English and Film Studies (PhD)

About this programme

Our PhD in English and Film Studies provides you with the unique opportunity to pursue rigorous, specialized research in either literary studies or film studies, or to take advantage of the rich intellectual and theoretical confluence between the two disciplines. The relatively small size of our program is an immense advantage to students who can expect one-on-one mentorship from faculty with respect to their research, pedagogical training, scholarship and professionalization. Our department is proud of its students’ excellent track record as holders of external scholarship and major award. We are deeply committed to the academic development of our students and to their professionalization through teaching, presentations, colloquia, research assistantships, and the practical application of new technologies to pedagogy and scholarship. Our ambitious commitment to professionalization provides solid preparation for today’s dynamic job market, and has resulted in our graduates earning tenure-track positions as well as a competitive edge in important non-academic careers. In their first year of study, PhD students are required to take four 0.5 credit courses, typically two in each term. There are two PhD candidacy exams: the Comprehensive Area Exam and the Specialization Area Exam. Both exams are designed to prepare students in areas of specialization for teaching and research. The Comprehensive Area Exam comprises canonical texts for a teachable area, while the Specialization Area Exam is orientated towards the dissertation and may cover, in-depth, both the canonical and t