University degrees: Postgraduate
Course city: Los Angeles
faculty. Past PhD recipients have published award-winning books and essays, secured tenured positions at the most prestigious universities in the world, and have become influential public intellectuals in a variety of fields
The degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Cinema and Media Studies is administered through the Graduate School. The PhD program is tailored to the individual student’s particular needs and interests. The overall course of study will be designed by the student, the student’s designated adviser and, following the screening procedure, the student’s qualifying exam committee chair (see Screening Procedure under Media Production and Practice Courses).
Each PhD candidate must complete 68 units beyond the bachelor’s degree, 43 of which must be at the 500 level or higher. (Up to 30 units may be transferred from graduate work completed at other institutions.) Dissertation units are not counted toward the 68-unit total. The required units will include seven to 12 courses in cinematic arts and 8 to 16 units in the minor area. The minor will be chosen by the student in close consultation with the adviser and will be in an academic field that supports the student’s dissertation topic. Each student must complete the following course work toward the 68-unit total.
These courses should be taken before the screening procedure.
Each candidate for the PhD must complete one of the following 4-unit courses with a grade of C or better. If the student enters the program with a master’s degree in cinematic arts and possesses production experience, the student may request a waiver of this requirement. The waiver requires passing a written examination and submission of films/videos to the production faculty for review. This course should be taken before the screening procedure.
