Film Studies PhD
Awards: PhD
Study modes: Full-time, Part-time
Funding opportunities
Programme website: Film Studies
The PhD in Film Studies is a three-year full-time or six-year part-time degree programme, which allows you to pursue a research topic in depth and produce a thesis of approximately 80,000 words.
As well as being a highly respected qualification from a top-ranking university, a postgraduate research degree in film studies places you at the heart of a vibrant, artistic city with a flourishing film culture.
Our expert academic staff and extensive library of books, journals and films will support and inspire you in your research. There is easy access to the impressive collections of the National Library of Scotland and local cultural centres. The city is home to the Edinburgh International Film Festival, along with many other festivals, cinemas and film organisations.
We provide supervision for research projects in the broad fields of film and screen studies, including:
- film theory
- film-philosophy
- cinema history
- screen aesthetics
We will consider proposals that are interdisciplinary and those that focus on genres, movements and specific filmmakers, especially those within the national expertise of academic staff.
Be inspired by the range of PhD research in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures
Read our pre-application guidance on writing a PhD research proposal
(Revised 31 October 2024 to remove 'film exhibition' from the list of fields in the supervision of research projects)
Find out more about compulsory and optional courses
We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.
Award | Title | Duration | Study mode | |
---|---|---|---|---|
PhD | Film Studies | 3 Years | Full-time | Programme structure 2024/25 |
PhD | Film Studies | 6 Years | Part-time | Programme structure 2024/25 |
We encourage PhD students in Film Studies to engage with discussion groups, to present work-in-progress seminars and to attend training sessions offered by academic staff. We will encourage you to widen your experience and develop networks that will help carry you into an academic career or employment related to film, the moving image and the cultural industries in general.
The Edinburgh Film Seminar gives you access to presentations, discussions and lectures by visiting film academics.
The Postgraduate Research Office at the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures is on hand to offer dedicated support to all our PhD students.
The Institute for Academic Development offers a wide range of courses and workshops to support doctoral researchers.
We have all the amenities you would expect on hand, such as computing facilities and study areas as well as a high specification digital screening room.
We have an extensive collection of film books and journals, a large number of films available to stream and an impressive DVD library.
The National Library of Scotland provides a remarkable choice of texts on film. Cultural centres located in Edinburgh, such as the Institut Francais d'Ecosse and the Italian Institute, also house DVD collections and host regular film screenings.
There is a hot-desking PhD study room in 50 George Square that offers a comfortable space in which to work.
These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.
A UK 2:1 honours degree and a masters degree, or their international equivalents, in a related subject. We may also consider your application if you have equivalent qualifications or experience; please check with the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) before you apply.
International qualifications
Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:
English language requirements
Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.
English language tests
We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:
- IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
- TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
- C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
- Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
- PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 65 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
- Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 7 in each component.
Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.
Degrees taught and assessed in English
We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:
We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).
If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.
Find out more about our language requirements:
Award | Title | Duration | Study mode | |
---|---|---|---|---|
PhD | Film Studies | 3 Years | Full-time | Tuition fees |
PhD | Film Studies | 6 Years | Part-time | Tuition fees |
Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.
Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:
borrowing money
taking out a loan
family support
personal savings
income from work
employer sponsorship
- scholarships
Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study
Featured funding
There are a number of scholarship schemes available to eligible candidates on this PhD programme, including awards from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
Please be advised that many scholarships have more than one application stage, and early deadlines.
Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:
- Phone: +44 (0)131 650 4086
- Contact: llc.PGResearch@ed.ac.uk
- School of Literatures, Languages & Cultures
- 50 George Square
- Central Campus
- Edinburgh
- EH8 9LH
- Programme: Film Studies
- School: Literatures, Languages & Cultures
- College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Applying
Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.
PhD Film Studies - 3 Years (Full-time)
PhD Film Studies - 6 Years (Part-time)
Programme start date | Application deadline |
---|---|
8 September 2025 | 30 April 2025 |
Due to high demand, the school operates a number of selection deadlines. We will make a small number of offers to the most outstanding candidates on an ongoing basis, but hold the majority of applications until the next published selection deadline when we will offer a proportion of the places available to applicants selected through a competitive process.
You must submit two references with your application.
Before you formally apply for this PhD, you should look at the pre-application information and guidance on the programme website. This will help you decide if this programme is right for you and help us gain a clearer picture of what you hope to achieve in your research.
For this PhD, the pre-application guidance includes a downloadable template for completing your PhD research proposal, one of the most important aspects of your application.
You should also include a sample of written work of about 5,000 words (this can be a previous piece of work from an undergraduate or masters degree and should preferably be written in English), and supply two references.
Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:
Further information
- Phone: +44 (0)131 650 4086
- Contact: llc.PGResearch@ed.ac.uk
- School of Literatures, Languages & Cultures
- 50 George Square
- Central Campus
- Edinburgh
- EH8 9LH
- Programme: Film Studies
- School: Literatures, Languages & Cultures
- College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences