Your future begins in Siegen
In the Film Studies elective, you’ll gain an in-depth understanding of the history, aesthetics, and theories of film through hands-on engagement with the material. In seminars, we watch films and film clips and analyze them. In the process, you’ll explore a wide range of popular films, international genres, and experimental art films—from arthouse cinema to blockbusters. In addition to classic feature films and documentaries, we also explore cinematic media such as videos on streaming platforms and film on social media. We examine how films are structured, what stories they tell, how they affect audiences, and how their aesthetics have evolved.
Everything at a Glance
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Start of the Academic Year
Winter Semester -
Standard duration of study
6 semesters (full-time)
12 semesters (part-time) -
Application
Not required -
Language of instruction
German
Career Prospects
The Film Studies minor is the perfect complement to your major if you want to learn the tools needed to analyze, critique, and create cinematic media. This will enable you to work in the film and television industry, as well as in social media, film funding organizations, foundations, film journalism, film archives, and academia and education (with a master’s degree).
Students on the Film Studies Program
Yay, I'm studying film!
What makes a good story, and how do you tell it in a way that keeps the audience hooked? This question has been on my mind ever since I took a professional development course on the topic. I happily read books on screenwriting, tried to spot the stages of the hero’s journey in movies, and—just for fun—divided stories into three acts.
But over time, I realized that my thirst for knowledge was too great and that these little experiments weren’t enough to quench it. Could a degree program do the trick? At the “Open University” at the Unteres Schloss in Siegen, I sought advice on combining majors, and the course offerings from the Media Studies Seminar immediately captivated me. That was exactly what I wanted to study!
So I took the plunge into the adventure of “second degree studies”—and now I find myself in lectures on film and image analysis, delving deeper than ever before into dramaturgy (my absolute dream!), trying my hand at photography and image editing with Photoshop, honing my critical thinking skills, and delighting in how my knowledge of film and media grows week by week. I’ve already been able to apply quite a few of these new insights to my life and my work in the media industry. I find the atmosphere among students and faculty to be friendly, welcoming, and supportive.
I think it’s great that the program perfectly combines theory and practice; anyone who wants to can even gain even more practical experience through the numerous student initiatives. It’s also possible to participate in additional academic events. I attended a conference organized by the Screenwriting Research Network, where I got a taste of research and learned even more about screenplays. Awesome!
By the way, I chose the University of Siegen because I’d already completed my first degree here and have many fond memories of it. My thirst for knowledge is in good hands here. Hooray, I’m studying film!
The supplementary major may only be selected in conjunction with a core major in Study Models B and D of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities!
If you do not have an Abitur but do have a Fachhochschulreife, or if you are already working, please find more information here.
