If we are to believe all that we hear, then apparently there's no business like show business. At least, no business I know. And it is a telling feature of show business that it can thrive, even during the depths of recession. Perhaps it is the sense of escapism that it offers: it's a brief respite from the everyday drudgery of life, a party to which everyone is invited. But whatever the reasons, some of Hollywood's brightest stars were forged during the last Great Recession, with such luminaries as Gary Cooper, James Stewart, Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn all making their mark during the cash-strapped 1930s.

But not everybody can be a star, despite what Ant, Dec, Louis and Simon might have us believe. Nor will everyone have it within themselves to be a great writer, producer or director. But that doesn't mean that people can't devote themselves to the movies, even if it is in a purely tangential manner.

If there has been a silver lining to the post-boom years, it's that the recession has forced many people to rethink their careers – and for many of these, it has necessitated a trip back to college. Some will be looking to upskill, while others will be looking to re-tool their skill set entirely - and while there will be a significant percentage of college returnees who use the experience in a purely mercenary manner, opting for college courses that they believe will offer the greatest returns, there are others who will use the time to follow a particular dream or to devote their lives to something that they truly love.

It just so happens that film is one of the world's favourite pastimes, so it should hardly be a surprise that courses in film studies are growing in popularity. Obviously, it took the university sector in general some time to cotton on to the fact that film was a legitimate medium for study; but film has now taken its place at the top table in the fourth level sector, and it is now an academic subject as much as it has always been a technical one.

"The focus within our Film Studies course is very much an academic one," said Sean Crosson, director of the Film Studies programme at the Huston School of Film and Digital Media, part of NUI Galway, which offers a number of postgraduate qualifications as well as a BA (Connect) with Film Studies. "Obviously, you can't talk about film without addressing some production aspects, but ours is an academic course which is primarily engaged with thinking through, and writing critically about film."

Thus, many participants on the programme will be undertaking the study with an eye on the world of academia, and many will have ambitions towards lecturing. But in addition to being a useful MA, there are numerous practical applications for a postgraduate qualification in Film Studies (outside of being able to impress your friends with knowledgeable discourse on the cultural roots and societal importance of the latest releases).

"Many of our graduates go on to work in some form of film-related journalism, in newspapers and other media," said Crosson. "In fact, we have one graduate who is working with the BBC in London, and another working with CNN. But other graduates have found work in areas related to programming and exhibition, such as working with some of the many film festivals in Ireland or around the world."

What is certainly true is that Irish film is undergoing something of a renaissance at the moment, and there are a number of young (and not so young) Irish directors who are giving a distinctive voice to the filmic output of the country. Some Huston School graduates are leading this vanguard (for example, "My Brothers", a debut feature film by Huston Screenwriting alumnus Will Collins, opened the 22nd Galway Film Fleadh on July 6) – but even if we can't be part of the artistic output, it will be enough for some people just to be associated with the silver screen, no matter how tenuous or academic the association.