Research degrees
PhD in Film Studies and Film Making
Kingston's distinctive research programme includes PhDs in both traditional Film Studies and through Film Making practice.
PhDs in Film Studies, normally around 80,000 words, are supervised by two or three members of the research team with expertise in your chosen area. Your supervisors guide you through the process of planning, structuring and research through a series of shorter pieces, which are then incorporated into your final thesis.
PhDs in Film Making are predominantly practical, and can involve a range of approaches such as a series of short documentaries leading to a feature-length drama; they also include a written component of 30,000-40,000 words, which draws out and addresses the research questions, and applies a critical, theoretical framework to your film practice.
"As a mature student I graduated from Kingston University with an MA in Film Studies. It therefore made sense for me to continue my further studies at the same institution. My supervisors, Cathy O'Brien and Will Brooker, have been extremely helpful and supportive, Cathy recently going out of her way to locate one particular film for me that had been issued on DVD in France. It is my intention to capitalise on my research and hopefully teach film studies as a subject in the near future, something both my supervisors have encouraged from the start."
Steve Mayhew, research student
Whether you choose a PhD in Film Studies or Film Making, you will be working within the same framework of support, assessment and guidance; and you apply for both in the same way.
Your first step will be to contact the Faculty research administrator who will tell you how to submit a detailed proposal. The Director of Research will then make sure we can supervise your proposal, and you will be invited to submit a formal application.
PhD students are part of Kingston's research community, and you are encouraged to attend our regular research seminars, where students and staff members present their work in progress and talk about it informally. These regular sessions help you get to know other people and their film projects, but also provide the opportunity to talk about your research in public - invaluable training for conference presentations and professional pitches.
Many of our PhD students aspire to become lecturers themselves. We believe it is important not just to supervise students through their PhD dissertations, but to help them become professional academics. That's one reason we aim to offer teaching experience to our doctoral students. But we are currently developing another level of training, through specialist workshops and a seminar series where senior colleagues and special guests will provide mentoring in the key issues of current academic research, from external funding applications to the Research Excellence Framework and its "impact" agenda. These workshops will be open to staff and PhD students across the School, and they will help you to gain more than just a PhD. By the time you finish, we want you to have had the opportunity to teach and to present your work, but also the chance to engage with the most significant debates and issues in contemporary academic culture. You will know how to apply for research grants, and how your work would fit into the Research Excellence Framework. You will be aware of the advantages and challenges of partnership with industry, and collaboration with other institutions. The workshops are being developed across the School of Performance and Screen Studies, so you will be encouraged to discuss your ideas with PhD students and academics from Dance, Drama and Music; such meetings often lead to interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration. Our programme will offer you a fuller training in what it means to be an academic today - and give you a real edge in a competitive job market.
PhD students at Kingston are offered three different forms of research training - at University, Faculty and Subject level. First year PhD Film Studies students are encouraged to attend the MA Research Methods sessions, which offer a complete grounding - or a refresher course - in key skills such as structuring your argument, archival searching and correct referencing and citations.
As with the MA, the PhD supervision team is made up of respected scholars and professionals, recognised as experts in their specific field. You will be matched up with the best supervisor for your chosen topic. But rather than pairing you only with a single person, we want you to feel that you belong to the department. Your supervisor is your first point of contact, but you are invited to talk to anyone in the Film and Television department about your research; for advice on a specific area, for insights from a new angle; for a second opinion or just a friendly conversation. As a PhD student, you are one of the team - your research enhances our profile, and you may be teaching and mentoring undergraduates or MA students yourself. All our doors are open to you.
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