MA (by Dissertation) Film Studies
Our Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies offers supervision for MAD Film Studies in all areas of our wide-ranging staff research expertise, including an exceptional variety of approaches to global film and media. You can explore different world cinemas and research the history of film, film theory, comparative and new media, festivals and media platforms, as well as contexts of film and media production and reception. The breadth of our staff expertise will enable you to undertake research that is interdisciplinary and innovative in nature, and you will be supported throughout your studies by regular contact with your supervisor and advisory board.
We also offer an MPhil and a PhD in this subject.
- Our department offers talented students the support and confidence to respond both critically and artistically to their academic study.
- Join a community of award-winning writers, film-makers and theatre-makers, as well as leading academic specialists.
- We're ranked top 20 for dance, drama and cinematics (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021).
Our expert staff
Within our Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies, you will be allocated a supervisor whose role it is to guide you through the different stages of your research degree. In some cases, you may have joint supervision by two members of our staff.
The support provided by your supervisor is a key feature of your research student experience and you will have regular one-to-one meetings to discuss progress on your research. Initially, your supervisor will help you develop your research topic and plan.
Twice a year, you will have a supervisory board meeting, which provides a more formal opportunity to discuss your progress and agree your plans for the next six months.
Specialist facilities
Studying within our Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies will give you access to a range of exceptional resources and facilities to enhance your learning and research, including a dedicated 120-seat film theatre, fitted with a digital HD projection facilities.
Our Department houses a substantial collection of videos and DVDs, which are available for student borrowing, and complemented by the extensive audio-visual holdings in the University's Albert Sloman Library.
Our library has been acquiring exceptional holdings in film and media studies, as well as the literature, culture, history, politics and society of the US, the Soviet Union, Russia and Eastern Europe, and Latin America, since our university was founded in the early 1960s, and has continued to expand both the volume and the global scope of these resources ever since. You will also find in the library a number of special collections, which are available for students as unique and invaluable resources to support your research.
Our Centre for Film and Screen Media co-ordinates a series of weekly screenings, along with a variety of other film and media related activities. We organise conferences, sponsor special screenings, and host speakers, attracting leading scholars and filmmakers from the UK and around the world. In addition, our University has a number of excellent film societies, which screen and discuss both recent blockbusters and less mainstream, arthouse films.
The Department also benefits from our Lakeside Theatre which, over the past three decades, has been established as a major venue for high quality drama. Not only do many professional touring companies bring their productions of new plays here, but there has also been a wealth of original work produced by our own staff and students, including a new production of Pantomime written and directed by Derek Walcott and the UK premiere of his play Moon-Child. An essential element of our Lakeside Theatre's programme has been the opportunity it has given our students to write or direct new plays, as well as re-define classics and re-discover neglected masterpieces.
Your future
Our graduates have gone on to undertake successful careers in production and academia, as well as other careers.. Other past students in the Department are now established as university lecturers, teachers, publishers, publishers' editors, journalists, arts administrators, theatre artistic directors, and translators.
At Essex we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.
The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications. The University would inform and engage with you if your course was to be discontinued, and would provide you with options, where appropriate, in line with our Compensation and Refund Policy.
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