Postgraduate study

Providing excellent teaching and supervision, we offer taught and research-led postgraduate programmes ranging from one-year masters degrees to PhDs.

What's it like to study here?

One of the world’s favourite festival cities, Edinburgh is famous for its film, theatre and performance cultures. Host of the annual Edinburgh International Film Festival, the Edinburgh International Festival, and Edinburgh Festival Fringe, it is also a year-round hub of activity, bursting with art house cinemas, galleries, theatres and venues at a range of scales.

Study with us and you’ll be part of a friendly international community with interests and expertise in all aspects of film and intermediality, including curation, exhibition, and the dialogues between different art forms. We have excellent links and partnerships with many of Scotland’s leading cultural bodies.

We host regular seminars, workshops and masterclasses by guests from around the world, and there are lots of opportunities to make or share your own work. Featuring an unrivalled collection of over 8,000 films, our resources are outstanding, and our facilities include an in-house Resource Centre and Screening Room.

Outdoor cinema in the Old College Quad
Outdoor cinema in the Old College Quad

The Film Studies team in LLC helped me to develop a kind of second sight; I learned to see things in films that had been previously invisible to me, especially the ideological messages embedded in mainstream films. I realized that the dominant narratives in these films had affected my perception of myself and the world, especially when it came to gender roles, race, and... love. At the same time, there are alternative films... that challenge these narratives and force us to confront them. During my time in Edinburgh, I gained an expanded vocabulary and new confidence to articulate my thoughts about film. These skills are invaluable in my current job.

Katherine Irving (MSc in Film Studies, 2014) Senior Film Programmer in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

What can I study?

Exploring crucial concepts in the development of film theory and film-philosophy, this taught masters programme centres on the criticism, analysis and interpretation of auteur cinema, with a focus on European and American film.

Our students learn how to study individual films critically and discuss their connections to specific directors, styles, film movements and genres, as well as how they are produced and received.

The programme is made up of two core courses, two option courses chosen from a wide range of themes, training in research skills and methods, and a 60-credit dissertation of around 15,000 words.

Full-time, one year (all students) ꟾ part-time, two years (eligibility criteria apply)


Helping you develop an informed, individual and authoritative curatorial voice, this taught masters programme combines rigorous critical thinking with personal and group 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 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 part of a close-knit, international community of film enthusiasts, you'll work on imaginative curatorial projects with input from industry partners. 

Our programme is made up of three core courses, one option course chosen from a wide range of themes, training in research skills and methods, and a final project that can take the form of a dissertation, report or portfolio.

Full-time, one year (all students) ꟾ part-time, two years (eligibility criteria apply)


This highly interdisciplinary taught masters programme explores the interrelationships between different art forms and their signification. Combining core and optional courses, training in research skills, methods and problems, and a final project consisting of either a dissertation or a practice-based project with reflective essay, you will explore the interactions between media such as literature, film, photography, painting, music and theatre across different periods and cultures, from ancient Rome to contemporary China.

Full-time, one year (all students) ꟾ part-time, two years (eligibility criteria apply)


Designed to support you in making a definite and original contribution to Film Studies, our PhD programme comprises independent research under the supervision of one or more of our expert staff, with optional training in research skills and methods. Our expertise covers film theory, film and philosophy, various national cinemas, the work of individual filmmakers, and cinema in relation to other art forms. 

Full-time, three years (all students) ꟾ part-time, six years (eligibility criteria apply)

There's lots more information about our PhD, and what to do in advance of applying, on our website. You are strongly advised to read this information and follow our guidelines before making a formal application on the University of Edinburgh Degree Finder.


Intermediality is the study of the interrelations between different art forms and their signification. Join our community and undertake a specialised research project under the guidance of knowledgeable and well-published supervisors. In the course of your research, you will explore interactions between different media. As well as European literature, film, visual culture, theatre and performance we have particular strengths in literature and the arts from East Asia, South America, Lusophone Africa, and the Middle East, and literature written in English from around the world.

Full-time, three years (all students) ꟾ part-time, six years (eligibility criteria apply)

Before making a formal application to this PhD on the University of Edinburgh Degree Finder, you are strongly advised to read our guidelines on writing a PhD proposal.


Entrance requirements, fees, funding and more...

You can find out about entrance requirements, start dates, fees and scholarship opportunities for all these postgraduate programmes on the University of Edinburgh’s Degree Finder. Degree Finder links straight through to EUCLID, the online system for applying to postgraduate programmes at the University. 

Applications to start a postgraduate programme in September 2026 are now open.

When I applied for Film, Exhibition and Curation, I could not imagine how much I would learn, achieve and develop. On a personal and professional side, I noticed I had a much clearer idea of what I wanted to do, and I gained confidence in my choices, in my work and in myself. Being able to build and maintain a network in today’s job market, and finding a job, requires a great deal of confidence in one’s knowledge and skills, which this masters gave us the tools to build.

Noémi Lemoine-Blanchard (MSc in Film, Exhibition and Curation, 2017) Freelance Film Project Manager and Programmer

QS World Rankings by Subject 2026

The University of Edinburgh is ranked 4th in the UK and 9th in the world for Arts and Humanities.

The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings are based on research citations and the results of major global surveys of employers and academics.

They are International Ranking Expert Group (IREG) approved.


You may also be interested in...

Taught at the ground-breaking Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI), this interdisciplinary MSc programme explores how narratives are being transformed in a variety of artistic domains and spheres of social life, and at the frontier of computational developments in artificial intelligence. Teaching combines hands-on creative and data skills development with research-led theoretical inquiry, and flexibility in online and on-campus study.

Full-time, one year (all students) ꟾ part-time, two/three years (eligibility criteria apply)


Designed to support you in making a definite and original contribution to Theatre Studies, our PhD programme comprises independent research under the supervision of one or more of our expert staff, with optional training in research skills and methods. Our expertise covers British, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Scandinavian theatre, as well as drama and performance theory. 

Full-time, three years (all students) ꟾ part-time, six years (eligibility criteria apply)


Not sure which programme is right for you?

We're happy to help you decide.

Are you currently studying with us?

There’s lots more information for taught and postgraduate research students on our LLC Student Hub. You will need your student log in to access the site.

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