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Yale University · Film and Media Studies

PhD in Film and Media Studies

PhDDoctor of Philosophy in Film and Media Studies (stand-alone or combined track)Funding not verified

Overview

A doctorate in film and media history, theory and criticism, taken either as a stand-alone track (twelve graduate courses) or combined with one of eleven humanities disciplines. Requirements include FILM 6010, qualifying examinations, a dissertation prospectus, supervised teaching, and a Defense of Method before the dissertation is submitted.

Official program name
PhD in Film and Media Studies
Awarded degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Film and Media Studies (stand-alone or combined track)PhD · Doctor of Philosophy
Source: catalog.yale.edu · verified October 12, 2026
School
Yale University — Film and Media Studies
Location
New Haven, CT
Delivery
On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Source: filmstudies.yale.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Required attendance
Regular campus attendanceStudents attend classes on campus throughout the program.
Source: filmstudies.yale.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Study intensity
Not published
Duration
Students are expected to graduate after year six; some finish a year earlier
Source: filmstudies.yale.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Required credits
Not verified
Start
Fall
Source: filmstudies.yale.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Fields of study

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

Doctorate in film and media studies, offered as a stand-alone track or combined with a participating humanities discipline.

Source: catalog.yale.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

Official concentrations and pathways

  • Combined track with a participating discipline (Black studies, American studies, comparative literature, East Asian languages and literatures, English, French, German, history of art, Italian studies,
    Source: catalog.yale.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Named track
Stand-alone Film and Media Studies track, or combined track with a participating discipline
Source: catalog.yale.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Dissertation

DissertationDissertation completed in years five and six, preceded by an obligatory 60-90 minute Defense of Method.

Source: filmstudies.yale.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Published areas of study

  • FILM 6010 (Foundations of Film and Media) is required of all PhD candidates; stand-alone track students take twelve graduate-level courses.
    Source: catalog.yale.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Examinations

  • Advancement to candidacy requires a language requirement, a qualifying examination and a dissertation prospectus.
    Source: filmstudies.yale.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Teaching opportunities

  • Candidates teach under supervision for at least four terms, including as an assistant in FILM 1501 (Introduction to Film).
    Source: filmstudies.yale.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Other

  • Defense of Method: a 60-90 minute oral review of at least 80% of the projected dissertation in the semester before deposit.
    Source: filmstudies.yale.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Faculty listed by the program

  • Francesco Casetti — Professor, film_studies
  • Aaron Gerow — Professor, film_studies
  • Charles Musser — Professor, film_studies
  • John MacKay — Professor, film_studies
  • Marijeta Bozovic — Professor, film_studies
  • Millicent Marcus — Professor, film_studies
  • Fatima Naqvi — Professor, film_studies
  • John Durham Peters — Professor, film_studies
  • Katie Trumpener — Professor, 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: catalog.yale.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

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

Other requirements

Other requirement
RequiredCombined-track applicants submit a single Graduate School application indicating Film and Media Studies and one participating department; both admissions committees review it. Stand-alone applicants indicate only Film and Media Studies.
Source: catalog.yale.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tests

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

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 15, 2026 · for Fall (matriculation year not printed)

    Source: filmstudies.yale.edu · verified October 12, 2026
    Upcoming

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.
CategoryAmountBasis and year
All students — Graduate School of Arts and Sciences full-time tuitionFrom the school's rate table for this level$26,200per term · 2026-2027Source: catalog.yale.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Mandatory institutional fees

Yale Health Hospitalization & Specialty Care Coverage (twelve months)
$3,764 per academic year
Source: catalog.yale.edu · verified October 12, 2026

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 verifiedPolicy year: 2026-2027

Years guaranteed
Two additional terms of teaching are guaranteed in the sixth year if the dissertation is on track.
Source: filmstudies.yale.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Health insurance
Yale Health Basic Coverage is provided at no cost to students enrolled at least half-time.
Source: catalog.yale.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Other
Graduate School: in most departments doctoral students are guaranteed five years of twelve-month stipend and tuition support.
Source: catalog.yale.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Other
A full-year fellowship may be taken when the candidate and advisor(s) choose.
Source: filmstudies.yale.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. catalog.yale.edu/gsas/degree-granting-departments-programs/film-media-studies/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 12, 2026
  2. catalog.yale.edu/gsas/financing/financial-aid/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 12, 2026
  3. catalog.yale.edu/gsas/financing/tuition-fees/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 12, 2026
  4. filmstudies.yale.edu/graduate-program-film-and-media-studies — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  5. filmstudies.yale.edu/graduate/applying-and-going-through-doctoral-program-film-and-media-studies — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026

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