Our Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies offers supervision for PhD Film Studies in all areas of our wide-ranging staff research expertise, including an exceptional variety of approaches to global film and media. You can explore different world cinemas and research the history of film, film theory, comparative and new media, festivals, and media platforms, as well as contexts of film and media production and reception. The breadth of our staff expertise will enable you to undertake research which is interdisciplinary and innovative in nature, and you will be supported throughout your studies by regular contact with your supervisor and advisory board.

Assessment

From the first day of your research within our department, we encourage you to plan your work so that you can expect to submit your thesis for examination by the end of three years. A typical first year of undertaking research within our department would involve developing a statement in which you will define the aims, theories and methods proposed for the thesis, an indicative bibliography and a timetable for the thesis completion. During this year, you will start collecting your primary and secondary research material according to your chosen topic and timeline.

Your typical second year should involve continuing to investigate and write. In this second year (or the end of your third year, if studying part-time), your first supervisory board of the year will be your Confirmation Board. This will review the evidence to confirm whether you should progress and whether your work is at PhD level. After confirmation of your status, you should undertake further substantial research and writing over the next 12 months.

In a typical third year, you should complete the writing of your chapters and revise your work into a final version ready for submission.

Your future

Our graduates have gone on to undertake successful careers in production and academia, as well as other careers. Other past students in the Department are now established as university lecturers, teachers, publishers, publishers’ editors, journalists, arts administrators, theatre artistic directors, and translators.