****************************************
The Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh has transitioned to a new admissions platform called Liaison that will now accept applications for Fall 2023 admission to the doctoral program in Film and Media Studies. Please note that application deadlines vary according to associated departments, with English having a deadline of December 10, 2022; French having a deadline of January 10, 2022; and Hispanic Languages & Literatures, History of Art & Architecture, and Slavic Languages & Literatures having deadlines of January 15, 2022.
*****************************************
External Admissions
Students applying for the PhD in Film and Media Studies will identify a departmental Area of Concentration from the list of associated departments (e.g. English, French, Hispanic, History of Art and Architecture, and Slavic). Please be aware that you do not need a background in English to apply for the Film and Media Studies PhD through the English department. This area of concentration will appear on the student’s transcript when the degree is granted.
Students will submit an application to the Film and Media Studies PhD program. That application will be simultaneously vetted by the Associated Department. Only one application fee is required. Students who wish to pursue a MA simultaneously in a Department that offers a standalone MA (e.g. French) can do so.
Internal Applications
Students who have already entered graduate programs in associated departments are welcome to apply to the Film and Media Studies PhD Program through the normal application process. If accepted into the Film and Media Studies Program, they are eligible to transfer a maximum of 24 credits towards the Film and Media Studies PhD degree requirements, and can petition to waive required courses that have been fulfilled, following normal University, School and Program regulations.
If a student in the Film and Media Studies PhD program wants to switch to a different area of concentration (e.g., from Hispanic to English) he/she is required to reapply to the new area of concentration’s departmental PhD program and be admitted before being able to change the area of concentration.
A PhD student in Film and Media Studies who wishes to switch to a different PhD Program need to apply to that program by filling out an application for readmission.
How to Apply
Use the Arts and Sciences website's Liaison GradCAS service. Select "Film Studies-PHD" then choose your area of specialization on another pull-down menu.
Contact Film and Media Studies graduate administrator with questions: filmandmedia@pitt.edu or 412-624-6564.
Deadlines and application requirements vary dependent on the Associated Department:
- English: December 10
- History of Art/Architecture: December 15
- French: January 10
- Hispanic: January 15
- Slavic: January 15
Note: If an Associated Department requires that you submit a writing sample in a foreign language, you must submit a second sample (either the same translated or different) in English.
All mailed materials should be sent to:
Film and Media Studies Program
University of Pittsburgh
454 Cathedral of Learning
4200 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Financial Assistance
Financial assistance for the PhD in Film and Media Studies students (in the form of fellowships and/or teaching assistantships) will be provided by the Associated Department to which you apply (reflecting your Area of Concentration). See the relevant departmental website for the terms of that assistance.