Program Overview
The Cinema Studies Institute offers programs leading to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Cinema Studies. Faculty members have expertise in several areas, including film and media history, film and media theory, film philosophy, formal analysis, and social and cultural practices.
Both programs present an opportunity to study past and present configurations of cinema through a constellation of rubrics and approaches grounded in history, theory, textual analysis, and cultural studies. The PhD program pays particular attention to the changing role of moving image media, with core courses that foreground emerging disciplinary issues and new intermedial formats.
The course-based, one-year MA program culminates in the option of a professional internship or a major research paper. The PhD program culminates in a research-based dissertation and an oral defense of that work.
Due to multiple factors, we will not be able to consider any international MA applications for the immediate future.
Quick Facts
| Domestic | International | |
|---|---|---|
| Application deadline | MA: Fall 2026 entry 07-Jan-2026 PhD:Fall 2026 entry 07-Jan-2026 | PhD: Fall 2026 entry 07-Jan-2026 MA:N/A |
| Minimum admission average | MA: B+ in final year of bachelor’s PhD:B+ average in Master’s | PhD: B+ average in Master’s |
| Is a supervisor identified before or after admission? | PhD: After | PhD: After |
| If a supervisor is identified after admission (as per question above), is admission conditional upon securing a supervisor? | PhD: No | PhD: No |
| Is a supervisor assigned by the graduate unit or secured by the applicant? | PhD: Applicant | PhD: Applicant |
| Are any standardized tests required/recommended? | MA, PhD: N/A | PhD: N/A |