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University of Southern California · Division of Cinema & Media Studies

PhD in Cinema & Media Studies

PhDDoctor of Philosophy in Cinema & Media StudiesFunding not verified

Overview

A campus PhD in cinema and media studies, established in 1959, in which students tailor their curriculum to their scholarly interests. Applicants submit a writing sample of up to 20 pages and three recommendation letters by December 1.

Official program name
PhD in Cinema & Media Studies
Awarded degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Cinema & Media StudiesPhD · Doctor of Philosophy
Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
School
University of Southern California — Division of Cinema & Media Studies
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Delivery
On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Required attendance
Regular campus attendanceStudents attend classes on campus throughout the program.
Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Study intensity
Not published
Duration
Not verified
Required credits
Not verified
Start
Fall
Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Film and television
The program covers both film and television.
Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Fields of study

FieldClassificationEvidence
Film StudiesDedicated degreeThe degree itself is in this field.Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Why this degree is listed

PhD in cinema and media studies.

Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026

We list verified film degrees only — no certificates, workshops or generic degrees with a few film electives. Eligibility rules

Research, dissertation and faculty

Dissertation

Culminating requirement: not verified. We publish this only when the school states it on an official page.

Academic research

  • Students tailor their curriculum to their creative and scholarly interests.
    Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
  • Research resources include the Cinematic Arts Library, the Warner Bros. Archives and the Hugh M. Hefner Collection.
    Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Faculty listed by the program

  • Nitin Govil — Associate Professor of Cinematic Arts; Director of Graduate Studies, film_studies
  • Tara Mcpherson — Professor, film_studies
  • Todd Boyd — Professor, film_studies
  • Vicki Callahan — Professor of the Practice of Cinematic Arts, film_studies

As listed on the program's official page on October 12, 2026. Listing does not mean a faculty member is teaching or supervising new students in a given year.

Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Admissions

Each submission item is shown exactly as the school states it. Anything not listed is not verified — never “not required”.

Portfolio and submission materials

MaterialStatusInstructions as published
Academic writing sampleRequiredReview or analysis of film, television or new media, critical theory, or a published article; no longer than 20 pages.Length: up to 20 pagesSource: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Other requirements

Prior degree
RequiredBachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution.
Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Personal statement
RequiredCinematic Arts Personal Statement (PDF).
Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Recommendation letters
Required3 letters — Three letters (at least one academic reference).
Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Résumé / CV
RequiredCV/resume (PDF), including languages of competency.
Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tests

TOEFL iBT
Required — minimum 100International applicants only; minimum 20 per section for tests taken before January 21, 2026.
Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate competitiveness. Build an application checklist

Deadlines

Dates are shown with the year and intake the school printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

  • Application deadline

    December 1 · for Fall

    The school does not print a year with this date.

    Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026
    Year not printed

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its applicant category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-year and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other. Production costs are listed separately above.

Tuition: not verified. We publish this only when the school states it on an official page.

Funding

We have not verified an official funding policy for this program. That does not mean funding is unavailable. “Fully funded” never means every personal or production expense is covered. How we classify funding

Funding not verified

Assistantship duties
TA, SA and fellowship positions are mentioned school-wide.
Source: cinema.usc.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 12, 2026.
  1. cinema.usc.edu/admissions/graduate.cfm — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  2. cinema.usc.edu/admissions/procedures/mediastudies/phdprocedures.cfm — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  3. cinema.usc.edu/mediastudies/faculty.cfm — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  4. cinema.usc.edu/mediastudies/index.cfm — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  5. cinema.usc.edu/mediastudies/learningobj.cfm — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  6. cinema.usc.edu/scholarships/index.cfm — Official funding / aid page, verified October 12, 2026

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