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UCLA Graduate Programs
Graduate Program: Film & Television
UCLA's Graduate Program in Film & Television offers the following degree(s):
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Admission Requirements
- Program Statistics
With questions not answered here or on the program’s site (above), please contact the program directly.
Film & Television Graduate Program at UCLA 103E East Melnitz Box 951622 Los Angeles, CA 90095-1622
Visit the Film, Television, & Digital Media Department’s faculty roster
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Visit the registrar's site for the Film, Television, & Digital Media Department’s course descriptions
(310) 206-8441
MAJOR CODE: FILM & TELEVISION
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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 ( Neepa Majumdar , 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.
PhD in Cinema Studies
The PhD curriculum draws on the methods of a number of disciplines, including art history, cultural studies, American studies, psychoanalytic theory, and philosophy. It involves intensive seminar level study in film theory, history and research methods. Graduates of the program have gone onto positions of academic leadership in the field. The Doctor of Philosophy degree is conferred for advanced studies in which the student demonstrates outstanding original scholarship. It signifies the student can conduct independent research and has both a broad basic knowledge of all areas of his or her field and an intensive knowledge of one field in particular.
Over the first two years of the program, you’ll enroll in nine courses. In addition to the three courses listed below, a number of lectures and seminars are offered each semester in the department. Additionally, you will have the option to take up to two courses in other departments within NYU.
PhD Methodologies
In your first semester, you will meet with your cohort to examine a range of activities entailed in being in the program specifically, and in preparing for a career in cinema and media studies generally. The course covers professional activities, research protocols, and practical exercises.
Directed Reading
In your third semester, you will complete a Directed Reading in your dissertation topic area with supervision by your anticipated dissertation advisor.
Dissertation Seminar
In your fourth semester, your cohort will come back together to prepare dissertation proposals through in-class debate, written feedback, and guests with experience in the process. With regular presentations of work in progress, you will spend the semester finishing your dissertation proposal.
Qualifying Exams
You will be required to pass three Qualifying Examinations during your first two years in the program. The two written exams, one each in the fields of Film/Media History and Film/Culture/Media Theory, consist of 10-page essays completed over the course of a week and graded by three faculty members. The oral exam comprises questions relating to your specific area of research during your dissertation proposal, conducted and graded by three faculty members.
Read more about the PhD Comprehesive Examinations.
Language Requirement
You will be expected to demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language. Six languages are accepted toward fulfilling this requirement: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish. Students for whom English is a second language may request an exemption from this requirement. To demonstrate proficiency, you must pass an exam from either the department or the College of Arts & Sciences .
You will be given the opportunity to serve as a teaching assistant during your second year of coursework. Once your coursework and qualifying examinations are complete, you will be eligible to submit course proposals for adjunct teaching positions in the department.
Current students should consult the PhD Handbook for rules and regulations.
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PhD Degree Requirements
The Division of Cinema & Media Studies is committed to the understanding of film, television and new media in relation to the world. By studying and analyzing these forms and the processes behind their creation, Cinema & Media Studies scholars gain insight into the power and aesthetics of moving image media. Cinema & Media Studies students also have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and experience of film and television by taking hands-on production courses.
The graduate program combines historical training with the integration of theory and practice, as it prepares students for a changing discipline that demands varied competencies. The Division of Cinema & Media Studies seeks applicants who represent a multiplicity of perspectives to join a vibrant community of thinkers and practitioners. We value applicants who demonstrate the potential to enhance the Division's profile and direct its growth through the breadth of their research and interests.
The committee favors applicants with academic records and personal statements that indicate a varied liberal arts and humanities background. The committee is also interested in experiences and activities that show a continuing or recent involvement in film and television studies, the arts, criticism and/or aesthetics.
You must submit the SlideRoom Application titled: "Graduate Cinema & Media Studies PhD Program".
You must access the SlideRoom Application via the "Go to SlideRoom" link in the SlideRoom tab in the Program Materials quadrant of the Graduate Application for Admission. The SlideRoom Application should only be accessed via this button in order for your applications to be linked and successfully submitted.
The Cinematic Arts Personal Statement should be a carefully prepared explanation of the applicant's goals, describing any film, television, scholarly, critical or other creative background, as well as career objectives. It should present a clear and accurate picture of the applicant, including lived experience or personal history, which may give shape to research and teaching. The statement should outline objectives in the field of cinema and media studies and explain how attending the School of Cinematic Arts will help reach these goals. We are looking for a sense of you as a unique individual and how your distinctive experiences, values, and/or views of the world have shaped who you are.
The writing sample should be a review or analysis of some aspect of film, television, or new media; a discussion or application of critical theory; or a published article.
The CV/resume should provide a record of the applicant's background and experience, including both professional and academic settings. Formal recognition - such as awards, publications, presentations, and jobs- should be noted. Please indicate languages of competency, which may broaden and deepen the division's commitments to global film and/or media.
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