Regulations and Requirements for the Combined Degrees

Fields of Study

Film and 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 Ph.D. in Film and Media Studies or to a combined program track involving one of the following disciplines: American Studies, Black Studies, Comparative Literature, East Asian Languages and Literatures, English, French, German, History of Art, Italian Studies, Slavic Languages and Literatures, and  Spanish and Portuguese. 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.

Through coursework, examinations, and the dissertation, candidates in a combined degree program link a film and media specialty with the participating discipline. Directors of Graduate Studies (DGS) from both programs monitor the candidate’s plans and progress. Students enrolled in combined programs normally receive a single en route degree if both programs offer the same en route degree. If only one of the programs offers an en route degree, the student will be eligible to receive it from that program. If the two programs offer different en route degrees (for example, one offers an M.A. and the other an M.S.), the student may receive only one en route degree and will choose which one in consultation with their departments and the appropriate academic dean. This policy also applies to ad hoc combined degree programs. See Degree Requirements under Policies and Regulations.

To be considered for admission to the combined degree track, applicants must indicate both Film and Media Studies and one of the participating departments/programs listed above. Students seeking admission to Film and Media Studies alone should indicate only Film and Media Studies on their application.

For students already admitted into another department or program, retroactive admission into the combined Ph.D. with Film and Media Studies is possible during the first year of coursework. Such retroactive admission must be done in consultation with the directors of graduate studies of Film and Media Studies and of the department into which the student was admitted. In the years following the first, retroactive admission is subordinate to the positive completion of the FMS Certificate and the approval of the DGS of both units.

In addition to the Ph.D. program, Film and Media Studies offers students in the graduate school’s other doctoral programs the chance to obtain the Graduate Certificate in Film and Media Studies. See Film and Media Studies, under Non-Degree Granting Programs, Councils, and Research Institutes, in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Programs and Policies bulletin.

Special Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree

Every student selected for the combined program track is subject to the supervision of the Film and Media Studies program and the relevant participating department. A written protocol between each department and Film and Media Studies outlines the requirements and schedule to be borne in mind as a plan of study is worked out in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) of Film and Media Studies and the DGS of the participating department. In all cases, students are required to take FILM 6010 as well as at least five additional film and media studies seminars. The final course paper for one of those five additional courses must be on a topic focused on the history or historiography of film/media. Course requirements vary for participating departments. By the third year, students advance to candidacy by completing qualifying examinations and a dissertation prospectus.

Students in the stand-alone Film and Media Studies track are held to the same requirements and deadlines as students in the combined degree track: twelve graduate-level courses, including the required courses listed above and four additional Film and Media Studies seminars.

In addition, students in both tracks are expected to complete the following requirements:

Qualifying Examinations Qualifying examinations follow the regulations of the participating department with at least one member of the Film and Media Studies Executive Committee participating. Students pursuing the stand-alone Ph.D. in Film and Media Studies should consult the DGS for details about the format of the examinations and formation of the examining committee.

Dissertation Prospectus The dissertation prospectus is presented to a faculty committee or the entire faculty of the participating department for combined degree students. The prospectus is also submitted to the prospectus committee of Film and Media Studies for approval.

Defense of Method A defense of method occurs when the dissertation is nearing completion, one or two terms before submission. The purpose of this defense is to provide guidance and feedback at a critical stage, in order to assist the dissertation’s final form. At least three faculty readers meet with the student; the DGS of Film and Media Studies is (and, for students in the combined degree program, the DGS of the participating department is also) invited to participate. For combined degree students, at least one examiner of the dissertation must be a member of the Film and Media Studies Executive Committee and one must be from the participating department; for students in the stand-alone track, two-thirds of the dissertation committee members should be a member of the Film and Media Studies Executive Committee.

The faculty in Film and Media Studies considers participation in the Teaching Fellows Program to be essential to the professional preparation of graduate students. Students normally teach in years three and four. Every student may expect to assist in two Film and Media Studies courses, one of which will very likely be Introduction to Film Studies (FILM 1501) or Introduction to Media (FILM 1601). Students in the stand-alone track are expected to teach in the two courses above as well as two other courses in either film and media studies or an allied program, with the permission of the DGS.

Students must also check the special requirements of the combined program they are enrolled in.

Master’s Degree

M.Phil. See Degree Requirements under Policies and Regulations