About PhD Program,
The PhD in Cinema & Media Studies is a dynamic program in which students pursue innovative and interdisciplinary research into the full range of sound and moving image media practices and traditions.
Each year the program selects a small group of exceptional students who will join a lively intellectual community at York University, attend innovative research events, and receive close attention from faculty supervisors.
We welcome applicants with educational backgrounds in Film Studies, Media Studies, Communications, Cultural Studies, Art History, English, Women’s Studies, Queer and Sexuality Studies, Comparative Literature, Philosophy, Education, History, Area Studies, and other disciplines that nurture theoretical, historical and critical frameworks of research in sound and moving image media, including research-creation. Two of our students are profiled in the FGS Knowledge Now series:
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
Minimum Required GPA B+
The PhD in Cinema & Media Studies, incorporating theoretical, historical and critical approaches to visual media, is designed to encompass a variety of methodological frameworks, cultural practices, and historiographic models.
This humanities-based interdisciplinary program will help students to acquire comprehensive knowledge of cinema and media theory, history, and criticism. Along with developing essential research and teaching skills, students will participate in the rich research culture of the University and develop a doctoral dissertation that will make a significant contribution to the discipline. Research, teaching, participation in international colloquia, as well as publishing and other forms of professional academic development are key components of this rigorous minimum four-year degree.
The PhD in Cinema and Media Studies prepares students for academic and research careers in cinema and media studies along with related fields in cultural and communications studies.
PhD Funding Coverage,
Domestic PHD students receive more than $24,000/year along with healthcare benefits and other forms of research support. With York University’s emphasis on access in higher education, our graduate students pay the lowest graduate tuition in Ontario.
In recent years, most Cinema & Media Studies (CMS) PhD students have received additional funding through awards like SSHRC Doctoral Awards ($20K & $35K/year), Elia Scholars Award ($30K/year), GFAD ($20K/year), OGS ($15,000/year), and Susan Crocker and John Hunkin Scholarship in the Fine Arts ($12,500/year), in part due to the Program’s emphasis on strong professional development, including grant writing.
Three current CMS PhD students hold Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships ($50K/year), Canada’s top award for graduate student academic and leadership excellence, Alison Humphrey, Claudia Sicondolfo and Debbie Ebanks Schlums.
Application Requirement,
Academic Requirements
Language Requirements
Statement of Interest and Dissertation Proposal
Writing Sample
Curriculum Vitae/Professional Background/Educational Background
Transcripts
Referees
Application Deadline,
Mar 15, 2025
Application Fee,
you will need to make a non-refundable payment of $140 CDN using Visa, Visa Debit, or Mastercard.
