Film Studies research degrees
The length of programme registration will be longer as it includes the maximum writing-up phase. See further details on how research degrees are structured at Hull and thesis submission expectations.
Film Studies at Hull is a dynamic teaching and research unit, which offers PhD research degrees in a range of fields, including television, American cinema, animation, horror and adaptation studies.
About our Film Studies research degrees
Our research degrees are supervised by academic staff who are experts in their field. Film Studies staff contribute to television and radio programmes on film, and have spoken at the National Film Theatre, and at universities across Europe and North America.
The unit runs a regular programme of film and media research seminars throughout the year and has hosted an international conference to celebrate 75 years of Ealing Studios. The University recently invested £9.5m in transforming Middleton Hall into a world class entertainment venue which includes one of the region’s most advanced cinemas with state-of-the-art surround sound. The investment brings some of the best facilities of their kind in the UK to the University of Hull, including a surround-sound cinema, concert hall, an ambisonic sound studio and industry-standard recording and rehearsing facilities. The refurbishment includes a new entrance and café with the 400-plus seater cinema and concert hall forming the centre-piece of the development. The versatile space is ideal for cinema screenings, as well as music and theatre.
There is a student Film Society, at which a wide variety of films are screened and discussed. The city also benefits from events held at the local arthouse cinema, Hull Screen.
Research topics
Our experts welcome applications for postgraduate research across a broad range of topics, particularly:
- adaptation of literature for the screen
- American cinema
- animation studies
- authorship
- film history
- gender issues and film
- horror cinema
- narration, style and aesthetics
- television history
- television studies
- horror and apocalyptic cinema
- animation studies
- British television, national cinemas (in particular British and German cinema), costume drama, adaptation
- film and television narration, style, analytical philosophy and authorship, characters and point of view in fiction
The Postgraduate Training Scheme
It is now widely recognised by employers, professional bodies and research funding agencies that specialist expertise alone is not sufficient preparation either for research or a subsequent career. With this in mind, we require all our postgraduate research students to follow a research training programme relating both to their particular field of study and to generic skills; for example, information technology and communication skills.
Programme structure
Masters structure
| Full time | Part time |
|---|---|
| 1 year of research, with up to 12 months writing up if required | 2 years of research, with up to 24 months of writing up if required |
PhD structure
| Full time | Part time |
|---|---|
| 3 years of research, with up to 12 months writing up if required | 6 years of research, with up to 24 months of writing up if required |
Writing up and thesis submission
A standard full-time PhD programme comprised three years of research plus up to 12 months of thesis finalisation (also referred to as “writing-up”). Part-time is six years plus up to 24 months thesis finalisation if needed. Full-time standard Masters programmes are comprised one year of research plus up to 12 months of thesis finalisation needed; and part time Masters programmes have two years of research with up to two years of thesis finalisation.
For full-time students, the thesis finalisation phase should take three months but may be extended to one year without further paperwork. For part-time students, thesis finalisation should take six months, but may be extended to two years without further paperwork. The maximum thesis finalisation period is included in your overall programme length, which means that international PGRs will not need to apply for an additional visa to cover this phase.
If you need to move into the thesis finalisation period of your research degree, you must enrol for this phase and you will be liable to pay a continuation fee.
Thesis submission timelines
It is expected that you will submit your thesis within the timeframes outlined below:
Masters degrees
- Submission by one year and 3 months full-time.
- Submission by 2 years and 6 months part-time.
Doctoral degrees
- Submission by 3 years and 3 months full-time.
- Submission by 6 years and 6 months for part-time.
Entry Requirements
What do I need?
You should normally have, or expect to obtain, at least a 2:1 Honours degree, or international equivalent, in a related discipline appropriate to your intended research.
Contacting your prospective supervisor before you submit your application is not essential but may be helpful.
Typical offer
2:1 in a relevant subject area
Fees & Funding
How much is it?
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