| The award | How you will study | Study duration | Course start | Domestic course fees | International course fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MPhil | Full-time, Part-time | 12 - 72 months | find out | find out | find out |
Film Practice
PhD - full time: minimum 36 months, part time: minimum 72 months
Film Studies
MPhil - full time: minimum 12 months, part time: minimum 24 months
PhD - full time: minimum 36 months, part time: minimum 72 months
You can specialise in either Film Practice or Film Studies. Our Film Practice PhD provides you with a unique opportunity to develop your film as a practice-led research project. Alternatively you can undertake a Film Studies, MPhil or PhD studying British, Algerian, Chinese, French or Latin American cinema.
Film Practice, PhD
Newcastle University has embarked on an ambitious programme of growth in film practice under the name of Film@CultureLab. It’s led by award-winning documentary filmmaker Dr Ian McDonald. Film@CultureLab is committed to developing a distinctive approach to non-fiction film practice pedagogy and research. This is rooted in an understanding of documentary film as a cinematic medium and filmmaking as a means of expression and of challenging, critiquing, and intervening in the social and historical world.
If you’re interested in undertaking a PhD, be it practice-led, practice-based, or theoretical, in the following areas, please get in touch in the first instance with the admissions tutor Dr Geetha Jayaraman.
Film@CultureLab PhD scholars are based in Culture Lab. You’ll have access to the superb facilities in Culture Lab and join a vibrant community of practice-led PhD scholars in film practice. PhD students are encouraged to regularly present their work to each other as part of the Film Praxis Forum ‘Work-in-Progress’ Series held each year.
Supervisors in Film@CultureLab
Dr Ian McDonald is a sociologist and a documentary filmmaker. Ian is interested in supervising doctoral students in most areas of documentary theory and practice. He is particularly interested in supervising practice-based PhDs in documentary filmmaking, especially alternative, political and observational documentaries.
Dr Geetha Jayaraman, known as Geetha J, is a writer, filmmaker and producer. Geetha's research area is primarily film practice, both as director and producer. Geetha is interested in supervising practice-based research in fiction and non-fiction, as well as subjects under Indian cinema, world cinema, women and cinema. Her interests include:
Dr Alastair Cole is a documentary filmmaker, whose films have been broadcast, and screened in cinemas and film festivals internationally. His academic interests intersect documentary film practice with research in anthropology, language and politics, with regional interests in:
He is particularly interested in supervising any documentary film based research projects that aim to creatively inquire into subjects within the humanities and social sciences.
Co-supervision
We currently co-supervise a range of film and film-related projects with academic colleagues from:
Film Studies, MPhil and PhD
As a Film Studies MPhil or PhD student you will form a crucial part of our research culture. Our thriving community of postgraduate students work across schools and disciplines. Research ranges from modern languages to English literature, English language, linguistics and arts and cultures.
We are keen to work with postgraduates in the major research projects listed below, or in the more general areas related to them. We supervise projects that span academic schools and sub-disciplines, ensuring the best fit between your interests and the expertise of our staff.
Early cinema and cinema culture in Britain and the USA
Dr A Shail
Latin American cinema
Dr P Page
French cinema
Dr S Leahy
Algerian cinema
Professor G Austin
Transnational Chinese cinema
Dr S Yu
We organise an annual postgraduate conference for the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences and you can get involved in a number of film-related research seminars on campus, including:
You will benefit from the North Eastern Regional Film Seminar, which brings together film scholars from the Universities of Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland, Teesside, Durham and York for a one day symposium.
There is also the Film Factory, an exciting new film forum for students and staff, initiated by two PhD students from the School of Modern Languages, Gary Jenkins and Mani Sharpe. It consists of a series of film screenings followed by discussion and debate at the Culture Lab.
Delivery
You will normally be taught on the Newcastle University campus. Attendance is flexible and agreed between you and your supervisors depending on the requirements of your research project.
Film Practice, PhD - Facilities
Situated in a Grade II listed building, Culture Lab is a centre for film practice, housing seven industry standard edit suites, a recording studio and event space.
As a PhD student in Film@CultureLab, you will be based in Culture Lab and have access to modern industry standard shooting kits and edit suites.
These include a range of high definition cameras and supporting rigs, a high-spec PC cluster equipped with full Adobe CC, 27” monitors and TVs, and bespoke edit suites with Apple iMacs and Mac Pros, 27” dual calibrated displays and stereo monitoring. They run the latest Apple OS with Adobe CC, Final Cut and Da Vinci Resolve.
Culture Lab is supported by a team of dedicated film technicians.
Film Studies, MPhil and PhD - Facilities
You will have the opportunity to use Culture Lab, a centre for creative practice which includes a stock of film cameras and editing suites, as well as motioncapture, animation and soundmixing technology.
The Language Resource Centre and Peter Robinson Library hold large collections of international films and film magazines. You will also have access to a dedicated postgraduate suite including computers, workspaces, a kitchen and showers.
There are fantastic local film facilities including the Tyneside Cinema and British Film Institute Mediatheque.
You will also have guided access to Tyne and Wear Archives.
See Fees and Funding tab in the Programme information in our online Prospectus. https://www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/degrees/film-mphil-phd/?utm_source=referral-study-link&utm_medium=course-listing&utm_content=film-mphil-phd&utm_campaign=PG3PL-study-link#fees&funding
A 2:1 honours degree and preferably a merit master's degree, or an international equivalent, in a related subject, such as:
You may need to attend an interview, which can be via Skype if necessary.
International Students
To study this course you need to meet our Band 9 English Language requirements:
Direct Entry: IELTS 7.0 overall (with 6.5 in writing and a minimum of 6.0 in all other sub-skills)
If you have lower English Language scores, you may be accepted onto a pre-sessional English course.
Our typical English Language requirements are listed as IELTS scores but we also accept a wide range of English Language tests.
The equivalent academic qualifications that we accept are listed on our country pages.
Pre-sessional English Language Course Requirements
You can study a pre-sessional English course at our INTO London Centre.
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