Film

PhD Requirements

The degree track normally requires four semesters of work beyond the masters if the MA was earned in the Communication Arts department. Students in the Ph.D. track must take:

CA 665: Contemporary Film Theory
CA 958: Seminar in Film History (when taught as Historiography of Film)
A 12-credit minor consistent with Graduate School and Comm Arts guidelines
A tool requirement (proficiency in a foreign language equal to at least four semesters of college level instruction)

Since PhD students are required to have completed the MA core curriculum (or equivalent courses taken elsewhere, as determined by the Advisory Committee), students entering the PhD track with a MA from another institution may have to do additional coursework (typically one or two semesters, determined on a case by case basis).

PhD Minor

The minor requirement is designed to give breadth to the doctoral program and should expose students to subjects and/or methodologies that expand upon and complement their work in Film. The minor requirement may be fulfilled in one of three ways, subject to approval by the student’s Advisory Committee:

By taking a minimum of 12 credits (four courses) in a single department other than Communication Arts
By taking a minimum of 12 credits distributed across two or more departments other than Communication Arts
By taking a minimum of 12 credits outside the Film area in Communication Arts

The choice of which option to pursue is made by the student in consultation with his or her Advisory Committee.

Preliminary Examination

Upon completion of the above criteria, a Ph.D. preliminary examination totaling 12 hours of writing is administered. The examination is administered three times a year:

Late August
End of the fall semester
End of the spring semester

The examination covers a combination of general and specialized areas. General-area segments of the exam test overall knowledge of film theory, history, and criticism. One specialized-area segment tests the student’s anticipated dissertation area, to be chosen in consultation with the student’s Advisory Committee.

The preliminary examination typically emphasizes the student’s ability to synthesize and apply creatively what he or she has learned. Factual knowledge is not the sole focus of the examination; nor does it suffice merely to know what others think or say. Likewise, the preliminary examination should not be regarded simply as a repetition of exams and materials encountered in the student’s courses, although the questions often relate to coursework. The writing component of the preliminary examination is followed by an oral defense.

Policies on Dissertation Defenses

Dissertator Phase

Upon passing the preliminary examination, the student enters the dissertator phase. The student begins by writing a dissertation proposal. The aim of a dissertation proposal is to articulate a scholarly question or problem and a plan for addressing it. The proposal should identify and explain the significance of the dissertation topic; analyze the state of the scholarly literature on the topic; describe preliminary arguments or hypotheses the dissertation will investigate; identify the primary research sources for the dissertation; and sketch out a research and writing schedule. The proposal is developed in consultation with the student’s advisor and doctoral committee and must be formally approved by the committee before the student may proceed with writing the dissertation.

In accordance with Graduate School policy, doctoral students must orally defend and deposit the dissertation within five years from the date of passing the preliminary examination.