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Welcome to the Film and Media Studies Ph.D. Program

UC Irvine’s PhD program in Film and Media Studies offers students the opportunity to study and develop original research on film, television, and digital media. Rooted in the Humanities, we focus on interpreting the histories and theories of media and their cultural contexts.

Our curriculum provides a broad foundation in Film and Media Studies while also centering questions of media and power. Our course offerings emphasize post-colonial and decolonial approaches to film and media, queer theory and histories of gender and sexuality, critical race studies, video game studies, and archival research. We seek students who are deeply invested in understanding the perspectives of those who have been pushed to the margins of media technology, industries, and texts and in exploring the relationships between culture, identity, history, and power.

Located near Los Angeles, UC Irvine offers access to the rich cultural offerings and research institutions of Southern California. Students may choose to supplement their Film and Media Studies degree with interdisciplinary graduate certificates in Asian American Studies , Chicano/Latino Studies , Critical Theory , Feminist Studies , Latin American Studies , and/or Visual Studies .

We admit all students, with BAs or MAs, directly into the PhD program in small cohorts with multi-year funding packages. We encourage prospective students to review our faculty profiles and contact the faculty members who work in their potential areas of interest before applying to learn more about their research, teaching, and advising.

Prospective students interested in the Ph.D. Program in Visual Studies, administered by the Department of Art History, can find more information here .

Meet the Film and Media Studies Faculty and learn about their research interests.

The annual admissions deadline is December 1 .

Complete applications will include:

• A Statement of Purpose (1200 words maximum) that describes your research interests and reasons for seeking a PhD. The Statement of Purpose should indicate how your proposed research correlates to our program's emphases and how you will benefit from working with specific core faculty. You can find information about faculty research interests here.  

• A Personal History Statement (1200 word maximum) that describes your educational accomplishments and goals. It is important to communicate whether you have experienced unique or significant opportunities, challenges, and/or obstacles in your pursuit of an education. Please also describe the career paths you plan to pursue after graduation.

• A sample of academic writing that demonstrates original thinking, clear writing and your preparedness to do graduate-level work in film and media studies.

• Length: A minimum of ten pages to a maximum of thirty pages. Any submission longer than the maximum will not be reviewed past the maximum page limit.
• You may submit two pieces of work as long as their combined length does not exceed the page limit.
• In the event you have a longer piece of work to submit, such as a Master's thesis or Undergraduate research paper, please submit a chapter or section of the work within the page restriction.

• Three letters of recommendation, preferably from faculty with whom you have studied.

• Transcripts.

• Results of the TOEFL or IELTS exam for international applicants for whom English is not their primary language.

For academic questions (questions about program requirements, the application review process, funding opportunities, etc.) please contact the Graduate Director, Professor Kristen Hatch ([email protected]). 

For administrative questions (questions about how to apply, paying the application fee, application materials, etc.) please contact the Graduate Coordinator, Amy Fujitani ([email protected]). 

To apply, click here .

Course Requirements

Required Core Courses (6 courses)

FLM&MDA 285A: Film Studies: Theory and Methods.

FLM&MDA 285B: Television Studies: Theory and Methods.

FLM&MDA 285C: Digital Media and Game Studies: Theory and Methods.

FLM&MDA 286A: Film and Media Studies Historiography.

FLM&MDA 286B: Media/Power/Culture.

FLM&MDA 286C: Methods and Research Design.

Elective Courses (7 courses)

FLM&MDA 291: Graduate Seminar in Film and Media Studies. Repeatable as topics vary.

FLM&MDA 292: Graduate Seminar in Film & Media Critical Practice. Repeatable as topics vary.

FLM&MDA 295: Directed Reading. Repeatable as topics vary.

Required Practicums in Film and Media Studies (4 courses)

FLM&MDA 287: Practicum in Pedagogy.

FLM&MDA 288A: Practicum in Professionalization I.

FLM&MDA 288B: Practicum in Professionalization II.

FLM&MDA 288C: Practicum in Professionalization III.

Required Supporting Course (1 course)

FLM&MDA 298: Prospectus Writing Practicum.

Students must take three elective courses from within the Department of Film and Media Studies and two outside Film and Media Studies. The remaining two electives can be taken within or outside the department.

Students entering with a MA may petition to have up to three elective courses waived, subject to the approval of Graduate Division. Students who have had three courses waived must take two elective courses from within the Department of Film and Media Studies and one outside Film and Media Studies. The remaining elective can be taken within or outside the department.

During the third through sixth years in the program, students normally enroll in variable-unit courses as follows:

FLM&MDA 296: Reading for the Preliminary Examination.

FLM&MDA 297: Prospectus Research.

FLM&MDA 299: Dissertation Research.

First-Year Review

Students are required to select and confirm their Primary Advisor by the end of the first year.

At the end of the Spring quarter, the Film and Media Studies faculty will review the performance and progress of each first-year student and provide written evaluation of their work. This evaluation will include an assessment of the student’s ability to complete independent research.

A positive assessment indicates that the student is making good progress.

A cautionary assessment will be accompanied by a description of specific improvements that a student must make in order to advance to candidacy in the third year.

A negative overall assessment will place the student on Academic Conditional Status. Faculty will give written feedback with specific areas for improvement and a timeline for future expectations of academic progress. Students who fail to demonstrate improvement may be recommended for dismissal from the program without a degree.

MA Requirements

All students apply for and are accepted into the doctoral program.

Students who enter the PhD program with a prior graduate degree (MA or beyond) in Film and Media Studies or a related discipline may petition to waive up to three electives, subject to the approval of Graduate Division. These students may also petition to waive the MA exam requirement in recognition of their prior degree; normatively, this will be approved. In these cases, students will not complete the MA exam requirement nor earn a second MA en route to the PhD. Film and Media Studies faculty will determine what graduate degree fields qualify as related disciplines. Students entering with an MFA will typically be required to complete the MA exam unless the Graduate Committee determines that the degree is equivalent to an MA.

Students who have not earned an MA in a relevant field prior to matriculating in the Film and Media Studies PhD program must earn an MA degree as part of the PhD program. The program does not offer a stand-alone or terminal MA, except in instances when a student does not continue in the program toward earning the PhD.

In order to earn the MA degree, the student must

1. Satisfactorily complete six foundational courses (FLM&MDA 285A, FLM&MDA 285B, FLM&MDA 285C, FLM&MDA 286A, FLM&MDA 286B, and FLM&MDA 286C);

2. Satisfactorily compete FLM&MDA 287;

3. Satisfactorily complete seven electives, three of which must be within the Department of Film and Media Studies and two outside the Department of Film and Media Studies;

4. Pass the MA Exam; and

5. File the necessary paperwork for conferral of degree with Graduate Division.

For the MA exam, the student will revise one seminar paper written while in the program and submit the revised paper before the start of the Spring quarter in their second year of study. 

The requirements for passing the MA exam are as follows:

• The revised paper must present a substantial and original argument;

• It must reflect substantive revision from the original paper, demonstrating additional research and/or reconceptualization and responsiveness to feedback;

• It must demonstrate a command of the relevant literature;

• It must present adequate evidence to support its claims;

• It must be clearly written in an appropriate academic style; and

• It must be formatted according to MLA or Chicago Manual of Style guidelines with proper citation and bibliography.

Ideally, this revised paper will demonstrate promise toward publication and toward the ability to develop a dissertation; however this is not a requirement at the MA stage.

This paper will be evaluated by a 3-person MA committee, which consists of the student’s primary advisor as chair and two additional department faculty members appointed by the Program Director in consultation with the student and the advisor. The MA committee will evaluate the student’s ability to identify a suitable research project and methodology, develop an argument, respond to faculty feedback, and make revisions. The committee will respond with feedback within three weeks of receiving the paper and may ask for a second round of reasonable revisions, to be completed before the end of the term.

The committee will unanimously decide whether the student has passed the MA exam and if they are eligible to proceed toward the PhD, taking into holistic account the exam (revised paper) results, input from the core Film and Media Studies faculty during the First-Year Review, and the student’s progress during the second year of course work. There are four possible determinations:

Positive: The student will earn the MA degree and qualifies to continue toward the PhD exams. This should be the outcome in the majority of cases.

Cautionary: The student will earn the MA degree and qualifies to continue toward the PhD exams but with areas for improvement communicated in writing to the student and advisor. This occurs when the student’s holistic performance and promise outweigh a borderline exam or vice versa. This should be the outcome only in rare or extenuating circumstances.

MA Only: The student will earn the MA degree but is disqualified from continuing toward the PhD exams. This occurs when the student’s holistic performance and promise do not outweigh a borderline exam.

Negative: The exam is unacceptable. The student will not earn the MA degree and is disqualified from continuing toward the PhD exams.

Students may revise and resubmit the MA paper one additional time in case of a failure to pass.

By the end of their second year, students will work with their advisor to plan their Examination fields for the following year. No later than the end of Winter in the third year of study, students will establish a 5-person Qualifying Exam Committee, at least 51% of whose members, including the Dissertation Advisor, must be core faculty in the Department of Film and Media Studies. At least one committee member must be external to the department.

The student will receive one standardized bibliography and select two specialty field bibliographies on which they will be examined. In the Fall and Winter quarters of the third year, the student will enroll in FLM&MDA 296: Reading for the Preliminary Examination and complete reading the works on these three bibliographies. The three exam areas should serve to help the student define general areas of specialized competence that will aid them in establishing a broad base for the dissertation and in developing college-level courses. Students may not enroll in FLM&MDA 296 until all their other course requirements (with the exception of FLM&MDA 298: Prospectus Writing Practicum) have been completed.

The Qualifying Examination will be administered by the Qualifying Exam Committee and will include both a written and an oral component. The written component will consist of at least one question for each Exam bibliography for which the student has completed readings. Students will write at least one essay for each respective Exam. Faculty may offer a range of questions for each bibliography, giving the student a choice of which question(s) to answer. The written component will be offered as a series of three remote exams to be completed within three respective 24-hour periods; questions and responses will be delivered electronically. The oral component of the exam will take place in conjunction with the Prospectus Defense during the Spring quarter of the student’s third year.

Language Requirement 

Students will consult with the program Director and their principal advisor(s) to determine whether they must demonstrate or develop proficiency in a second language for their research. [1] If the program Director and principal advisor(s) determine that proficiency in a second language is required, the student must demonstrate this proficiency prior to advancing to candidacy. In the event a student does not need a second language to conduct doctoral research, they will not be required to demonstrate proficiency in a second language.

If determined to be required, the language requirement may be satisfied by one of the following means:

1. By passing the Film and Media Studies translation exam. A request must be made to the Film and Media Studies Staff within the first two weeks of the quarter the student wishes to take the exam.

2. By completing, with a grade of B or better, a language course at the 2C level or equivalent, with the exception of Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, which must be completed at the 3C level or equivalent.

3. By attaining a proficiency level of 2C on the Russian Exemption Exam or a proficiency level of 3C on the Chinese Exemption Exam offered by UCI's Academic Testing Center.

4. By petitioning the program. Grounds for a petition might include the student’s being a native speaker in a language other than English or having completed an equivalent language requirement at a different institution. The granting of this petition will remain at the discretion of the Graduate Director, although students dissatisfied with this determination may request the petition be considered by the full faculty. Students who have completed the language requirement at a different institution will need to submit transcripts with the petition. Students will inquire with the Graduate Coordinator to complete a petition.

Dissertation Prospectus and Advancement to Ph.D. Candidacy

In the Spring of the student’s third year, the student will enroll in FLM&MDA 298: Prospectus Writing Practicum and complete a prospectus that identifies the scope, approach, and rationale for their proposed dissertation. The student will present an oral defense of the prospectus to the Qualifying Exam Committee. When the prospectus has been unanimously approved by the Qualifying Exam Committee, the student will be advanced to doctoral candidacy. Students should have taken their preliminary examination, defended their dissertation prospectus, and advanced to doctoral candidacy no later than the end of Spring quarter of their third year. If a student will exceed the 3-year normative time to candidacy, they must petition by Spring quarter of their third year for an exception, presenting an approved plan for timely progress to candidacy.

In the event that a student does not pass the qualifying examination, consistent with UCI policy (Academic Senate Regulation 467) the student will be allowed one repeat attempt of the examination. This repeat examination will occur during the quarter following the initial examination.

Dissertation

The dissertation shall be an original research project of substantial length approved by the Doctoral Committee. Members of the student’s Doctoral Committee are noted on the PhD Form I: Advancement to Candidacy PhD Degree. The committee shall typically consist of the Doctoral Advisor and two additional faculty. At least 51% of the Doctoral Committee, including the Doctoral Advisor, must be core faculty in the Department of Film and Media Studies. The remaining members of the Doctoral Committee must satisfy Academic Senate requirements.

Dissertation Defense 

A final examination in the form of an oral defense of the dissertation is required for the PhD. This examination will be supervised by the Doctoral Committee and will be given just prior to the completion of the dissertation. The defense will be open to all members of the academic community. Faculty and graduate students of Film and Media Studies and the Graduate Dean will be given written notice of the date, time, and place of the examination at least five days in advance of the examination.

Time to Degree

The normative time to degree is six years (18 quarters). The first nine quarters are spent in pre-candidacy, the last 9 quarters in candidacy. Normatively, students will complete their course work within the first two years and prepare for and pass the Qualifying Examination and advance to candidacy in the third year. The maximum time to degree is seven years.

[1] Examples of when a second language would likely be necessary include Spanish proficiency for the study of Spanish-language media, Mandarin proficiency for study of media in Mainland China, or the relevant language for a project on non-English language transnational/diasporic media.

All students receive a five-year funding guarantee at admissions. This typically includes a combination of at least one fellowship year and multiple years of Teaching Assistantships. Additional competitive scholarships, fellowships, and summer stipends may also be available.

Students also receive tuition and fee remission, including non-resident (out-of-state or international) tuition during this period. Domestic students coming from outside of California will be expected to establish state residency during their first year; otherwise, they will need to cover their non-resident tuition fees.

TAships may be in Film and Media Studies undergraduate courses or for courses in other Departments or Programs.

Funding beyond the fifth year is not guaranteed, but TAships or other opportunities are often available.

The graduate emphasis in Film and Media Studies prepares students in any M.A., Ph.D., or M.F.A. program to analyze film and media texts, contexts, and industries. The emphasis requires that students complete four seminars, two of which are in the Film and Media Studies PhD core series (FMS 285A-C, FMS 286A-C) and two of which may be Film and Media Studies core or elective seminars (FMS 291, FMS 292, FMS 295).

Students who are currently enrolled in any MA, Ph.D., or M.F.A. program at UCI are eligible for admission to the Graduate Emphasis in Film and Media Studies.

Students who are interested in pursuing the graduate emphasis should contact the Graduate Director to indicate their interest in applying for the emphasis. Application materials include:

• an explanation of how their research and/or teaching will benefit from completing the Film and Media Studies Graduate Emphasis;
• current CV;
• brief letter of approval from the student’s primary advisor or program director;
• names of Film and Media Studies core faculty with whom they have worked or plan to work. Applicants who are not yet acquainted with Film and Media Studies core faculty may name the Graduate Director.

Application

To be considered for the Film and Media Studies Graduate Emphasis, please submit an application . 

Questions? Please contact Amy Fujitani , Graduate Coordinator.

Contact Film and Media Studies

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Ph.D. in Cinema and Media Studies

Contact | Introduction | Admission Requirements | Application  | Program Curriculum | Language Requirements | General Examination | Dissertation | Final Examination  

Use the above links or scroll down for program information.

Students interested in applying for Autumn 2023, please read the following

Message from our director of graduate studies .

Director of Graduate Studies: James Tweedie ( [email protected] )  Graduate Program Advisor: Yuko Mera ( [email protected] )

Introduction

Our five-year Ph.D. program concentrates on scholarship and research as preparation for teaching at the university or college level in cinema and media studies. In addition, Ph.D. students will emerge with:

• ) an interdisciplinary understanding of the field from a humanistic perspective;
• ) the ability to assess and implement diverse pedagogical techniques;
• ) the ability to engage in primary research on a subject of their choosing;
• ) a sense of the role of cinema and media in national identity, globalization, and other forms of transnationalism;
• ) a familiarity with a range of historiographic practices in the field;
• ) an awareness of the importance of media technologies as objects;
• ) recognition of the crucial role of the aesthetic encounter; and
• ) advanced reading knowledge in at least one language other than English.

The faculty  in the Department of Cinema and Media Studies have particular strengths in world cinema; silent-era film; documentary cinema; Chinese cinemas; South Asian cinemas; media technologies; television studies; new media; digital studies; race, gender, and media. For more information see our faculty list .

Admission Requirements

Master of Arts degree in Film Studies, Media Studies, or equivalent background. 

Application

Click here for information on applying to the program.

Program Curriculum

(Enrolled students should consult the graduate student handbook for detailed policies and procedures.) 

See chart below for expected progress through the program. 

Course work

Ph.D. students in Cinema and Media Studies will be trained in the general methods and issues in the field, pedagogical techniques, as well as in various subfields of the discipline. Therefore, students are required to take CMS 525 Pedagogy and CMS 520 Methods and Approaches as well as three of the four core seminars: CMS 570 Media Lab, CMS 571 National Frameworks, CMS 572 Historiography, and CMS 573 Aesthetics. An additional 25 credits of graded coursework at the 500 level are also required. 

Language Requirements

Advanced reading knowledge in one language other than English must be demonstrated before the end of the second year after entry into the program. Language competence is attested either by exams or by completion of satisfactory coursework in the language.

General Examination

The General Examination is normally taken in the Autumn quarter of the third year after enrollment. It consists of both a written and oral component, with emphasis on the latter. 

Dissertation

Dissertation topics can be chosen from a broad range of areas with the field of cinema and media studies. Any member of the graduate faculty appointed in Cinema and Media Studies may supervise a dissertation.

Final Examination

Candidates must defend their dissertation via an oral examination administered by the dissertation committee. 

Sample Progress Chart for the Ph.D.

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• Film & Media Studies

Film & Media Studies is an interdisciplinary field. Students have the option to apply for admission to one of two tracks within the program: either solely to the PhD in Film & Media Studies or to a combined program track involving one of the following disciplines: African American Studies, American Studies, Comparative Literature, East Asian Languages & Literatures, English, French, German, History of Art, Italian Studies, and Slavic Languages & Literatures. In addition to acquiring a firm grounding in the methods and core material of film and media studies (and, for the combined degree track students, another discipline), all students are expected to coordinate a plan of study involving comprehensive knowledge of one or more areas of specialization.

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John MacKay

Director of Graduate Studies

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Katherine Kowalczyk

Departmental Registrar

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Dan Rehberg

Departmental Registrar (Spring 2024)

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Admission Requirements

Standardized testing requirements.

GRE is not accepted.

Program-Specific Application Requirements

A writing sample is required by this program. 

English Language Requirement

TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic is required of most applicants whose native language is not English.

You may be exempt from this requirement if you have received (or will receive) an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction, and if you have studied in residence at that institution for at least three years.

Combined Degree Program Application Deadline

*The deadline to submit an application to a combined program is always the earlier deadline of the two individual programs, or December 15, whichever comes first.

Academic Information

Combined phd information.

Film & Media Studies offers a combined PhD in conjunction with several other departments and programs including: African American Studies , American Studies , Comparative Literature , English , East Asian Languages and Literatures , French , German , History of Art , Italian Studies , and Slavic Languages and Literatures .

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The Graduate School's academic calendar lists important dates and deadlines related to coursework, registration, financial processes, and milestone events such as graduation.

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Registration Information and Dates

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Students must register every term in which they are enrolled in the Graduate School. Registration for a given term takes place the semester prior, and so it's important to stay on top of your academic plan. The University Registrar's Office oversees the systems that students use to register. Instructions about how to use those systems and the dates during which registration occurs can be found on their registration website.

Financial Information

Phd stipend & funding.

PhD students at Yale are normally full-funded for a minimum of five years. During that time, our students receive a twelve-month stipend to cover living expenses and a fellowship that covers the full cost of tuition and student healthcare.

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PhD in Screen Cultures

The Screen Cultures Ph.D. program at Northwestern University is a leading doctoral program that conducts and mentors innovative research in the history, theory, and criticism of film, television, digital, and sound media. Integrating interdisciplinary opportunities both within Northwestern’s Department of Radio/Television/Film and departments across campus, the Screen Cultures program provides an exceptional humanities-based course of study.

Students work with interdisciplinary faculty across Northwestern and Chicago, including internationally known scholars in film, television, digital media, and sound studies. Students may opt to take courses from a variety of disciplines within the School of Communication and the Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences, including Sociology, English, German, French and Italian, Art History, Comparative Literature, Music Studies, African American Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Performance Studies, Theatre, and Communication Studies.

In addition to core subjects in the history and theory of film, television, digital, and sound media, students can enroll in specialty seminars with topics such as: Feminist Media Studies; African American cinema; TV, Video, and Media Arts; Postcolonial Cinema, Screen Technologies; Cultural Theory; Media Places; Media and the Environment; the Video Essay; and numerous author and genre courses.

The program attracts visiting speakers and artists through its speaker series and colloquia, exposing students to celebrated researchers and media makers. State-of-the-art production and viewing facilities allow for screenings of the latest media and lively discussions with preeminent scholars.

The rich and rigorous experiences found within the Screen Cultures program will prepare you for the academic job market and mentor you in the art of writing for scholarly publications, while creating exciting intellectual exchange.

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• PhD: English

PhD: Film & Media Studies

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The  PhD in Film and Media Studies  with English as the Associated Department is an interdisciplinary and interdepartmental degree that stresses the history, theory, and aesthetics of international cinema, video, television, and new media. While the student will earn a PhD in Film and Media Studies (granted by the Film and Media Studies Program), he or she will also be a full member of one of six associated departments (in this case, English) and will fulfill its requirements (many of which will overlap with those of Film Studies). English will appear as the official Area of Concentration on the student’s transcript. Thus, the student graduating with a PhD in Film Studies will be doubly qualified: in film studies as well as in a secondary area.

How to Apply

Students apply for the Film & Media Studies PhD with English as the associated department through the  Film and Media Studies  program. Use the Dietrich School website's  Liaison GradCAS  service. Select "Film Studies-PHD" then choose English as your area of specialization on another pull-down menu. Contact the Film and Media Studies program with questions ( Mark Lynn Anderson , Director of Graduate Studies), or for more information see the Interdisciplinary PhD in Film and Media Studies page .

The requirements for the degree are below.

During the first three years in the program, students take 13 graduate seminars.

Of those, the required courses are as follows:

• Seminar in Pedagogy
• Introduction to Graduate Studies (1 cr.)
• Core courses from two of the departmental programs that are part of the PhD (Composition, Film, and Literature)
• Film History/Theory I ENGFLM 2451
• Film History/Theory II ENGFLM 2452
• 4 Elective Film Studies Courses
• Film Studies Proseminar ENGFLM 2905 (1 credit and not counted as a seminar)

Of the total six required seminars, the student must take at least two courses taught by a member of the faculty outside of the student’s associated department or listed in such a department. These courses can include the two required core courses.

Language Requirement

PhD candidates must demonstrate significant acquaintance with one or more languages other than English.

Normally this requirement is fulfilled through reading knowledge of two languages, undertaking further study of one language, or by beginning a new language. Language requirements must be fulfilled before a student takes the PhD project examinations, described below.

PhD Project

At the end of the third year, students develop a critical project in Film and Media Studies (e.g., film, television, photography, video, or new media) that functions as the comprehensive examination required to achieve doctoral candidacy. This project defines an area of study sufficiently broad in scope to suggest a range of long-term intellectual goals that build on previous coursework and prepare them for more focused dissertation work. At least one member of a student’s three-member project committee) must be a member of the Film and Media Studies graduate faculty in English (generally, the committee chair). Additionally, more film faculty from English may comprise the student’s two other committee members.

Between the end of the third year and the end of the fall term of the fourth year, students write a 30-page project paper or papers that explore some of the problems and issues laid out in the proposal and developed in the course of their research. The final phase of the PhD project is a written and oral exam, which takes place before the second term of the fourth year. The exam phase of the project builds on the proposal, the bibliography, the Project Forum, and the project paper.

The overarching goals of the PhD project are to prepare students for the broadly informed yet in-depth inquiry required of a dissertation, and to facilitate participation in the critical intellectual activity of Film Studies.

Dissertation Prospectus

After students have passed their project examinations, they will register for Independent Study credits (normally during the spring term of the fourth year in the program) in order to write a prospectus for the dissertation.

The student should choose a dissertation director (a member of the Film and Media Studies graduate faculty in English) and a committee at this time (which entails two additional members from English, and a fourth from the Film and Media Studies graduate faculty in one of five other departments (French, German, Hispanic, History of Art and Architecture, Slavic).

Once a dissertation committee has been formed, the student submits a formal dissertation prospectus to the committee for approval.

Dissertation

Once students have had their dissertation prospectus passed and have been admitted to doctoral candidacy, they should begin the work of researching and writing the dissertation. Normally students will complete the dissertation during the fifth and sixth years in the program. Review Pitt's Graduate Studies web site for more information.

All Film and Media Studies PhD students must teach at least one film-related course during their time at Pitt (Introduction to Film). Actually, students whose associated department is English teach numerous such courses during their course of study (e.g. Seminar in Composition/Film, Introduction to Film, and possibly Film Analysis, World Film History, Introduction to Film Genres, etc.)

PhD students in Film and Media Studies with English as their Associate Department will receive funding through the Department of English. See the  funding page  for more information.

Competitive Fellowships

Film and Media Studies PhD students are eligible for a number of competitive fellowships. For these opportunities, see the  competitive fellowships page.

Students will receive teaching assistantships through their associated department of English, which offers numerous opportunities (after the first year of teaching) to teach courses in Film and Media Studies (e.g., Seminar in Composition/Film, Introduction to Film, and possibly Film Analysis, World Film History, Introduction to Film Genres, etc.).

All Film and Media Studies PhD students must teach at least one film-related course during their time at Pitt (Introduction to Film). Students whose associated department is English routinely teach this class.

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This research degree involves in-depth and extended study of a specialised topic, within the broad range of film and media studies, which is identified and developed by the student in consultation with their research supervisor(s), all of whom have world-leading expertise.

Research students in our department investigate a wide range of specialised topics, especially in the areas of European, American and East Asian cinema and media; social, cultural, political and technological analyses of moving images; and film and media theory and film-philosophy. In the UK's most recent national audit of research, the Research Excellence Framework 2014, 87% of our research was given the highest rankings of 4* or 3* and we were also rated highly for the public and societal impact of our research. We have a close relationship with the British Film Institute and its renowned Reuben Library, based in the Southbank Centre, ten minutes walk from our central London campus on the Strand. Many other world-leading research libraries and archives are located nearby. Alongside their research, we offer our students formal teaching opportunities on our undergraduate degrees, providing valuable professional experience. All our students also pursue individually-tailored programmes of skills training and frequently work at film festivals and other media-related or educational events across London. Our fortnightly Film Studies Research Seminars bring leading experts to King's from outside and are both intellectually challenging and socially engaging. Our PhD students make up a vibrant, energetic, and friendly community, full of innovative ideas, and one of the largest of its kind at any university in the UK. 

Film Studies Research

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• Doctor of Philosophy in Cinema and Media Studies (PhD)
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The Ph.D. program offers students the opportunity to pursue Cinema and Media Studies through coursework, comprehensive exams, a viva, and a dissertation project. Students are expected to give primary attention to an area of expertise of their choice while training in the broader theoretical, critical, and historical contexts of the chosen field.  

Faculty research specialties include strengths in contemporary cinemas and media culture, one that highlights media and film theory, cult cinema, documentary studies, early cinema, feminist and post-feminist media studies, American, Canadian and European cinemas, television studies, and sound studies. There are particular strengths in contemporary Anglophone cinema and television products and cultures within a global context. Our students occasionally engage with professors and students in our renowned directing, design and film production graduate programs.

We accept up to two students per year, and we strongly urge applicants to consider whether their project matches our faculty’s past expertise or current research interests.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

What makes the program unique?

B.C.’s favourable position as a hub for the international film and media production industry allows opportunities for research topics and case studies not easily available elsewhere.

As a selective boutique program, we provide close mentorship of all accepted students. We are usually able to provide teaching assistant experience to PhD. students in our large first and second year undergraduate courses. At the ABD stage, students may have the opportunity to teach an undergraduate course. Graduate students have the opportunity to work on the film studies journal Cinephile. The Visual Resources Centre provides access to nearly 10,000 DVDs. The Centre for Cinema and Media Studies in the Department occasionally sponsors visiting scholars. UBC has the second largest research library in Canada, including the 30,000 Videomatica collection, a unique resource.

It was a wonderful surprise discovering just how close UBC is to the ocean. The view looking down Main Mall towards the ocean and the mountains still takes my breath away.

Gabrielle Berry

Quick Facts

Program enquiries, admission information & requirements, 1) check eligibility, minimum academic requirements.

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:

• Canada or the United States
• International countries other than the United States

Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

Overall score requirement : 100

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement : 6.5

Other Test Scores

Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:

The GRE is not required.

Prior degree, course and other requirements

Prior degree requirements.

Master's degree in Cinema Studies, Film Studies or Media Studies.

2) Meet Deadlines

3) prepare application, transcripts.

All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.

Letters of Reference

A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

Statement of Interest

Many programs require a statement of interest , sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.

Supervision

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Cinema and Media Studies (PhD)

Citizenship verification.

Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.

4) Apply Online

All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.

Research Information

Research focus.

With strengths in contemporary cinemas and media culture, the current faculty offer a program that highlights media and film theory, cult cinema, documentary studies, feminist and post-feminist media studies, American, Canadian and European cinemas, television studies, and sound studies. There are particular strengths in contemporary Anglophone cinema and television products and cultures within a global context.

Research Facilities

UBC Library is the home of the 30,000 plus Videomatica collection recently purchased and catalogued, a unique resource.

Tuition & Financial Support

Financial support.

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.

Program Funding Packages

From September 2024 all full-time students in UBC-Vancouver PhD programs will be provided with a funding package of at least $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. Please note that many graduate programs provide funding packages that are substantially greater than $24,000 per year. Please check with your prospective graduate program for specific details of the funding provided to its PhD students.

Average Funding

• 5 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 5 students was $12,140.
• 4 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 4 students was $3,338.
• 2 students received Academic Assistantships. Average AA funding based on 2 students was $1,489.
• 5 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 5 students was $22,582.
• 1 student received external awards valued at $35,000.

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union .

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans .

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement .

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Outcomes

Career options.

We expect graduates to find employment in the teaching sector at both college and university level; in administrative posts for cultural producers, such as for Electronic games, Film and TV production companies; in research positions covering cultural policy development, such as at Creative BC, Telefilm, NFB, or the provincial or federal civil service; in journalism, freelance writing, cinematheque curation management; various posts in the field of marketing communications for both corporations and non-profits.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Cinema and Media Studies (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

• Research Supervisors

This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.

• Brown, William (film-philosophy, digital media, posthumanism, critical race theory)
• Coulthard, Lisa (film theory and violence; film sound and violence, contemporary American and European cinemas, continental philosophy and Lacanian theory)
• Frackman, Kyle (Cinema studies; Media studies (except social media and digital media); Literature and literary studies; Cultural studies; queer studies; German studies; media studies; history of sexuality; sexuality; sexuality studies; East Germany; film; Gender Studies; history of science; literature; Media; Media Types (Radio, Television, Written Press, etc.); Scandinavia)
• Iurascu, Ilinca (Comparative literatures; Theories of cultural studies; Media, visual and digital culture; German literature; Comparative Literature; Cultural Studies; media theory; Media history; critical theory; film studies)
• Johnston, Kirsty (Dramatic literature and theatre history with particular interest in disability arts and intersections between health, disability and performance )
• Karwowska, Bozena (Sexuality, Body and Gender in Nazi Concentration Camps)
• Laird, Colleen (Japanese media and gender studies; Gendered image production, gendered reception, and women in industry; Video games, new media, streaming media, animation (anime), and comics (manga); Paratexts: distribution, exhibition, and production materials; Film theory, genre theory, transnational cinemas and star texts, and feminist and queer theory)
• Liu, Siyuan (twentieth century Chinese theatre and Asian Canadian theatre)
• Malakaj, Ervin (Literature and literary studies; German studies; German Film Studies; German Media Studies; German Media History; Queer Theory and Queer Studies; Feminist and Queer Film Historiography; Critical Pedagogy)
• Marshall, Hallie (Performing arts; Ancient Greek Theatre; Arts and Cultural Traditions; Classics; Contemporary British Theatre; Cultural Industries; History of the Book; Literary or Artistic Work Dissemination or Reception Contexts; Performance and Theatrical Productions; Poetry; Reception Studies; Religion, Culture and Space; Theatre; Tony Harrison)
• Marshall, Christopher Warren (Cinema studies; Classical Greek and Ancient Rome history; Classical archaeology; Classical linguistics; Film, television and digital media; Religion and religious studies; Literary or Artistic Works Analysis; Performance and Theatrical Productions)
• Mathijs, Ernest (film, alternative cinema, independent cinema, European cinema, horror film, David Cronenberg, film audiences, film festivals, censorship, fantasy film, Lord of the Rings, Film studies)
• Mota, Miguel (Post-1945 British literature, print culture)
• Orbaugh, Sharalyn (modern Japanese culture (literature, film, manga, animation, kamishibai); East Asian women’s issues; anti-racist pegagogy, Japanese narrative and visual culture)
• Rea, Christopher (Chinese literatures; Asian history; Chinese literature; Cinema; Print culture; translation; Humor)
• Santos, Alessandra (Cinema studies; Film, television and digital media; Latin American history; Latin American literatures; Spanish language; Artistic and Literary Analysis Models; Artistic and Literary Theories; Arts and Cultural Traditions; Arts and Technologies; Brazilian Literature and Culture; Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies; Latin American Literatures and Cultures; Modern and Contemporary Literatures and Cultures)
• Scholte, Tom (Theatre, film, and television)
• Smith, Tai (History of art and architecture; Art theory and analysis; Visual theory, visual culture and visual literacy; Arts and Technologies; Economical Contexts; Gender; media theory; Modern and Contemporary Art and Design; Politics of Media and Mediation; Textiles)
• Testa, Carlo (Italian literature, history of cinema, theory/film studies )
• Tomc, Sandra (Nineteenth-century US literature, twentieth- century US entertainment and film, gothic literature and film, screenwriting, affect and psychoanalytic theory, fear and horror, film and image theory)
• Walsh, Shannon (Media arts; Critical identity, ethnic and race studies; Social and cultural anthropology; South Africa; Afropessimism & Critical Race Studies; Documentary; Film Production; Indigenous studies; Environmental justice; Affect Theory)
• Zuo, Mila (Cinema & Media studies; film studies; Contemporary Asian and transnational cinemas; Film philosophy; Acting and performance studies; Star studies; Digital and new media; Critical theories of gender, sexuality, and race and ethnicity)

Related Programs

Same specialization.

• Master of Arts in Cinema and Media Studies (MA)

Same Academic Unit

• Doctor of Philosophy in Theatre (PhD)
• Master of Arts in Theatre (MA)
• Master of Fine Arts in Film Production (MFA)
• Master of Fine Arts in Theatre (MFA)

Further Information

Specialization.

The Cinema and Media Studies research specializes in contemporary cinemas and media culture, cult cinema, documentary studies, feminist and post-feminist media studies and sound studies among many others.

UBC Calendar

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Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form .

Gerrit Krueper

I decided to join UBC primarily due to my, now, supervisor Ernest Mathijs, who is an exceptional scholar of media and audience reception. He provides the necessary academic background, experience and network to push my work to its fullest potentials. Other secondary reasons were the beautiful...

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Film Studies PhD

Key information, full-time - 4 years, part-time - 8 years.

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Why choose this programme

• Our film researchers work on a range of specialist areas within the areas of cinema studies and visual studies, including issues of gender, the connection between music and the cinema, documentary film and media, genre cinema, cognitive analysis of the moving image and animation studies.
• Our researchers have close links to the  Department of Music and Media  at Surrey, which also carries out cutting-edge research. 
• We’re part of  TECHNE , an  Arts and Humanities Research Council  (AHRC)-funded doctoral training partnership, which provides access to comprehensive academic and professional training programmes, as well as the possibility of funding for your studies.

Frequently asked questions about doing a PhD

What you will study

Our PhD in Film Studies will train you in critical and analytical skills, research methods, and knowledge that will equip you for your professional or academic career. It normally takes around three or four years to complete our full-time PhD.

You’ll be assigned a primary and secondary supervisor, who will meet with you regularly to read and discuss your work and make sure that you’re on track. For us, writing is essential for understanding and developing new perspectives, so you’ll be submitting written work right from the start of your course.

In your first year, you’ll refine your research proposal and plan the structure of your work with the guidance and support of your supervisors. As you go into your second and third year, you’ll gradually learn to work more independently, and your supervisors will guide you on how to present at conferences and get your work published.

As a doctoral student in the School of Literatures and Languages, you’ll receive a structured training programme covering the practical aspects of being a researcher, including grant-writing, publishing in journals, and applying for academic jobs.

After 12-15 months, you’ll submit a substantial piece of work for a confirmation examination. The examination will be conducted by two internal members of staff not on your supervisory team and will give you the opportunity to gain additional guidance on your research-to-date. The final two years of your PhD will be devoted to expanding and refining your work ready for submission of the final thesis.

Your final assessment will be based on the presentation of your research in a written thesis, which will be discussed in a viva examination by a panel of one or more external examiners as well as an internal examiner. You have the option of preparing your thesis as a monograph (one large volume in chapter form) or in publication format (including chapters written for publication), subject to the approval of your supervisors.

Research support

The professional development of postgraduate researchers is supported by the Doctoral College , which provides training in essential skills through its Researcher Development Programme of workshops, mentoring and coaching. A dedicated postgraduate careers and employability team will help you prepare for a successful career after the completion of your PhD.

You’ll also be able to take advantage of a wide range of services to support and develop your writing and research skills, including the University’s  Researcher Development Programme . 

In addition to a number of excellent training opportunities offered by the University, our PhD students can take additional subject-specific training and take part in seminars and events which provide a valuable opportunity to meet visiting scholars whose work connects with our own research strengths.

Research themes

• Environmental humanities
• Documentary
• Cognitive analysis of moving image
• The film industry and popular film/culture.

Our academic staff

See a full list of all our  academic staff  within the School of Literature and Languages.

Research centres and themes

Research facilities.

You’ll be allocated shared office space within the School of Literature and Languages and have full access to our library and online resources. Our close proximity to London also means that the British Library and many other important archives are within easy reach.

You’ll also be able to take advantage of a wide range of services to support and develop your writing and research skills, including the University’s  Researcher Development Programme . In addition to a number of excellent training opportunities offered by the University, our PhD students can take additional subject-specific training and take part in the School’s seminars and events which provide a valuable opportunity to meet visiting scholars whose work connects with our own research strengths.

In the first couple of months I was collaborating with fellow researchers developing the Surrey Arts and Humanities Research Group where I did my first talk at Surrey

Entry requirements

Applicants are expected to hold a a good first-class UK degree (a minimum 2:1 or equivalent) and an MA in a relevant topic.

Applicants are expected to hold an upper second-class (2:1) UK degree (65 per cent or above) in psychology (or a related discipline).

International entry requirements by country

English language requirements.

IELTS Academic:  7.0 or above with a minimum of 6.5 in each component (or equivalent).

These are the English language qualifications and levels that we can accept. 

If you do not currently meet the level required for your programme, we offer intensive pre-sessional English language courses , designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.

Application requirements

Applicants are advised to contact potential supervisors before they submit an application via the website. Please refer to section two of our  application guidance .

After registration

Students are initially registered for a PhD with probationary status and, subject to satisfactory progress, subsequently confirmed as having PhD status.

Selection process

Selection is based on applicants:

• Meeting the expected entry requirements
• Being shortlisted through the application screening process
• Completing a successful interview
• Providing suitable references.

Student life

At Surrey we offer the best of both worlds – a friendly campus university, set in beautiful countryside with the convenience and social life of Guildford on your doorstep.

Start date: October 2024

Start date: January 2025

Start date: April 2025

Start date: July 2025

• Annual fees will increase by 4% for each year of study, rounded up to the nearest £100 (subject to legal requirements).
• Any start date other than September will attract a pro-rata fee for that year of entry (75 per cent for January, 50 per cent for April and 25 per cent for July).

View the list of fees for all postgraduate research courses.

Additional costs

There are additional costs that you can expect to incur when studying at Surrey.

A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course.

Apply online

If you are applying for a studentship to work on a particular project, please provide details of the project instead of a research proposal.

Read our application guidance for further information on applying.

To apply online first select the course you'd like to apply for then log in.

1. Select your course

Select the course you wish to apply for.

To apply online sign in or create an account.

Code of practice for research degrees

Surrey’s postgraduate research code of practice sets out the University's policy and procedural framework relating to research degrees. The code defines a set of standard procedures and specific responsibilities covering the academic supervision, administration and assessment of research degrees for all faculties within the University.

Download the code of practice for research degrees (PDF) .

Terms and conditions

When you accept an offer to study at the University of Surrey, you are agreeing to follow our policies and procedures , student regulations , and terms and conditions .

We provide these terms and conditions in two stages:

• First when we make an offer.
• Second when students accept their offer and register to study with us (registration terms and conditions will vary depending on your course and academic year).

View our generic registration terms and conditions (PDF) for the 2023/24 academic year, as a guide on what to expect.

This online prospectus has been published in advance of the academic year to which it applies.

Whilst we have done everything possible to ensure this information is accurate, some changes may happen between publishing and the start of the course.

It is important to check this website for any updates before you apply for a course with us. Read our full disclaimer .

Course location and contact details

Campus location

Stag Hill is the University's main campus and where the majority of our courses are taught. 

University of Surrey Admissions

University of Surrey Guildford Surrey GU2 7XH

Film and Media Studies Program

Combined phd in comparative literature and film and media studies, program of courses.

16 term-courses will be the norm, taken over a two-year period.  In some cases a candidate may be allowed to take one of these courses in the fifth term of study.

A.  Requirements in Film and Media Studies: 6 courses

• FILM 601 Films and Their Study (offered every other Fall term)
• Four additional seminars in Film Studies

B.  Requirements in Comparative Literature: 6 courses

• Proseminar in Comparative Literature (taken first term offered)
• One course in theoretical issues
• A course involving  poetry and one drama
• Any course can count for more than one designation

C.  Four other courses to be worked out with DGS of both units.

• Students may gain up to two course credits for prior graduate work if approved by the DGSs and the Graduate School  

A.  Excellent English and one other language at admission

B.  An additional research-related language, satisfied by the fifth term:

• Passing the “advanced reading-for-research” course or related exam in the pertinent language
• Passing any Yale course in the language.  

Oral Exa minations

A.  By the end of the third semester the candidate will meet with the DGS of both units to agree on the six topics (also called “questions) to be prepared, paying attention to generic, geographic, and historical range and to methodological or theoretical approaches.  Of the six questions taken up in the oral, half should emphasize literary studies, half Film and Media Studies, though primary texts in both fields may appear on the list drawn up for any question.

B.  By the end of the fourth semester, the candidate will submit to both DGSs the list of readings, prepared for each question.  Final versions of the lists are signed by each faculty member involved a week before the oral, which normally takes place by the end of the fifth semester, in six 15-minute sections.

C.  Should the responses to a question be judged inadequate, the committee may call for its reexamination at a later date or may impose remedial work, such as a bibliographic paper.

The Dissertation Prospectus

The prospectus, prepared with one or two advisors (one from Comparative Literature), is presented to the Comparative Literature Standing committee in the sixth term, and never later than the outset of the seventh term.  At the end of the hour discussion, and with the advisor(s) and a DGS present, the faculty will decide either to pass the prospectus as is, or ask the student to submit a further draft either to the advisor or the standing committee (generally without necessitating a further live meeting). In all cases the finished version of the prospectus will also be submitted to the DGS in Film and Media Studies who distributes it to thst faculty for ratification.  Once final approval of the prospectus comes from both units, the student will be advanced to candidacy for the degree.

Defense of Method

Occurs in the semester preceding submission of the dissertation. This 60-90 minute oral involves the presentation of 80% of the dissertation for discussion and questioning.  At this meeting the DGS, advisor(s) and the three official readers of the dissertation will give advice and correct errors so that the work will be in its optimal form when submitted.  The DGSs appoint the three readers to assess the dissertation, two of which are normally from Comparative Literature and one from Film and Media Studies. Note that the advisor(s) may not write the final assessments of the dissertation.  

East Asian Languages and Literatures

Combined ph.d. program in film.

The study of an East Asian cinema requires considerable knowledge of both film studies and the history and culture of the region, and is thus a field often best pursued through combined interdisciplinary study in film and Asian literature or culture. The Combined Ph.D. Degree Program in Film Studies and East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale aims to cultivate scholars of Asian cinema with rigorous training in both fields. This is a true combined degree program, with each department being the student’s “major” field and thus with complementary sets of requirements. Students must develop considerable knowledge not only of their East Asian cinema, but also of East Asian literature unrelated to film, and cinema apart from East Asian film. Such scholars can pursue a variety of career possibilities, in either a film studies or an East Asian literatures department, or elsewhere.

Admission to and Administration of the Combined Ph.D. Degree

The application for the Combined Degree Program is administered by the Office of Graduate Admissions. To apply online, please visit their website at https://gsas.yale.edu/admissions . Interested students designate Film Studies and East Asian Languages and Literatures (EALL) on their application. All applications, including writing samples, are read by the admissions committees of both departments. Every student admitted to the Combined Program will then be under the combined supervision of the Film Studies Program and EALL. The student’s plan of study will be worked out in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) of Film Studies and the DGS of EALL.

Requirements and Progress toward the Degree

Students are required to take sixteen courses over a two-year period. In some cases, a candidate may be allowed to take up to two courses in the third year of study while preparing for the oral examination.

The general breakdown of course requirements is as follows:

A: Requirements in Film Studies: Six courses 1. Films and Their Study (offered every other Fall term) 2. Historical Methods of Film Study (offered in Fall term in alternation with Films and Their Study) 3. Four additional seminars in Film Studies

B: Requirements in EALL: Eight courses in East Asian studies 1. Includes a course in research methods

C: Other courses: Two courses 1. These courses, often outside of film and East Asian studies, are to be selected in consultation with the DGSs of both units. 2. Students may gain up to four course credits for prior graduate-level course work upon approval of both DGSs.

D: Languages 1. International students must have a high proficiency in English at admission. Graduate coursework (seminars presentations, papers, etc.) at Yale is conducted in English. 2. A minimum of three years of course study in an East Asian language upon admission. Students who have not studied classical Japanese or Chinese will do so in their first year in the program. 3. Reading knowledge of one European language (usually French) must be attained by the time of qualifying examinations.

E: Other At the end of each academic year, until a student is admitted to candidacy, a faculty committee will review the student’s progress.  For the second year review, the student must submit a revised seminar research paper, on a topic selected in consultation with the adviser, no later than April 1 of the fourth term.

A student has some flexibility in planning his or her courses, but a precise plan of study will be worked out in consultation with the DGS in both departments. Students could, for instance, take East Asian-related courses in the History, Anthropology or History of Art departments, as well as East Asian cinema courses offered through EALL, to fulfill the EALL requirements, but through courses and readings they must also prepare for examination questions in classical and modern East Asian literature.

A student advances to candidacy by completing a number of formal procedures:

• 1. No later than the end of the sixth term the student will take the qualifying examination. The examination will be broken into three sections of approximately 30 minutes each:
• A significant aspect of East Asian literature
• A significant topic in Film and Media studies
• A topic involving East Asian Cinema and Culture
• These fields and accompanying reading lists should be signed by all three examiners and will be due at the EALL department office by October 1st of the third year.
• 2. A one-hour oral examination covering key primary and secondary texts in Film Studies, and administered by two members of the Film Studies graduate committee,taken at a time to be agreed upon by members of the faculty in Film Studies.
• 3. The submission of a dissertation prospectus to the Department of EALL and to the Film Studies graduate committee for approval at the begining of the seventh term, by September 1.

Once these three steps have been successfully completed, the student has advanced to candidacy. Upon completing these requirements the student will begin work on a dissertation, in close cooperation with an adviser. .Once the student and dissertation adviser deem the dissertation finished, a public defense of the completed work shall be held. At least one examiner of the dissertation must be a member of the graduate Film Studies committee and one a member of EALL.

Teaching Fellowships

All admitted students receive the standard fellowship package as administered by the Graduate School. Ordinarily, students in this program will be offered opportunities to serve as Teaching Fellows in their third and fourth years of registration. Students in the Combined Program will have opportunities to teach in at least two film studies courses and can expect to have opportunities to teach in East Asian language and literature courses as well.

Study Abroad and Internships

Opportunities for study and residency in East Asia will be the same for students in the Combined Program as they are for all students in EALL. These include all fellowships and grants administered by the Graduate School as well as eligibility for the R. U. Light Fellowships for language study in East Asia, and other grants and fellowships for language study, pre-dissertation research and research-related travel, and dissertation research and writing administered by the Council on East Asian Studies . In Film Studies, one or two internships exist for candidates past their third year of study. These provide a stipend for one year as the intern helps prepare and stage the annual film series and colloquium at the Whitney Humanities Center .

Please also read the graduate study section of the Film Studies Program website for more details on application procedures and other issues.

Postgraduate research courses in Film Studies

The Department of Film Studies maintains a vibrant and comprehensive research programme in global film cultures, with staff expertise ranging from early cinema to digital media, from feminist cinema to film activism.

The Department was ranked second in the UK for Media and Film Studies by The Guardian Good University Guide 2024 .

It offers state-of-the-art facilities , including specially fitted seminar and screenings rooms, a 3D projector, virtual reality, and a collection of over 9,000 audio-visual works. The Department also maintains one of the most robust Film Studies PhD communities in the UK with approximately 15 students working on a range of exciting topics and hailing from five continents.

The PhD programme offers three years of supervision on your own research project, culminating in a dissertation thesis. An additional continuation year with supervision is available in year four if needed.

Whilst writing your thesis is the major aim of your three years, you will also gain a number of other skills during this period which are essential for entrance into the current job market:

• participating in and running specifically designed workshops, symposia, and study days
• organising an annual postgraduate research conference
• editing and contributing to Frames Cinema Journal
• teaching experience in tutorials and guest lectures for sub-honours courses
• publishing scholarship (book reviews, articles, edited collections)
• applying for grants.

The Department offers an annual travel fund (subject to annual budget confirmation) for conference travel and other related expenses. It also offers an annual budget for library books and DVDs .

NOTE: For PhD entry in 2024/25, there are a number of funding opportunities available (see funding ). The deadline for these applications is 8 December 2023.

What will my three years look like?

A typical PhD might progress as follows (depending on the student and their longer-term ambitions):

Time is spent on in-depth research into your chosen field of study. By the end of the year you will have:

• completed at least one chapter of your thesis
• participated in the annual postgraduate conference
• drafted a full plan for your thesis (chapter breakdown)
• worked out your timetable for completion.

This is a good year in which to hone language skills, take extended research trips overseas, or establish links with external institutions. Former students have made research trips during their first year to places including Hong Kong, Russia, Turkey, Hungary and South Korea.

• Write at least two further chapters
• Gain experience as a seminar tutor throughout the year
• Participate in, and perhaps organise, the annual postgraduate conference or a funded symposium/study day
• Write book reviews
• Deliver conference papers at other institutions, either nationally or internationally
• Gain experience in external institutions (internships, public engagement work).
• Complete and submit a final draft of your thesis and have your viva defence
• Consolidate your teaching experience as a seminar tutor or gaining experience and contacts with external cultural institutions
• Participate in, and organise, the annual postgraduate conference
• Work up a draft of a journal article for submission to a reputable refereed journal
• Deliver conference papers at other institutions.

Year four (optional)

If needed, you can take a continuation year to complete and submit a final draft of your thesis and have your viva defence.

Continue working on publications, conferences and even applications for funding, as you enter the job market.

Research supervisors

Below is a list of staff who can supervise research. You are encouraged to make contact with a potential supervisor prior to applying.

Professor Glyn Davis

Professor in Film Studies

Professor Davis would be interested in supervising projects in the following areas:

• experimental and avant-garde cinema
• artists' film and video
• queer and trans cinema
• film and the archive
• underground and cult film
• cinema and ecology

Dr Lucy Fife Donaldson

Senior Lecturer in Film Studies

Dr Donaldson would welcome projects from students working in:

• film and television performance and aesthetics
• affect and embodiment in film and television
• audio-visual design
• film criticism
• genre (especially horror and melodrama)
• American cinema.

Dr Paul Flaig

Lecturer in Film Studies

Dr Flaig would welcome projects from students working in:

• silent and early film studies
• media theory and archaeology
• film comedy
• German cinema
• film theory (especially psychoanalysis and the Frankfurt School).

Dr Philippa Lovatt

Dr Lovatt would welcome projects from students working in:

• Ecologies and Environments on screen
• Sound Theory
• East and Southeast Asian art cinemas
• Experimental film and documentary
• History and Memory in global art cinemas
• Transnational spaces of production and exhibition of artists’ moving image
• Non-Western approaches to film theory and history

Dr Tyler Parks

Dr Parks would be particularly interested in working with students in the following areas:

• Environmental Film Studies 
• Space, Place, and Landscape in Film 
• Experimental Film and Documentary 
• Global Art Cinema 
• East Asian Cinemas (especially Japan and Taiwan) 
• Film Theory 

Professor Tom Rice

Professor Rice would welcome approaches from students working on the following areas:

• film and media history
• colonial cinema
• British documentary and non-fiction
• early American cinema
• world cinemas (especially pre-1960)
• non-theatrical film practices
• educational and government film.

He would be particularly interested in supervising projects that engage with primary research materials or that work with film archives.

Dr Viviane Saglier

Dr Saglier would welcome projects from students working on:

• Arab cinema 
• Anticolonial, postcolonial and decolonial approaches 
• Transnational and global approaches 
• Film festivals and film infrastructures
• Feminist cinema 
• Political documentaries and critical human rights

Dr Isabel Seguí

Dr Seguí would be interested in supervising projects in the following areas:

• Film collectives
• Peruvian cinema
• Bolivian cinema
• Latin American women's filmmaking
• Production studies
• Feminist and decolonial approaches to film studies

Dr Leshu Torchin

Dr Torchin is interested in advising students working in the areas of:

• Documentary Film and Nonfiction Media
• Human Rights, Genocide, and Film/Media
• Media Activism and Film/Media
• Participatory and Community Media
• History and Memory
• Health and Disability
• Economic and Social Justice

For full information see the list of funding opportunities for PhD study at the University of St Andrews. Specific funding opportunities at St Andrews include:

Department of Film Studies scholarships

For entry in 2024/25, the Department of Film Studies will be offering scholarships, which will include fee waivers and partial stipends , available to both Home/EU and overseas students. These fee waivers will cover the full fees for the three years of the PhD programme. These are competitive awards and to be considered for this, students must complete the application process to the PhD programme by 8 December 2023 and confirm that they wish to be considered for internal scholarships.

Carnegie PhD Scholarships

The Carnegie PhD Scholarship scheme supports a limited number of graduates with first-class Honours undergraduate degrees from a Scottish university who wish to pursue postgraduate research leading to a PhD at a university in Scotland.

Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities (SGSAH) AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership

The University of St Andrews is part of a block grant of AHRC studentships run in partnership with the Scottish Graduate School for the Arts and Humanities (SGSAH). This offers generous funding and training opportunities for three and a half years.

Please note: If you are eligible for SGSAH funding, you are strongly encouraged to develop an application (in consultation with your supervisor(s)) by the deadline of 4 January 2024 . You will need to work on this well in advance of the deadline to have the best chance of success.

Wolfson Foundation Doctoral Scholarships

The Wolfson Foundation offers three fully-funded doctoral scholarships for outstanding students looking to commence their doctoral degree in September 2024.

Application deadlines

Proposals may be submitted at any point during the year. However, the best time to begin the application is roughly one year before students propose to begin their doctoral work - i.e. a project that aims to start in September 2024 should begin working on their proposal and be in contact with potential supervisors by September 2023.

In order to be eligible for a range of funding opportunities – including SGSAH and Department of Film Studies Scholarships – proposals must be submitted by 8 December 2023 .

It is important to explore external funding opportunities early as these deadlines (and requirements) often vary.

How to apply

Full details of eligibility, entry requirements, fees and application procedures are found on the postgraduate research application page .

You should start by contacting appropriate staff members from the Department to find someone qualified and able in principle to supervise your project. At this stage, you should be ready to present an informal description of the project and provide further information if necessary.

Once an informal supervisory arrangement has been reached with a staff member(s), it's time for the formal application. You will need to submit:

• a detailed research proposal (1,000 words)
• a scholarly writing sample (generally an essay from previous coursework on a relevant topic)
• evidence of qualifications (transcripts)
• letters of reference
• evidence of English proficiency where required.

Applications for the Department of Film Studies  must include a research proposal of 1000 words . The research proposal should give a more detailed description of your planned research project, touching on the following points:

• Title and research question . Why is this work important and why are you well-placed to undertake this project?
• Research context . How does it relate to previous work on the topic or field? What is the historical and/or geographical scope of your study?
• Methods and sources . How will you carry out your work? You might include a theoretical framework or planned methodology here. You should include references to relevant literature and materials where appropriate.
• Originality and innovation . Please explain what  new  perspectives your work will bring to your topic.
• Potential Academic Impact . What contribution can this project make to academia, within and beyond film studies?
• Potential contribution to Knowledge Exchange, Public Engagement and Impact . How might your project and research engage with, and be of interest to, non-academic groups and communities?

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Radio, Television and Film

Phd media studies, doctorate with concentration in media studies.

The doctoral program in Radio-Television-Film emphasizes critical and contextual approaches to the study of media objects, industries, and cultures. With globally recognized faculty specializing in a wide array of media studies subfields, you will study and research in your chosen field and be prepared to enter into a rapidly evolving media landscape. You will be trained in an interdisciplinary array of media studies methods centered in pedagogical and professional development.

Expert Faculty Mentors

Affordable Tuition and Fees

Graduate Student Support

Program of study.

The PhD with concentration in Media Studies is a scholarly degree incorporating coursework, comprehensive exams, and research culminating in a dissertation. Students are expected to present their work at conferences and produce original work that is worthy of publication. Students admitted to this program must have already earned an M.A. degree.

Learn more about the Program of Work .

Teaching and Research Areas

Digital Media

Analyze interactive and emergent media texts and platforms, participatory digital cultures, social media, and algorithmic culture.

Global Media

Study media texts, audiences, industries, and cultures from transnational, national, regional and diasporic perspectives.

History and Criticism

Examine the sociohistorical contexts of film and media and engage in aesthetic and critical analysis.

Identity and Representation

Explore media's impact on culture and identity through interdisciplinary courses that examine the politics of representation through gender, race, sexuality, citizenship, and more.

Media Industries

Engage in topics relating to creative labor, production, distribution, infrastructures, regulation, and exhibition.

Supporting Your Success

• Structured timeline for successful program completion
• Faculty mentorship
• Annual Review with detailed, constructive feedback
• High rate of success in job placement in the academy
• Pedagogy seminars and workshops
• Opportunities to teach stand-alone courses
• Internships with local media industry, festivals, policy institutions and cultural organizations
• Biannual professional development workshops
• Harry Ransom Center Film Research Collections
• Vast RTF resources at UT Libraries
• Editorial and organization roles for department-based journals
• Interdisciplinary and portfolio program  options (in areas such as African and African Diaspora Studies, Women's and Gender Studies, and more) 

Admissions Information

Meet our students, meet our faculty, see faculty books, program contacts.

Area Head Media Studies

Suzanne Scott

Graduate Advisor

Madhavi Mallapragada

Graduate Coordinator

Teresa Warner

Email: [email protected] Phone: 512-471-4071

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PhD in Film Studies

Pursue a Film Studies topic in depth and make an original contribution to research in the discipline.

How to apply for a PhD in Film Studies

Before you formally apply for a Film Studies through the University of Edinburgh’s online system, you will likely find it beneficial to get to know us first so that you are confident we’re the best place for you to undertake your research.

We ask candidates to take the following two steps before applying for a PhD: 

Have a look at the research interests and expertise of our staff. While you do not need to find a member of staff willing to supervise your project before applying, please do take some time to read over staff members’ profiles, research interests, and publications, to ensure that your project is something we can effectively supervise.

We are much more likely to supervise a project if it closely relates to our own expertise and research interests. Together with colleagues across our School, the following Film Studies staff are available to supervise PhD research:

We have very limited supervision capacity for the PhD in Film Studies. Please contact Dr David Sorfa with an expression of interest in the first instance.

Contact David Sorfa

Using our  template , write your Research Proposal. This document will be one of the most important parts of your formal application. It will enable us to evaluate the general and specific areas of your research interests, the originality and importance of your topic, and the feasibility of the proposed project within the given timescale. 

Formal application

You can find out more about language requirements, facilities, fees, funding opportunities and application deadlines for this PhD programme, and formally apply to study on it, on the University of Edinburgh’s online Degree Finder. Where you are asked to submit a Research Proposal, you must use our template (see Step two).

Take me to the University of Edinburgh's Degree Finder entry for the PhD in Film Studies

Get in touch

If you have any queries about the process, or any other aspect of the PhD in Film Studies, please contact the Programme Director.

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Student Merges Engineering and Art in Sci-fi Film

A chat with student engineer, film director Crew Parker

May, 15, 2024 - Mechanical engineering senior Crew Parker is heading to Lucasfilm after he graduates. This month, he hosts the premiere of Meridian , a 35-minute sci-fi film he wrote, filmed and directed. Most of the cast are UC Irvine engineering students. He believes the arts and engineering are closely connected.

How did you start in film?

Since I was little, I’ve been stealing my parents’ cameras and breaking them. I started writing my film in the 5th grade with my friends and we never stopped writing it.

Tell me about your upcoming sci-fi short film Meridian.

The story can be understood by imagining if Luke Skywalker took over the Empire after Emperor Palpatine. The moral question is: can even the most well-intentioned person hold that much power?

We’ve been producing it for two and a half years and it premieres on May 26 (ISEB 1010, 5pm). There are 50-100 UCI students involved, and most are engineering students. We’re talking with Amazon and Netflix. We have enough content for a three-season arc.

Why did you major in mechanical engineering?

It’s so widely applicable. I have too many interests. It leaves the door open for me to pursue any of them.

How did mechanical engineering help your pursuits in film?

Filmmaking is a lot of problem solving especially in sci-fi. Someone hands you a script and you need to come up with technology to make it happen. Mechanical engineering is at its core problem solving.

What’s the relationship between the arts and engineering?

I think they’re directly correlated. I think engineering requires the utmost creativity. To think of something abstract that’s never been solved before requires a lot of that creativity. Most of my peers in engineering also have a passion for some form of artistic expression.

Why did you want to participate in E-Sonic , the upcoming UCI competition to invent new musical instruments?

I’m all for Dean Magnus’s push to show that there is, in fact, so much creativity in the world of engineering. I felt that this competition was a great way to show the inventive, creative side of our engineering department. ( RSVP here for E-Sonic, the free event on May 20.)

How did you get your internships at Disney and Lucasfilm?

At Disney, I worked as a production assistant on film sets. While I was doing it, I made sure to talk with everyone in the room and made sure they knew my name. I followed up on LinkedIn and asked them who they knew until I got where I wanted to be.

What’s your dream job?

In June, I’m heading to Lucasfilm in San Francisco for an internship to help manage the canon of Star Wars video assets. My dream is to be a director of a feature-length film.

Why do you love Star Wars?

I just love that there’s so much freedom in creating the stories that the technology will always be catching up, so whenever a new story is written, a new technology is developed.

– Natalie Tso

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Unveiling 'Ronda Girls of Pateros': Marielle Marcaida's Impact as a UW Libraries Research Communication and Equity Fellow

Marielle Marcaida, a PhD student in Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies, was recently honored as one of this year's UW Libraries Research Communication and Equity Fellows during a reception held on Thursday, May 9.

The UW Libraries Research Communication and Equity Fellowship , designed for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) graduate students, requires Fellows to create and exhibit a physical artifact visually communicating their research. This opportunity not only raises the visibility of their work on campus but also helps them develop skills for communicating research in public formats.

At the reception, Marielle unveiled her project titled "Ronda Girls of Pateros." This project explores the human rights activism of mothers of drug war victims under the Duterte administration’s “war on drugs” in the Philippines. Through a digital booklet, Marielle intricately delves into the often-overlooked narratives and experiences of women affected by this controversial campaign, highlighting their resilience and grassroots initiatives like the Ronda ng Kababaihan (Patrol of Women) in Pateros City.

The artifacts from all 2024 Fellows, including Marielle's project, are currently on display in the UW Libraries Research Commons and are also available online .

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Graduate Programs Info Session

Join the Department of Performance Studies for a virtual information session to learn about our M.A. and Ph.D. programs. Our Student Services Administrator, Allison Brobst, and Administrative & Academic Services Director, Laura Fortes, will share information about our curriculum, student services, events, and our incredible community.

Located in the heart of New York City's vibrant art scene, Performance Studies at NYU is dedicated to the analysis and study of cultural enactments of all kinds, and to understanding how they can produce meaningful change. Combining an interdisciplinary range of approaches including feminist and queer theory, critical race theory, and other modes of analysis, with an equally diverse range of research methods, Performance Studies offers M.A. and Ph.D. students the opportunity to explore and think critically about the world-making power of performance in theater, performance art, dance, sound/music, visual and installation art, activism, and online, as well as in the performance of 'everyday life'.

To attend, kindly RSVP at the link above! 

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The Charger Blog

Sustained Success: Chargers Win Top Honors Again from National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

Communication, Film, and Media Studies majors won the National Student Production Awards across multiple categories – Best Long Form Film, Best Director, Best Writer, and Best Music Video.

May 14, 2024

By Jackie Hennessey, Contributing Writer

For months, Salvatore Gullotta ’23 and the team of a dozen student filmmakers had been working on their short film “The Third Act,” devising a budget, fundraising, creating a marketing plan, and auditioning professional actors in New York.

Gullotta, the director, wrote the script about a playwright facing despair and uncertainty as his working life and real life begin to merge. He fine-tuned the script with his writing team. They launched into preproduction and later began filming, all part of a semester-long project in Paul Falcone’s Film Production II course.

They were about to shoot the most complex scene – when the walls would, literally, fall in around the main character. Gullotta and the team hoped to have lots of time to set up the shot and work with the actors on blocking, the process of describing the positioning and movement of actors on stage. But as can happen often on a film set, he said, they were behind schedule and had just half an hour to get it right.

Gullotta said that because he and his fellow students work with industry tools and equipment from the first day of class and have so many hands-on experiences, by the time they are making their final film, “we are comfortable with everything. We know what to do.

“Everyone worked so hard on the logistics to make the walls fall down without hurting anyone and without destroying other props,” he continued. “We did two takes in 30 minutes and got one of the best-looking shots in the film. It was such an exciting moment for all of us.”

‘Collaborating with some of my closest friends...will live on in my memory forever’

This month, “The Third Act” won three first place/ high honor awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences - Boston/New England Chapter (NATAS) for best fiction long-form, best director, and best writer, as well as several honorable mentions.

“I was ecstatic when I heard that we won,” said Gullotta, who will be pursuing his MFA in film at Emerson College in the fall. “Collaborating with some of my closest friends creating this film will live on in my memory forever.”

The University also took first place in the music video category for the band Hope You Like Roses’ “Powder” video, led by practitioner-in-residence Natalie Chavoya , director Harley Angelillo ’23, and producer Jazmin Morris ’23.

The short film, “Unconditional,” written and directed by Eliana Vazquez ’23, and created by a team of student filmmakers, won multiple honorable mention awards.

The student winners and faculty will attend the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Award Ceremony in Boston in June.

“We have such dedicated faculty and talented students,” said Tom Garrett, MFA , associate professor and chair of the department. “In the past seven years, we have had more than 30 first-place winners in various categories.”

Prof. Falcone, who serves as director of studio operations and media production and instructional and institutional media, said the students in the program “are extremely creative and motivated. A high bar has been set and they say, ‘let me see how far I can get.’”

“Our students have gone on to work on major motion pictures such as The Joker and The Many Saints of Newark, The Soprano’s prequel ,” Garrett added. “Many land jobs through the help and support of previous alumni, such as Tim Metzger ’85, an art director leadman, who will be teaching for us in the near future. That is how the industry has always worked. It’s always been about one-on-one mentorship.”

‘We have professors who support us’

Morris worked on two of the award-winning projects, “Unconditional” and the “Powder” music video, said the experiences confirmed her desire to work as a film production manager.

“I was the producer, assistant director, and one of the camera members for the “Powder” music video,” Morris said. “My classmate Jessica Finn ’24 is the lead singer. Working with Jess and Harley Angelillo ’23, the director and visionary for this project, was such a delightful experience.”

Morris said Angelillo “came up with the idea, communicated with the band, getting their insight on what they wanted for the video” and Morris made sure “everything on the set ran smoothly.”

Finn, who graduated earlier this month with a degree in communication , with a concentration in film production and media entrepreneurship, worked on “Unconditional” as assistant director, co-writer, and production designer. In the fall, she will begin pursuing her MFA in film production at Chapman University in California.

“Being able to work with a crew to create this production from the ground up brought out a different form of motivation and passion that I didn’t even know I had in me,” Finn said. “We poured everything we had into this production, so knowing that we are receiving this recognition for that effort means the world to me.”

Finn said the University’s success with the NATAS awards and in the industry happens because, “We have professors who support us in our endeavors. When bringing an idea up to them, it’s never a question of whether we are allowed to create it. It’s a question of how they will help us create it.”

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Four from MIT named 2024 Knight-Hennessy Scholars

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MIT senior Owen Dugan, graduate student Vittorio Colicci ’22, predoctoral research fellow Carine You ’22, and recent alumna Carina Letong Hong ’22 are recipients of this year’s Knight-Hennessy Scholarships. The competitive fellowship, now in its seventh year, funds up to three years of graduate studies in any field at Stanford University. To date, 22 MIT students and alumni have been awarded Knight-Hennessy Scholarships.

“We are excited for these students to continue their education at Stanford with the generous support of the Knight Hennessy Scholarship,” says Kim Benard, associate dean of distinguished fellowships in Career Advising and Professional Development. “They have all demonstrated extraordinary dedication, intellect, and leadership, and this opportunity will allow them to further hone their skills to make real-world change.”

Vittorio Colicci ’22

Vittorio Colicci, from Trumbull, Connecticut, graduated from MIT in May 2022 with a BS in aerospace engineering and physics. He will receive his master’s degree in planetary sciences this spring. At Stanford, Colicci will pursue a PhD in earth and planetary sciences at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. He hopes to investigate how surface processes on Earth and Mars have evolved through time alongside changes in habitability. Colicci has worked largely on spacecraft engineering projects, developing a monodisperse silica ceramic for electrospray thrusters and fabricating high-energy diffraction gratings for space telescopes. As a Presidential Graduate Fellow at MIT, he examined the influence of root geometry on soil cohesion for early terrestrial plants using 3D-printed reconstructions. Outside of research, Colicci served as co-director of TEDxMIT and propulsion lead for the MIT Rocket Team. He is also passionate about STEM engagement and outreach, having taught educational workshops in Zambia and India.

Owen Dugan, from Sleepy Hollow, New York, is a senior majoring in physics. As a Knight-Hennessy Scholar, he will pursue a PhD in computer science at the Stanford School of Engineering. Dugan aspires to combine artificial intelligence and physics, developing AI that enables breakthroughs in physics and using physics techniques to design more capable and safe AI systems. He has collaborated with researchers from Harvard University, the University of Chicago, and DeepMind, and has presented his first-author research at venues including the International Conference on Machine Learning, the MIT Mechanistic Interpretability Conference, and the American Physical Society March Meeting. Among other awards, Dugan is a Hertz Finalist, a U.S. Presidential Scholar, an MIT Outstanding Undergraduate Research Awardee, a Research Science Institute Scholar, and a Neo Scholar. He is also a co-founder of VeriLens, a funded startup enabling trust on the internet by cryptographically verifying digital media.

Carina Letong Hong ’22

Carina Letong Hong, from Canton, China, is currently pursuing a JD/PhD in mathematics at Stanford. A first-generation college student, Hong graduated from MIT in May 2022 with a double major in mathematics and physics and was inducted into Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics honor society. She then earned a neuroscience master’s degree with dissertation distinctions from the University of Oxford, where she conducted artificial intelligence and machine learning research at Sainsbury Wellcome Center’s Gatsby Unit. At Stanford Law School, Hong provides legal aid to low-income workers and uses economic analysis to push for law enforcement reform. She has published numerous papers in peer-reviewed journals, served as an expert referee for journals and conferences, and spoken at summits in the United States, Germany, France, the U.K., and China. She was the recipient of the AMS-MAA-SIAM Morgan Prize for Outstanding Research, the highest honor for an undergraduate in mathematics in North America; the AWM Alice T. Schafer Prize for Mathematical Excellence, given annually to an undergraduate woman in the United States; the Maryam Mirzakhani Fellowship; and a Rhodes Scholarship.

Carine You ’22

Carine You, from San Diego, California, graduated from MIT in May 2022 with bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and computer science and in mathematics. Since graduating, You has worked as a predoctoral research assistant with Professor Amy Finkelstein in the MIT Department of Economics, where she has studied the quality of Medicare nursing home care and the targeting of medical screening technologies. This fall, You will embark on a PhD in economic analysis and policy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She wishes to address pressing issues in environmental and health-care markets, with a particular focus on economic efficiency and equity. You previously developed audio signal processing algorithms at Bose, refined mechanistic models to inform respiratory monitoring at the MIT Research Laboratory of Electronics, and analyzed corruption in developmental projects in India at the World Bank. Through Middle East Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow, she taught computer science to Israeli and Palestinian students in Jerusalem and spearheaded an online pilot expansion for the organization. At MIT, she was named a Burchard Scholar.

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Three from MIT named 2023 Knight-Hennessy Scholars

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Book Talk with Miriam Stein: Thoughts on Contemporary Wisdom

The Department of German Studies was honored to welcome author and journalist Miriam Stein to Seattle during a research visit for a film being developed based on her book, Die gereizte Frau.   We were very grateful that she took the time to deliver her fascinating talk: “Thoughts on Contemporary Wisdom,” which was her first public discussion of her upcoming book, Weise Frauen .  This text, which posits a more positive approach to the process and realities of aging and sees the revival of wisdom in society as means to forge a new cross-generational bond, will be hot off the presses come October 16.  In her talk on April 22nd, Stein discussed the contributions that psychologist Paul Baltes of the Max-Planck-Institute in Berlin made to the study of wisdom and the ways in which his theories have continued to inspire academics from around the world.  Stein explained that wisdom, once thought of as the highest form of the human intellect, has seemed to have disappeared from our daily lives. In her talk, she reflected on why this is and wondered: did ageism kill wisdom? Has the sage been removed by longevity experts and wellness-gurus? And, is there such a thing as „female wisdom“?

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Fellowship recipients to continue their studies in the u.k..

Top row, from left, Paulina Pimentel-Mora, Tony Wang,Galia Newberger, Ellie Burke, and Giuliana Pavanelli Durón. Second row, Yosef Malka, Joshua Nguyen, Anjali Mangla, Sophie Kane, and Vijay Pathak.

Eight Yale seniors and two recent graduates have been awarded fellowships from various organizations for graduate study in the United Kingdom.

These are in addition to students, previously announced in Yale News, who have won Rhodes and Marshall scholarships.

The fellowship winners and their awards follow:

Ellie Burke , who is studying history at Yale, was awarded a Paul Mellon fellowship to pursue an M.Phil. degree in World History at the University of Cambridge. For her thesis project, Burke, who is originally from Kansas City, examined the impacts of the South African musical “Sarafina!” on anti-apartheid protest in the United States with advisor Professor Daniel Magaziner. At Cambridge, she will expand this project to more broadly examine the role of anti-apartheid theater in the United Kingdom. During her time at Yale, Burke produced multiple independent theater shows, sang in a cappella groups, and served in arts leadership roles including Outreach Coordinator for the executive board of the Yale Dramatic Association. She also worked as a barista in the Silliman student-run coffee shop, served as a First-Year Outdoor Orientation (FOOT) Leader, and is currently finishing her year as a First-Year Counselor in Silliman.

Giuliana Pavanelli Durón , who will graduate from Yale with a degree in Urban Studies and Architecture, was awarded a Paul Mellon Fellowship for graduate study at the University of Cambridge, where she will pursue an M.Phil. degree in Architecture and Urban Studies. As an Edward A. Bouchet Research Fellow, she has explored the history of landscape architecture in Mexico City, focusing on how the Mexican Revolution affected the design of urban parks and citizens’ relationship to land. In her thesis, she has explored the political and cultural dimensions of water infrastructure in Mexico City. She addresses how Indigenous histories and colonial legacies have been memorialized in hydrologic monuments within the city’s parks, specifically El Bosque de Chapultepec. She has also interned at the Housing and Health Equity Lab, analyzing the effects of pandemic-era moratoriums on housing-insecure individuals. As an Urban Fellow, Giuliana also works on data analysis for New Haven's Fair Rent and Housing Commission, advocating for tenant rights and healthy living conditions. Her research at Cambridge will focus on urban gardens in Mexico City, with an emphasis on how these community spaces serve as a source for alternative planning strategies based on grassroots practices. 

Sophie Kane , a Senegalese-American who has grown up across seven countries, is an American Studies major aspiring to a career at the intersection of law and social policy. On the Yale campus, she served as the first president of the Yale Votes student organization and led the Intercultural and Social Justice program at the AFAM House. In her senior thesis, she compares restorative and reparatory justice commissions in the United States and South Africa. As an undergraduate, she has worked on a presidential campaign, in Congress, and at two nonprofit policy advocacy organizations: Solitary Watch and the Legal Action Center. She has been a Women in Government and Arthur Liman Fellow and is a former student of the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy. This summer, she will work at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia before pursuing a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in comparative social policy at Oxford in the fall. At Oxford, she will investigate targeted universalism as a strategic tool to reinvent American welfare.

Yosef Malka , a history major whose academic interests lie in the history of political thought, modern Jewish history, and legal theory, was awarded a Paul Mellon Fellowship to pursue an M.Phil. degree in political thought and intellectual history at Cambridge University. Malka, who is from Rockville, Maryland, will examine 20th-century debates over minority rights, the nation-state, and liberalism while at Cambridge. During his time at Yale, Malka served as co-editor-in-chief of Shibboleth, Yale’s undergraduate journal of Jewish studies, worked as an editorial assistant for the Yale Law Journal, interned for the Office of the New York State attorney general, co-led a Sephardic singing group, and founded a student forum for the study of political theory.

Anjali Mangla , who is completing a double major in Neuroscience and Global Affairs, received a Rotary Global Grant Scholarship that will allow her to pursue a master’s degree in Global Health Policy at London School of Tropical Hygiene and Medicine and London School of Economics. Mangla is interested in global health policymaking, particularly in investigating sustainable financing mechanisms for global health care policy and community-based initiatives. She is currently leading the HAVEN Free Clinic’s pilot “Food as Medicine” program, and, as the clinic’s community relations and advocacy director, has started a variety of initiatives such as reproductive health workshops with Planned Parenthood, and advocacy with the HUSKY4Immigrants Coalition to expand access to public health coverage for all eligible Connecticut residents regardless of immigration status. She has also engaged with the New Haven community through Community Health Educators and volunteering at the hospital and with IRIS' family literacy program. During spring break, she traveled to Liberia to learn more about global health initiative funding for her capstone project on the need for more indirect cost funding for low- and middle-income countries. She hopes to pioneer sustainable global health financing policies with a focus on mitigating noncommunicable diseases in the future.

Galia Newberger  was awarded the King’s-Yale Fellowship to pursue an M.Phil. degree in politics and international studies at the University of Cambridge. She will study the rise of illiberalism in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. At Yale, she double majored in Humanities and Political Science, and her joint senior essay explored what Plato’s Republic can teach modern readers about preventing a backsliding of democracy. Newberger competes on Yale’s Model United Nations team, and previously served as communications director for the Yale College Democrats and as managing editor at the Yale Daily News Magazine. Outside of Yale, she has served as a legislative and communications intern for U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Illinois, as a political advocacy intern at the ACLU, and as an intern at the Federal Defenders of New York.

Joshua Nguyen , who graduated from Yale in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology , was awarded the Rotary Global Grant Scholarship to pursue an M.Sc. degree in Digital Health at the University of Oxford. During his time at Yale, Nguyen worked as a research assistant at the Yale School of Medicine, investigating the underlying genetic mechanisms of lymphedema, and was recognized as a Dean’s Research Fellow and STARS II Scholar. His interest in health care equity will guide his studies at Oxford, where he plans to delve into leveraging digital health innovations to serve marginalized populations. While at Yale he spearheaded patient care initiatives for uninsured individuals at the HAVEN Free Clinic and Yale New Haven Hospital, and serving as an ESL tutor for refugees and immigrants in the New Haven area. He was also a peer liaison for Yale’s Asian American Cultural Center, the president of Yale Outdoors, and a clarinetist and recorderist in various music ensembles. He aspires to a career dedicated to improving health equity, with a focus on supporting uninsured and low-income communities.

Vijay Pathak , a senior from Luxembourg and France who will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Ethics, Politics, and Economics, has been awarded the Rotary Global Grant to pursue studies in European Politics and international conflict prevention in the United Kingdom. His academic interests lie at the intersections of statecraft, international law, and the foreign and security policies of the EU and United States. He has pursued these interests at Yale as a scholar in the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy and also as a Fellow of the Peace, Dialogue, and Leadership Initiative. Pathak has worked as a research assistant at Yale Law School on the United Nations Legal Committee’s efforts to introduce legal frameworks on crimes against humanity, and is also a European Studies Undergraduate Fellow at the Yale MacMillan Center. He has completed coursework in international relations at Bocconi University in Milan, international law at the University of Oxford, and South Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a recipient of the Yale SASC Light Fellowship.

Paulina Pimentel-Mora , who graduated from Yale in 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, has been awarded the Sidney Hellman Ehrman Studentship pursue a M.Phil. degree in health, medicine, and society at King’s College, Cambridge. Her research will delve into the realm of reproductive autonomy within health care systems, employing a comparative approach to analyze reproductive policies and the diverse factors influencing women’s reproductive decisions. A first-generation community college transfer student at Yale, Pimental-Mora served as a transfer peer advisor, admissions officer blogger, and residential teaching assistant with Yale Pathways to Science and the Yale School of Art’s “The Way We See It” workshop. She was also a member of the Yale College Student Health Advisory Council and participated in the Political Science Undergraduate Advisory Committee, in addition to working at the Yale University Art Gallery. Outside of Yale, she was a 2022 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Future Public Health Scholar at the University of Michigan, where she was awarded the 2022-2023 CDC Williams-Hutchins Health Equity Award for her work as a COVID-19 case investigator.

Tony Wang , a double major in Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and History of Art at Yale, has been awarded the 2024 Henry Fellowship to pursue postgraduate studies in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Oxford University. His academic pursuits are deeply anchored in the ancient history and archaeology of the Silk Road, with a keen focus on the Buddhist and Persian material cultures that flourished within Central Asia's heartlands. An active member of the “Guardian of Bamiyan and Gandhara” initiative, Wang is committed to the preservation of cultural heritage and the advancement of local education in the historically rich regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. He also served as a curator and educator at the Yale Art Gallery, the UNESCO-recognized Dunhuang Academy, the Iran National Museum, and the Tsinghua University Art Gallery. He served as a research assistant with Professor Valerie Hanson, in Yale’s Department of History, and as a junior researcher at the Institution of Global Art History at Shanghai International University.

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