camera operator

  • Television/film/video producer

  • Television production coordinator

Many graduates are expected to work as freelance, project-based, or portfolio-based professionals.

Fees

The fees for Full-time BA (Hons) in Film & Creative Media are €6,060 per annum for EU students.

International Fees

EU Fees

You can also contact our admissions team who will also be able to advise on the payment options available to you.

Fees quoted cover the annual cost of tuition, registration and examinations and are EU fees only.Non-EU students please refer to the International section of the website. Please note also that tax relief is available on fees for Irish income tax payers at the standard rate of 20% on all fees exceeding €3,000 and up to €7,000.

All QQI accredited programmes of education and training of 3 months or longer duration offered by Dublin Business School (DBS) are covered by arrangements under section 65 (4) (b) of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012 whereby in the event that DBS ceases to provide the programme, for any reason, after learners have started on that programme, Kaplan Inc., as guarantor, will refund the moneys most recently paid by or for the learner.   More details are included in the terms and conditions of learner admission to DBS (https://www.dbs.ie/terms-and-conditions) and on programme handbooks provided at induction.

Next Steps

Before making an application please ensure you are aware of all our entry requirements.

School Leaver Applicants

Application for first year full-time programmes in the college is through the CAO System. The CAO system applies only to applications for first year admissions to undergraduate full-time day programmes described in the prospectus, which have a CAO Course code www.cao.ie.

Application forms and the CAO Handbook are both supplied by the Central Applications Office (CAO), Tower House, Eglinton Street, Galway or from your Career Guidance Counsellor.

Mature Applicants

If you are over 23 years of age on the 1st of January on the year of admission and do not meet the minimum entry requirements, you may apply as a Mature Student. Mature students should apply directly to the Admissions Office at Dublin Business School. Mature students are assessed on the basis of age, work experience, general education standard, motivation and commitment to the programme for which they are applying. Please forward documentation such as any relevant transcripts, a CV or any other related documentation to the Admissions Office. Proof of age such as a copy of driver’s licence or passport must also be submitted. 

Transfer Students

Students holding a relevant Certificate, Diploma or other relevant third level qualification may qualify for entry to the second or third year of degree programme. Transfer applications to the second or third year full-time programmes are to be made directly to the college. Students should send copies of their examination transcripts and other relevant documentation along with their application form (available from the School / College) to the Admissions Office at Dublin Business School.   

EU Citizens

 

A European (EU) Application is one made by a person:
(a) who is permanently a resident in one of the member states of the European Union and/or
(b) who will have received full-time second level education, for three of the five years immediately before the date of proposed admission, in member states.

Non-EU Applicants

Non - EU applicants should contact directly the International Admissions Office at Dublin Business School.

Application fee to CAO

Early applicants to CAO can benefit from a reduced fee of €30 for early online applications. There is a standard application fee of €45 made payable to CAO on submitting your CAO application form or online application to www.cao.ie before the normal closing date. Late applicants will be charged €90 for paper applications and €60 for online applications.

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Course overview

Awarding Body: 
Quality & Qualifications Ireland (QQI)
QQI AWARD LOGO (1)  
Award: Honours Bachelor Degree
NFQ Level: 
Level 8
Award Title:
BA (Hons) Film & Creative Media
Award Type: Major 
Duration: 3 Years
CAO Code: DB567 
Next Intake: September 2026

Contact Us

Email: admissions@dbs.ie
Phone: 01 417 7500
Opening times:
Monday to Friday
8:45am to 5:15pm