Hi Vanilatea and whoever else is reading this topic,
I'm applying to Film Studies PhD programs for fall 2012. I'm currently completing an MA from the University of Hong Kong in Literary and Cultural Studies. I did an undergraduate double major in Film Studies and English Lit.
I'm looking to apply to any Film Studies department that have faculty doing active research on Asian (specifically East Asian) Cinema. I've lived in Asia for the last 4 years and have done numerous research papers specifically on contemporary East Asian directors, and I will probably make that my main research topic.
I took the GRE the two days ago, and they asked where to send my scores, which forced me to suddenly decide my top choices. So thus far, I'm certainly applying to:
UC Berkeley, Brown U, Univ. of Chicago, and UCLA.
Other programs that I'm currently researching:
Yale, Stanford (art history department possibly), NYU, USC, Univ. of Iowa, Harvard, Northwestern, Univ. of Wisconsin Madison, Univ. of Indiana, UC Santa Barbara, Univ. of Texas Austin
I believe that they all might be reach schools because of the intense level of competition and low funding. From the posts I've seen thus far on thegradcafe.com forums, it seems that the greatest numbers of applicants will be people have have been applying for a number of years.
Does anyone else have any recommendations on schools and their programs? UK or Canadian schools?
Perhaps a more pertinent question would be: Is it worth it to get a PhD from a non-top tier Film Studies program? I was advised by a current professor that if I'd like to eventually teach and research I must attend a top tier institution or I will be unemployable. Thoughts?
I'm much more interested in critical theory, particularly auteur theory, than history or production, and I'm wondering if my application would be welcome at comparative literature programs and whether other applicants have looked into getting a PhD from programs where they do not have a Film Studies department but are willing to accept people whose primary research interest is in working with film. (I know that the Comparative Literature Department at the University of Hong Kong is such a program.
Thanks so much!
