We are now accepting applications to our M.A. and Ph.D. programs in Cinema and Media Studies (CMS). Both programs are fully funded through teaching assistantships, making our MA program one of the few non-fee based film studies programs in the United States.
Our commitment to graduate training is a point of pride. In addition to providing high-quality and rigorous academic training, our faculty stress the importance of maintaining robust research programs while gaining extensive teacher training and classroom experience. Our graduate students have had a strong record of attaining graduate fellowships and awards to help support dissertation writing and research. CMS fosters graduate student research through multi-year projects and colloquia on the moving image, Chinese visual culture, television history, and more. Past graduate seminars have included Cinema of Small Nations, Media Archaeology, Public Spheres Public Media, and Film and the Photographic Imaginary. New seminars further this diversity of topics while being consolidated under the titles Aesthetics, Historiography, MediaLab, and National Frameworks.
Our most recent PhDs have accepted a position as Assistant Professor in Film and Screen Studies at University of Cambridge, a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California Berkeley, a tenure-track position at Humboldt State University, a LSA Collegiate Fellowship at the University of Michigan, and a Visiting Lecturer position at Wellesley College. In previous years, our graduate students have moved into successful careers in academia, education, business, translation, and public service. For more information on our record of academic placements, please visit this page.
CMS faculty have demonstrated excellence in teaching and scholarship and are recognized leaders in the field. They have won national and international awards, including an AMPAS Film Academy Award, a NEH Fellowship, a NEA Creative Writing Fellowship, a Levenson Book Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, Kovacs Prizes, and more. The department is also home to the editors of the Journal of Chinese Cinemas and Feminist Media Histories. Visit our faculty pages to find out more.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information or advice. We look forward to hearing from you!
James Tweedie, Director of Graduate Studies jtweedie@uw.edu
Why choose Cinema and Media at UW?
- UW ranked No. 8 in global ranking; No. 2 among US public institutions.
- Fantastic faculty with books across disciplines and fields.
- Outstanding placement record for our doctorates. Meet an alum here.
- Teaching assistantships and fellowships support your progress through the PhD and MA programs.
- The Walter Chapin Simpson Center for the Humanities offers fellowships, research opportunities, and a diverse program of events, lectures, and symposia in the Humanities.
- UW Libraries offer an extensive collection of non-English literature, hard to find film, and television, and special librarians for Comparative Literature and for Cinema and Media.
- The MediArcade offers vintage 16mm film, digital video editing equipment, a music archive, and video game consoles.
- A chance to work across disciplines within the Humanities and outside of it with DXARTS and the Performance Studies programs.
- Local cultural institutions such as the Seattle Art Museum, Wing Luke Museum, Northwest Film Forum, and the Museum of Pop Culture.
- The Seattle International Film Festival!
The Graduate Program of the Department of Cinema & Media Studies offers the following options, programs, and certificates:
- M.A. in Cinema and Media Studies
- Ph.D. in Cinema and Media Studies
- Graduate Certificate in Cinema and Media Studies
After choosing the program that is right for you, you may Apply to the Graduate Program.