Course summary

The PhD in Film Studies is a three-year full-time or six-year part-time degree programme, which allows you to pursue a research topic in depth and produce a thesis of approximately 80,000 words. As well as being a highly respected qualification from a top-ranking university, a postgraduate research degree in film studies places you at the heart of a vibrant, artistic city with a flourishing film culture. Our expert academic staff and extensive library of books, journals and films will support and inspire you in your research. There is easy access to the impressive collections of the National Library of Scotland and local cultural centres. The city is home to the Edinburgh International Film Festival, along with many other festivals, cinemas and film organisations. We can provide supervised research on a wide range of topics, such as film aesthetics and film and philosophy, various national cinemas, the work of individual filmmakers, cinema in relation to other art forms, and film exhibition. We will consider thematic projects and research on genres, movements and theories. For interdisciplinary topics, expertise is on hand from within the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) and beyond, including staff researching literature, anthropology, art history, music and more.