University home > Unit and programme catalogues in 2017/18 > Programme catalogue > Faculty of Arts > Department of Film and Television > Film and German (BA) > Specification
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Programme code | 1DRAM023U |
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Programme type | Joint Honours (UG) |
Programme director(s) |
Steffan Davies (German)
Jacqueline Maingard (Film) |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
School/department | Department of Film and Television |
Second School/department | Department of German |
Teaching institution | University of Bristol |
Awarding institution | University of Bristol |
Relevant QAA subject benchmark groups |
Communication, media, film and cultural studies (2019) (benchmark statement)
Languages, Cultures and Societies (2023) (benchmark statement) |
Mode of study | Full Time |
Programme length | 4 years (full time) |
Film and German are complementary subjects that are mutually reinforcing. The Joint Honours programme allows students to enrich their understanding of Film and Television through the study of German culture and language, and vice versa. This programme provides an opportunity for those students who wish to pursue studies in both subjects. Students normally spend half of their time in each Department, and are taught separately in each subject. In Film, students follow a comparable developmental path to Single Honours students but take fewer practical options (some practical units are still available to Joint Honours students). Students spend their third year studying German abroad, enriching their cultural knowledge and exposing them to diverse learning opportunities.
The Film component of the programme is designed to provide students with a deep understanding of film and television, and to equip them to use the critical, theoretical and practical skills central to the disciplines. Through historical and conceptual study, the curriculum enables students to analyse, research, interpret and understand film and television from a critically and contextually informed perspective. In addition to detailed and rigorous academic enquiry into film and television, the students also acquire practical filmmaking skills. A set of options that focus on some of the most significant historical, cultural, artistic and technological forms of film and television promote a more detailed exploration of these media and their creative realisation. Final-year students select independent study options, in which they can gain experience working in the creative industries, develop a practical project of their own devising, or produce an extended piece of academic writing. Having gained a combination of specialised and transferable skills, students are well-equipped to pursue a range of careers relating to contemporary media and arts-related professions, and within academic, professional and managerial sectors.
The aim of the German component is to deliver, within a programme which also includes work undertaken in a non-language department, a command of modern spoken and written German to a high level of fluency and accuracy, and also to provide the opportunity of studying the rich cultural, linguistic, political and social history of the German-speaking world since the Middle Ages to the present day. The curriculum combines the traditional and the innovative, students gain an interest in and knowledge and understanding of the Germanic world, past and present, including its language, literature, broader culture, institutions and politics. Through the ages the language, culture and political and economic weight of the German-speaking world have made a lasting impact on civilisation in Europe and beyond, and today it remains a powerhouse at the centre of the European Union. Learning the German language is the key to understanding this fascinating society and its complex development. The curriculum aims to promote the self-development of the individual learner and thereby to offer society the resource of intellectually trained individuals, capable of both independent and collective work, with both subject-specific and transferable skills. Graduates enter employment in a wide range of contexts, building on the skills and values of an education in the humanities.
The programme also enables students to include as options relevant units offered by other departments and at the level of the two home Schools and Faculty.
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Acquisition of knowledge and understanding through lectures, seminars and tutorials (1-10) Film component Set and directed viewings, and directed reading, with a strong emphasis on primary materials (1-10) Tutorials and seminars to encourage student participation and advance understanding of difficult materials (1-13) Lectures, seminars, workshops and demonstrations to develop student practical skills acquisition (1-4, 11-13) Production meetings and supervisions to provide formative feedback and develop student skills in practical project realisation (1-4, 11-13) Tutorials and supervisions to provide formative feedback and develop student skills in presentation and essay writing (1-5, 9-10) German component Acquisition of knowledge and understanding through lectures, seminars and tutorials.(1-8) Directed reading with a strong emphasis on primary materials in German. (1-8, 10) Independent learning is achieved through written coursework and preparation for oral presentations. (1-3, 9-10) Use of student group-work to develop ideas and understanding. (1-3, 5, 7) Use of student seminar presentations promoting team skills of co-operation and responsibility. (1-3, 5, 8) Formative feedback on assessment is given through tutorials and written comments. Language is taught in mandatory intensive units under the guidance of teachers who are native German speakers or who have near-native competence. Compulsory period of residence in a German-speaking country. (1-2, 4-8) Availability of self-access resources. (1-3, 8-10) |
Methods of Assessment | |
Film component Coursework analytical and research essays (1-10) Individual and group presentations (1-10) Practice-based productions (1-4, 11-13) Reflexive accounts of practical work (1-4, 11-13) German component A range of essay writing skills (short and extended essays), providing summative and formative assessment. Project work. Special subjects to allow students to address areas in-depth and the option of a dissertation. Examinations and coursework assessment in all three years spent in Bristol. Language is formally assessed through coursework, translations, essays, oral presentations and aural comprehension. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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|
Film component Acquisition of knowledge and understanding through lectures, seminars and tutorials (1-5, 7-8, 10) Set and directed viewings (including student work), and directed reading, with a strong emphasis on primary materials (1-4, 8, 11) Tutorials and seminars to encourage student participation and advance understanding of difficult materials (1-8, 11) Lectures, seminars, workshops and demonstrations to develop student practical skills acquisition (2, 4, 6-7, 9-11) Production meetings and supervisions to provide formative feedback and develop student skills in practical project realisation (1, 3-4, 6-11) Tutorials and supervisions to provide formative feedback and develop student skills in presentation and essay writing (1-8, 11) German component Intellectual skills are developed through seminars, tutorials, oral presentations and essay writing. Units are structured in such a way that the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation of literature are developed. History and linguistics units develop similar skills in those specific fields. Language, problem solving and research are honed in the year abroad assignment. The option of Independent Study is also available in the final year. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Film component Coursework analytical and research essays (1-8) Individual and group presentations (1-8) Practice-based productions (2-4, 6, 8-11) Reflexive accounts of practical work (3-6, 8-11) German component A variety of assessment methods are used as per individual unit aims and objectives. Essay writing and examinations test the students' ability to analyse information and present reasoned arguments. Research skills are assessed by means of extended written coursework and dissertation. Language is formally assessed by translations, essays of various types, oral presentations and aural comprehension, including interpreting. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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|
Film component Acquisition of knowledge and understanding through lectures, seminars and tutorials (1, 5) Tutorials and seminars to encourage student participation and advance understanding of difficult materials (1, 5) Lectures, seminars, workshops and demonstrations to develop student practical skills acquisition (1, 5-6) Production meetings and supervisions to provide formative feedback and develop student skills in practical project realisation (1-6) Tutorials and supervisions to provide formative feedback and develop student skills in presentation and essay writing (1-4) German component Seminars and tutorials are used to develop oral communication by requiring students to engage in class discussions and to give short introductory talks/presentations to initiate discussion. These oral skills are further developed in the language classes. The ability to think and work independently is stimulated by dissertation, essay and project tasks. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Film component Coursework analytical and research essays (1-4) Individual and group presentations (1-5) Practice-based productions (1-6) Reflexive accounts of practical work (1-4, 6) German component All units are assessed through written coursework and extended essays. These require a detailed and expansive handling of literature and extensive reading in support of their conclusions. The knowledge base is also tested through traditional unseen written examinations, through project work and Dissertation. Some units require oral class presentations to a satisfactory standard to gain credit points |
Statement of expectations from the students at each level of the programme as it/they develop year on year.
Level C/4 - Certificate |
Film component: The first year is introductory, providing a foundation for second and final year work. Students gain familiarity with the forms and aesthetics of film and television, and acquire practical skills in filmmaking, including editing and cinematography. In addition, students develop presentation and writing skills in small-group tutorials, and expand their understanding of film and television in a broader cultural context by examining them in dialogue with theatre and music on the Criticism in the Arts unit (SART10001). German component: Year 1 of the course has been expressly designed to lay the foundations which will allow students to fulfil the curriculum’s aims and objectives. A core unit in language is geared to lead students in the development of their language skills. The year introduces and includes preliminary work on some of the main themes and key concepts of German literature, history and linguistics to provide a familiarity with these disciplines. It enables students to understand the cultural heritage, historical development and modern contours of the German-speaking world. The expectation is that their work may require considerable direction from members of staff at this stage, and the Year 1 units are designed with this in mind. |
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Level I/5 - Intermediate |
Film component: In the second year, students deepen their contextual knowledge of film and television, as well as developing their appreciation of the variety and diversity of these media, on two mandatory historical units. Students also consolidate their understanding of forms, genres and contexts in film and television, and develop filmmaking skills in new areas, through optional units. Second-year optional units typically draw upon research-led teaching. German component: In Year 2 students are expected to be able to demonstrate that they have expanded the range and depth of their knowledge in various areas of the discipline and their capacity to evaluate their work through the wide range of options available beyond the core language unit. The themes and language readings will be of greater depth and substance. Students will develop their analytical skills, their ability to structure their work and present it fluently. They will be encouraged in group work skills through active participation in seminars. They will be developing a capacity for self-directed learning (for example, through the researching and writing of essays and projects). Spoken and written language skills will be reinforced and enhanced. The (third) year abroad in a German-speaking country enables students to develop significantly their fluency in the German language, and their cultural familiarity with the German-speaking world. Students undertake work or study placements, produce reflective work on their experiences and development, and complete an academic project in German. |
Level H/6 - Honours |
Film component: Students choose one or two supervised independent project options, through which they develop their particular areas of interest and gain further experience in researching and formulating academic arguments, conceptually-informed creative practice, and related transferable skills for future employment. Students also deepen their critical and analytical expertise, and extend their skills in filmmaking, through further optional units. Optional units are more specialized than in the first and second years, focused around specific case studies. These units make further use of research-led teaching. German component: Students are expected to have expanded the breadth of their knowledge through the study of optional units; the units are more closely linked to staff research interests developing the conceptual and methodological approaches used with more depth and complexity. Students will be expected to develop further their ability to gather and assimilate information, to synthesise these in an appropriate way, to engage in sophisticated evaluation of language texts. These skills will be perfected in the writing of longer and more demanding essays, already introduced during their study abroad. There will be an emphasis on independent learning, self-directed study and research skills. |
The intended learning outcome mapping document shows which mandatory units contribute towards each programme intended learning outcome.
For information on the admissions requirements for this programme please see details in the undergraduate prospectus at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/ or contact the relevant academic department.
Workload Statement
In common with the rest of the University, units in the Faculty of Arts
adhere to the credit framework which sets out that 20 credits normally
equates to some 200 hours of student input. Some of this time will be spent
in class, with the remainder divided between preparation for classes and
preparation for, and completion of, the assessment tasks. Some of this
activity may occur within the University’s online learning environment,
Blackboard, which you may use to prepare wikis, to interact with other
students, to download tutorials or to receive feedback.
Assessment Statement
Please select the following link for a statement about assessment. This is University of Bristol access only.
https://www.bris.ac.uk/arts/current/under/assessment.html
The film and television curriculum has developed a balance of historical and aesthetic enquiry with creative and practical work in a way that is distinctive to the University of Bristol. This combination has emerged out of the University’s long-standing tradition of film-related teaching (previously as part of the Drama programme). The undergraduate curriculum outlined in this document provides an in-depth investigation of film and television aesthetics and history alongside the acquisition and development of filmmaking skills. These points of emphasis, and this overall trajectory, develop and extend the successful approaches that already characterise the teaching of film and television at Bristol.
The School of Modern Languages also offers a single honours German degree and joint programmes in German and Czech, French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish, and with History of Art, Law, Music, Philosophy, Politics and Theatre. The Department has special links under the ERASMUS scheme with a variety of Universities in the German-speaking world.
Mandatory Unit German Language is must pass. For further information and a definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms from Annex 1 to the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
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German Language 1 (Post A-level) | GERM10009 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
German Literature and Film: Genres, Texts, Contexts | GERM10035 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 | |
German History and Thought | GERM10037 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
Instead of the above German language units, ab initio students take: | |||||
German Language 1 (ab initio) | GERM19003 | 40 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Plus: | |||||
Introduction to Film and Television Studies | DRAM10024 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 | |
Production Skills for Film | DRAM11007 | 10 | Mandatory | TB-1A | |
Close-Up on Film | DRAM10022 | 10 | Mandatory | TB-1B | |
Students must take one from: | |||||
Criticism and the Arts | DRAM10029 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Filmmaking through Hitchcock | DRAM11011 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Close-Up on Television | DRAM10023 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Certificate of Higher Education | 120 |
Mandatory Unit German Language is must pass. For further information and a definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms from Annex 1 to the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
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German Language 2 (Post A-Level) | GERM20001 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
Instead of the above, students who took German ab initio GERM19003 in their first year should take this unit | |||||
German Language post ab initio | GERM20032 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Students must choose at least one but no more than three units from the following list: | |||||
Divided Germany | GERM22037 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
From Caligari to Hitler: German Film 1919-1945 | GERM20033 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Structures and Varieties of German | GERM20035 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Plus One from: | |||||
Film History to 1960 | FATV20011 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Film and Television History, 1960 to the present | FATV20004 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Select from: | |||||
Students should take 20-40 credit points of optional units in Film | |||||
Students can select up to 20 credits worth of Open units from outside the two main departments of study. | OPEN | 20 | Optional | ||
British Cinema and Television | FATV20001 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Documentary Histories and Practices | FATV20009 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Film and Television Audiences | FATV20008 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Film and TV Comedy | FATV20005 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Short Fiction Film | FATV20022 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Film Genre | FATV20002 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Hollywood Cinema History | FATV20007 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Screen Performance | FATV20003 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Animated Film | FATV20010 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Film Director's Vision | FATV20006 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Choose open units | OPEN | 20 | Optional | ||
Students may choose up to two units from the following list: | |||||
Political Systems of Modern Europe | MODL20008 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Woman and Nation | MODL23017 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Gender in Post-Socialist Central and Eastern Europe | MODL20011 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Foreign Language Skills for Semester Abroad Students | MODL20018 | 10 | Optional | F | TB-1 |
Students may choose up to one unit from the following list: | |||||
Catalan Language (Elementary) | MODL23014 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Czech Language (Elementary) | MODL23015 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Diploma of Higher Education | 120 |
Mandatory Year Abroad is must pass. For further information and a definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms from Annex 1 to the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
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Year Abroad TB-1 | MODL20014 | 60 | Mandatory | AYEAR | |
Year Abroad TB-2 | MODL20015 | 60 | Mandatory | AYEAR | |
120 |
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Project Development and Creative Industries | FATV30003 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 | |
German Language 3 | GERM30001 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
Students must choose at least 20CP but no more than 60CP from the following: | |||||
Exiles and Migrants in German Literature | GERM30058 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Language Variation and Change in German | GERM30074 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Performing Germany: National Identity in Changing Times | GERM30075 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
German Economic Policy Narratives | GERM30076 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Students must take between 1 or 2 units from the following list (students are not permitted to select both FATV30004 Industry Study and FATV30008 Industrial Placement): | |||||
Written Dissertation | FATV30012 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Industry Study | FATV30004 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Industrial Placement | FATV30008 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Practical Project | FATV30009 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
If students have only selected a total of 40 credit points of Film units, then please choose an additional 20 credits from the list below: | |||||
Contemporary Hollywood Cinema | FATV30011 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Digital Filmmaking | FATV30007 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Political Film | FATV30018 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Choose open units | OPEN | 20 | Optional | ||
Students may choose up to two unit from the following list: | |||||
Communism in Europe | MODL30001 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Independent Study 1 | MODL30005 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Translating in a Professional Context | MODL30010 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Sociolinguistics: Language Variation and Change | MODL30015 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Gender, Sexuality and Cinema | MODL30018 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Italian City: Medieval and Early Modern Cultures | MODL30020 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Pan-Africanism: ideas and archives | MODL30026 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Environmental Entanglements: Issues in Ecocriticsm | MODL30032 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
This unit is available to students studying Programmes of French German Spanish Italian and Russian: | |||||
Liaison Interpreting | MODL30006 | 20 | Optional | TB-1,TB-2 | |
Students may choose MODL30011 if they took MODL23014 in their second year of study and students may choose MODL30012 if they took MODL23015 in their second year of study: | |||||
Catalan Language (follow-on) | MODL30011 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Czech Language (follow-on) | MODL30012 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Students can select up to 20 credits worth of Open units from outside the two main departments of study. | OPEN | 20 | Optional | ||
Film and German (BA) | 120 |
Unit Pass Mark for Undergraduate Programmes:
For details on the weightings for classifying undergraduate degrees, please see the Agreed Weightings, by Faculty, to be applied for the Purposes of Calculating the Final Programme Mark and Degree Classification in Undergraduate Programmes.
For detailed rules on progression please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes and the relevant faculty handbook.
Please refer to the specific progression/award requirements for programmes with a preliminary year of study, the Gateway programmes and International Foundation programmes.
All undergraduate degree programmes allow the opportunity for a student to exit from a programme with a Diploma or Certificate of Higher Education.
Integrated Master's degrees may also allow the opportunity for a student to exit from the programme with an equivalent Bachelor's degree where a student has achieved 360 credit points, of which 90 must be at level 6, and has successfully met any additional criteria as described in the programme specification.
The opportunities for a student to exit from one of the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry with an Award is outlined in the relevant Programme Regulations (which are available as an annex in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes).
An Ordinary degree can be awarded if a student has successfully completed at least 300 credits with a minimum of 60 credits at Level 6.
The pass mark for the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine and Dentistry is 50 out of 100. The classification of a degree in the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry is provided in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.
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