IMPORTANT: The Film and Media Studies Ph.D. program is currently suspended. The department is not accepting applications for the 2025-2026 academic year. Students interested in the Film and Media Studies program may apply for the Master of Arts degree or the Graduate Certificate offered by the department.
The Department of Film and Media Studies unites the inquiry of the academic with the practice and technique of the artist. Scholars and filmmakers work and study together in an environment of mutual encouragement and collegiality.
The affiliation of the Department with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the School of the Arts reflects a liberal arts perspective towards the study of film and media as well as hands-on production elements. We see film and media as ways of ordering, clarifying, and understanding human experience.
We are humanists, sharing the general goal of discovering and putting into communicable form hypotheses about human beings and the world as they interact with it. We are scholars and practitioners, and our work includes the creation of film and media, teaching, and scholarship. As a result we serve our disciplines, the University, and the surrounding community in our capacities as teachers, scholars, and artists.
Discover how film and media can change your life. In KU Film and Media Studies you’ll find a community that shares your passion for film and media and is dedicated to helping you succeed in today’s changing media landscape. You’ll find your place here within the School of the Arts’ creative community.
Admission to Graduate Studies
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree: A copy of official transcripts showing proof of a bachelor's degree (and any post-bachelor’s coursework or degrees) from a regionally accredited institution, or a foreign university with equivalent bachelor's degree requirements is required.
- English proficiency: Proof of English proficiency for non-native or non-native-like English speakers is required. There are two bands of English proficiency, including Admission and Full proficiency. For applicants to online programs, Full proficiency is required.
Graduate Admissions
The KU Department of Film and Media Studies is not currently admitting new Ph.D. students or accepting applications to the Ph.D. program.
If admissions resume in the future, the following requirements apply:
Application Materials
Please submit the following materials with your application*:
- An official transcript, sent directly to KU, from every previous college or university attended (copies issued to students not accepted).
- Three (3) recent letters of recommendation, two of which should be from your current or former teachers.
- A current resume of academic and artistic experiences
- A statement of personal goals that explains why you want to pursue graduate study.
- A writing sample (no more than 15 pages) that demonstrates your ability to theorize, analyze, and synthesize scholarly information.
- Non-native English speakers must demonstrate proof of English proficiency before gaining admission to a graduate program. There are specific requirements for students wishing to hold a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) position.
*Please note that application fees will apply.
The completed application should be submitted online.
Contact Information
University of Kansas
Department of Film and Media Studies
1300 Sunnyside Ave., Ste 230
Lawrence, KS 66045
Phone: 785-864-1340
Email: film@ku.edu
Ph.D. Degree Requirements
Ph.D. in Film and Media Studies Program of Study
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| FMS 800 | Introduction to Graduate Study in Film/Media | 3 |
| FMS 862 | Survey of Film and Media History | 3 |
| FMS 865 | Film and Media Theory | 3 |
| FMS 902 | Film Seminar in: _____ (Simultaneously satisfies Research Skills Requirement) | 3 |
| |
| Film/Media Internship | |
| Survey of Japanese Film | |
| Latin American Cinema | |
| Anti-war Films | |
| Soviet and Post-Soviet Russian Cinema | |
| Contemporary Japanese Film | |
| Indigenous Film and Media | |
| Problems in Intermediate Video Production | |
| Problems in Cinematography | |
| Post-Production | |
| Professional Development Seminar | |
| Development of the American Sound Film | |
| Development of the International Sound Film | |
| Development of African-American Images in Film | |
| Problems in Advanced Video Production | |
| Development of American Popular Culture in the: _____ | |
| Special Problems in Film History and Criticism | |
| Investigation and Conference (for Doctoral Students) | |
| |
| Problems in Basic Screenwriting | |
| Problems in Basic Video Production | |
| Graduate Seminar in: _____ | |
| Problems in Intermediate Screenwriting | |
| Intensive Film Project Seminar | |
| Practicum in Film | |
| Film Seminar in: _____ | |
| |
| Total Hours | 39 |
Film and Media Studies Core Requirements
Doctoral students in film and media studies must take a core of courses aimed at strengthening methodological, historical, and theoretical grounding.
Film and Media Studies Elective Requirements
Elective courses focus on the academic study of history, international cinema, popular culture, and digital media, among other areas. These courses are selected with a graduate advisor to reflect the student’s research interest.
Film and Media Studies Production Requirements
Production courses give students an understanding of the production process in making film, video, or animation pieces. Upon graduation, doctoral students can perform as competent artisans in addition to research scholars. Production courses are selected with a graduate advisor to reflect the student’s specific interest.
Secondary Field Requirements
Secondary field courses at the graduate level from outside the Department of Film and Media Studies are chosen to assist the student in writing the dissertation. They are related to the student’s proposed area of research. Examples of departments to draw courses from include, but are not limited to: English; History; Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; American Studies; Education; and Social Welfare.
Additionally, students will select their second Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship course from their secondary field.
Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship (RSRS) Requirements
The University requires that every doctoral student receive training in responsible scholarship pertinent to their field of research and obtain research skills pertinent to the doctoral level of research in their field(s). These requirements must be completed by the end of the semester that the student takes the oral comprehensive exam. These requirements are satisfied by a B grade in FMS 902 and the successful completion of an additional course taken outside the department, preferably from the student's secondary field of interest. This course must be approved in advance by the Director of Graduate Study to count toward the requirement.
Comprehensive Examination
After all coursework is completed, students will complete the comprehensive exam. Two publishable papers are due at the time of the examination. The examination includes written responses to questions in history, theory, and the student's area of research interest, followed by an oral examination. The oral examination is typically completed within three weeks of the written examination, but must be completed within the same semester. The three potential outcomes of the oral examination are Pass with Honors, Pass, and No Pass. Students who have completed the comprehensive exam are required to enroll in accordance with the post-comprehensive enrollment policy beginning the semester following the oral exam. This enrollment includes, but is not limited to, at least 1 dissertation hour every semester until graduation.
Dissertation Prospectus
Following the successful completion of the comprehensive examination, students will submit their dissertation prospectus to their committee. The prospectus should include a bibliography and abstract.
Dissertation
The finished dissertation must constitute a palpable contribution to knowledge in the candidate’s chosen field. After its completion, an oral defense must be held no less than 4 weeks before the graduation deadline. During the examination, the student's committee will pose a set of questions about the dissertation. Potential examination outcomes are Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. Students receiving a Satisfactory mark may be considered for Honors by the department. The exam committee must meet Doctoral Student Oral Exam Committee composition requirements.
For more information on department policies, including detailed requirements for examinations, please see the Graduate Student Handbook found on our website.
Please visit the Graduate Studies Policy Library for information regarding additional requirements that may apply.
At the completion of this program, students will be able to:
- use creative inquiry & research.
- use critical writing.
- understand cultural diversity.
- be professional.
