PhD in Film and Screen Studies

Cambridge offers the opportunity to pursue doctoral study in a specifically designated programme in Film and Screen Studies. Students on the programme join the active and varied film and screen studies research culture and participate in our annual research seminar series. Opportunities to teach on undergraduate film studies papers are made available to advanced PhD students in their third year. Students also take leading roles in organising research events, including an annual postgraduate conference.

In British universities, the PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) is traditionally awarded solely on the basis of a thesis, a substantial piece of writing which reports original research into a closely defined area of enquiry. The completion of the PhD thesis is generally expected to take three years, and most funding is based on this assumption. It's also possible to take a part-time route through research degrees, and the expected timeframe would be five years.

During their research, students will have the opportunity to work closely with a supervisor who is a specialist in their research area. In addition to the supervisor, students will normally also be able to draw on the help and support of one other lecturer, who will form part of the supervisory team.

In addition to providing specialist supervision, the Faculty runs a programme of professional training for the benefit of all research students. The programme includes seminars and workshops on library resources, giving conference papers, publishing, applications and interviews, teaching skills, specialist linguistics training, and film-making. The School of Arts and Humanities runs a central programme covering a range of topics from PhD skills training, to language training and writing and editing skills. If you wish, you are likely to be given the opportunity of gaining experience in small group teaching from colleges. There may also be opportunities to gain some experience in language teaching in the Faculty.

Applicants for this course should have achieved a UK Masters (Distinction). Applicants should hold a strong honours degree in a relevant field, with clear evidence of research potential, and a distinction or equivalent in a master's such as an MPhil.