Film, Exhibition and Curation MSc

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

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

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 pitches 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

Study with us and 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 Teaching Awards nominations.

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

Based in a world-renowned festival city, filled with independent cinemas, galleries and venues, we host visiting professionals throughout the year, and regularly collaborate with two of the UK’s largest film festivals, the Glasgow Film Festival and the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

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.

Your future

You’ll 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.

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

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.

Students from China

This degree is Band C.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• 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.
• PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 65 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 7 in each component.

Unless you are a national of a majority English speaking country, your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start of the month in which the programme you are applying to study begins. If you are using an IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL, Trinity ISE, or Oxford ELLT test, it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the programme begins, regardless of your nationality. (Revised 14 January 2025 to include Oxford ELLT.)

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also 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

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

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

Meet our graduates

• Yixiang Shirley Lin