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
An applicant seeking to pursue graduate study in the College may be admitted as either a degree-seeking or non-degree seeking student. Policies and procedures of Graduate Studies govern the process of Graduate admission. These may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.
Please consult the Departments & Programs section of the online catalog for information regarding program-specific admissions criteria and requirements. Special admissions requirements pertain to Interdisciplinary Studies degrees, which may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.
Graduate Admissions
A full list of application materials and deadlines is available on The Department of Film and Media Studies admission pages. The Department of Film and Media Studies does not admit new students for the Spring or Summer terms.
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
Film and Media Studies Core Requirements
12 hours of core courses are required. Doctoral students in film and media studies must take a core of courses aimed at strengthening methodological, historical, and theoretical grounding. 1 graduate-level production course is required, and 1 course in FMS 902 Film Seminar is mandatory.
Film and Media Studies Elective Requirements
9 hours of electives are required. 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 special interest. The advisor may increase the number of hours, depending on the student’s academic needs.
Film and Media Studies Production Requirements
3 hours of production courses are required. Production courses give students an understanding of the production process in making film, video, or animation pieces. On 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. The advisor may increase the number of hours, depending on the student’s academic needs.
Secondary Field Requirements
9 hours of 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 specialization. Examples include English; History; Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; American Studies; Education; and Social Welfare.
Additionally, students will select their second Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship from their secondary field.
Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship (RSRS) Requirements
KU requires all doctoral students to meet the Research Skills requirement before proceeding to comprehensive exams. Compliance with this policy requires all graduate students to receive training in responsible scholarship pertinent to the field of research and obtain research skills pertinent to the doctoral level of research in their field(s).
Research Skills requirements may be satisfied by:
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| FMS 902 | Film Seminar in: _____ (with the topic of "Research Methods and Applications of New Media" or "Visual Methods") | 3 |
| 3 |
Comprehensive Examination
2 publishable papers are due at the time of the examination. The examination includes written responses to questions in history, theory, and area of specialization, followed by an oral examination.
Dissertation
Students who have completed the comprehensive exam are required to enroll in accordance with the post-comprehensive enrollment policy. 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. The exam committee must meet Doctoral Student Oral Exam Committee composition 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: _____ | 3 |
| |
| Problems in Basic Screenwriting | |
| Problems in Basic Video Production | |
| Graduate Seminar in: _____ | |
| Problems in Intermediate Screenwriting | |
| Intensive Film Project Seminar | |
| Practicum in Film | |
Please visit the Graduate Studies Policy Library for information regarding additional requirements that may apply.
