M.A. in Cinema and Media Studies

Contact | Introduction | Admission Requirements | Application | Program Curriculum 

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Students interested in applying for Autumn 2022, please read the following

message from our Director of Graduate Studies!

Contact

Director of Graduate Studies: Yomi Braester (yomi@uw.edu) 
Graduate Program Advisor: Yuko Mera (gradcinema@uw.edu)

Introduction

Our two-year master’s program prepares students for advanced work in Cinema and Media Studies, or for careers in teaching at the elementary, secondary, or junior college levels. In addition, M.A. students will emerge with:

1. ) an interdisciplinary understanding of the field from a humanistic perspective;
2. ) awareness of the relationship between their scholarly practice and the communities in which we live; 
3. ) basic reading knowledge in at least one language other than English;
4. ) the ability to assess effective pedagogical techniques in the field.

The faculty in the Department of Cinema and Media Studies have particular strengths in world cinema; silent-era film; documentary cinema; Chinese cinemas; South Asian cinemas; media technologies; television studies; new media; and digital studies. For more information see our faculty list.

Admission Requirements

Requires the completion of a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film Studies, Media Studies, or related field. 

Application

Click here for information on applying to the program.

Program Curriculum

(Enrolled students should consult the graduate student handbook for detailed policies and procedures.) 

See chart below for expected progress through the program. 

Coursework

Students are required to take CMS 525 Pedagogy and CMS 520 Methods and Issues as well as three of the four core seminars: CMS 570 Media Lab, CMS 571 National Frameworks, CMS 572 Historiography, and CMS 573 Aesthetics. An additional 20 credits of graded coursework at the 500 level are also required.  Enrollment in CMS 590 is required for completion of the M.A. project (see below).

Language Requirements

Basic reading knowledge in at least one language other than English must be demonstrated by the end of the first full academic year of enrollment. Language competence is attested either by exams or by completion of satisfactory coursework in the language.

M.A. Project

After completion of coursework, students prepare a master’s project under the supervision of a faculty member. Projects usually take the form of scholarly essays, 25-30 pages in length, but they may take other forms.

Sample Progress Chart for the M.A.