PhD Film Studies (Creative Practice)

Program Overview

The PhD Film Studies (Creative Practice) from the University of Essex combines critical and creative work, offering pathways in screenwriting and filmmaking. Students develop their practical skills while engaging in rigorous academic research, supported by top-ranked faculty and exceptional resources in the department. Graduates pursue successful careers in production, academia, and other fields related to film and media.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The PhD Film Studies (Creative Practice) is a research degree offered by the University of Essex's Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies. This program combines critical and creative work, drawing on the department's history of nurturing poets, novelists, translators, dramatists, actors, literary critics, drama scholars, and film theorists. The program offers supervision for students in all fields of the department's research expertise, encompassing a wide range of approaches to mainstream and experimental practice, global cinemas, and comparative media. The PhD provides two pathways for students to develop their creative practice:

• Screenwriting Pathway: Students work on a full-length original screenplay or equivalent short screenplays (80-120 pages, equivalent to 80-100+ minutes of screen time and roughly 30,000 words) accompanied by a critical commentary of 40,000 words.
• Filmmaking Pathway: Students work on a full-length film or equivalent short films (80-120 minutes screen time), a sample screenplay excerpt (10,000+ words), and critical commentary (30,000-40,000 words).
The program also offers an MPhil in Film Studies (Creative Practice). Part-time research study is available.

Assessment:

The PhD thesis is the primary assessment for the program. It is generally completed within three years and aligns with the requirements for the PhD (Creative Practice) outlined above. The thesis is defended in an oral examination, where students are interviewed about their research by two examiners, one of whom is a specialist in the field from an external institution.

Careers:

Graduates of the PhD Film Studies (Creative Practice) program have gone on to successful careers in production and academia, as well as other fields. Past students have become university lecturers, teachers, publishers, publishers' editors, journalists, arts administrators, theatre artistic directors, and translators.

Other:

The Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies offers talented students the support and confidence to respond both critically and artistically to their academic study. Students join a community of award-winning writers, film-makers, and theatre-makers, as well as leading academic specialists. The department is ranked top 20 for dance, drama, and cinematics (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021). The department provides students with access to a range of exceptional resources and facilities, including:

• A dedicated 120-seat film theatre with digital HD projection facilities.
• Extensive audio-visual holdings in the University's Albert Sloman Library.
• Exceptional holdings in film and media studies, as well as the literature, culture, history, politics, and society of the US, the Soviet Union, Russia and Eastern Europe, and Latin America.
• Special collections and rare archive materials.
• Conferences, special screenings, and guest speakers, attracting leading scholars and filmmakers from the UK and around the world.
• University film societies that screen and discuss recent blockbusters and arthouse films.
• The Lakeside Theatre, a major venue for high-quality drama, which has hosted professional touring companies, original work by staff and students, and opportunities for students to write or direct new plays.

Home/UK fee £4,786 per year International fee £18,750 per year