Intermediality: Literature, Film and the Arts in Dialogue MSc

As the first UNESCO World City of Literature, home of the Edinburgh International Festival and a major cultural hub, Edinburgh is the ideal place for the study of intermediality, that is, the interrelations between different art forms and their signification.

Our taught Masters programme draws on world-class teaching and research expertise across media, from literature to film, music, painting, photography and visual culture more widely.

The programme will make you conversant with intermedial theory and equip you with the critical tools and historical background for understanding and analysing a wide range of intermedial phenomena across different periods and cultures, with an emphasis on the modern and contemporary period.

You will be encouraged to develop your own area of interest and expertise, with specially-designed option courses offering a detailed focus on the interplay between different art forms in, for instance:

• film adaptation
• photo-literature
• film and the other arts
• the graphic novel
• installation art
• video games
• artists' books

This leads to a final dissertation or a practice-based project accompanied by a reflective essay, pursuing your research interests further and developing your research skills.

Based in a world-leading festival city, our MSc draws on the expertise of research-active teaching staff from across the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) and Edinburgh College of Art (ECA). Literature and the arts have been taught here for over 250 years and we are exceptional in having a leading international art college within the University of Edinburgh.

You will be part of a friendly, international community of staff and students from a range of disciplines and backgrounds, each with their own perspective on literature and the arts, with lots of opportunities to discuss and present your work. LLC and ECA have excellent links with cultural partners in the city and organise a regular series of talks and events.

Combining core courses with optional courses, training in research methods, and a dissertation or practice-based project, will help you understand the theory and practice of intermediality, as well as developing your independent research skills to publication standard. Many of our graduates have gone on to complete PhDs.

You will have access to a wide range of resources, including:

• the University of Edinburgh Library
• the National Library of Scotland
• Scottish Poetry Library

There are also numerous theatres, museums, galleries and cinemas, including:

• the Traverse Theatre
• National Galleries of Scotland
• Stills Gallery (Scotland’s Centre for Photography)
• Cameo Picturehouse

Check out the Intermediality blog

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, in a relevant subject.

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

This interdisciplinary programme will give you the skills and experience to develop your independent research interests in a broad range of fields.

Doing this masters programme has altered my worldview in an unimaginable capacity. There are a number of skills which I have learnt from this programme but it is mainly the dedication and creativity of the Intermediality faculty through which I could rethink the nuances of cinema as an artistic medium.

Saad Siddiqui, MSc Intermediality, 2023

You may decide to concentrate on an academic career or use your acquired skills in art institutions such as museums, galleries or cinemas. You may also choose to pursue a career in media companies, education or in cultural policy and administration.

The discipline and confidence you will develop from a range of activities - from evaluating, comparing and analysing texts and other media, to writing and speaking about your work - are invaluable in a range of professional roles.

Meet our graduates

• Saad Siddiqui

I cherished my time in this program. Intermediality is perched at the cutting edge of media studies and is a haven for interdisciplinary dreamers.

Kay, MSc Intermediality, 2022

• Read Kay's Intermediality blog post on her 3 days in Cannes, 2022