Doctor of Philosophy in Film Studies (Creative Practice)

Our Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies has a distinguished history of combining critical and creative work, and we have long been home to poets, novelists, translators, dramatists and actors, alongside literary critics, drama scholars and film theorists. Our PhD Film Studies (Creative Practice) draws on this unique tradition, offering supervision for students in all fields of our wide-ranging staff research expertise, including an exceptional variety of approaches to mainstream and experimental practice, global cinemas, and comparative media.
This PhD offers you a choice of pathways for you to develop your creative practice. You will either 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. Alternatively, you may choose to 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).

Our graduates have gone on to undertake successful careers in production and academia, as well as other careers. Other past students in the Department are now established as university lecturers, teachers, publishers, publishers editors, journalists, arts administrators, theatre artistic directors, and translators.

You will need a good Masters degree or equivalent, in a related subject. Some applicants may be accepted on the basis of an outstanding Bachelors degree. A well-developed research proposal is also essential.

Official transcript(s), in English or a certified translation of your academic results to date, showing marks or grades, must be provided at the time you make your application. (Transcripts are not required from current or previous University of Essex students, or from students who have previously completed a degree at Colchester Institute awarded by the University of Essex).

IELTS 7.0 (6.5 in writing, with a minimum of 5.5 remaining components).
TOEFL IBT - 100 overall with minimum component scores: Listening: 17 Reading: 18 Writing: 26 Speaking: 20