2021 Application Discussion - Film & Media Studies / Cinema Studies

[m00dyjewel 2]

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Edited 9 hours ago by m00dyjewel

[m00dyjewel 2]

1 hour ago, Biupiupiu said:

Hey all the peers of cms! Just kind of going off a little bit, I am a junior undergrad double major in French and Film studies, and I want to kindly ask if it is possible in general for an undergrad to be accepted by a phd program? If yes, what are the essential/imperative factors that will lead to consideration of admission office?

Besides, any advice for the writing sample to be submitted for application? In particular, is it necessary/better to align my writing sample with my research interests reflected in the personal statement? I am planning to apply for master programs in the fall, but I would also like to give it a shot for phd programs.

I would appreciate it for any response and advice!

 And of course, best of luck to ALL of you! What is yours will eventually come by your side.

 

In my personal experience, and based off of the opinions of academics I’ve consulted, it’s very rare these days to be admitted from undergrad straight into a PhD program— I’ve actually never heard of it. Some programs, like NYU Tisch PhD in Cinema Studies, don’t accept anyone without a Masters as a rule. Others may have different experiences though or have heard of students making that progression! It was my original hope to do what you’re describing so I totally understand where you’re coming from, but unfortunately the humanities are quite limited in terms of funding these days so I think admissions teams tend to look for people with a more “proven” track record of excellence in the field, which usually means a masters. 
 

In terms of writing samples, I think having a sample that’s close to want you want to study is very helpful for the PhD, but not as essential for masters applications. Just something film focused is usually good enough for the masters level! 

[lysfaye_ 4]

9 hours ago, Biupiupiu said:

Hey all the peers of cms! Just kind of going off a little bit, I am a junior undergrad double major in French and Film studies, and I want to kindly ask if it is possible in general for an undergrad to be accepted by a phd program? If yes, what are the essential/imperative factors that will lead to consideration of admission office?

Besides, any advice for the writing sample to be submitted for application? In particular, is it necessary/better to align my writing sample with my research interests reflected in the personal statement? I am planning to apply for master programs in the fall, but I would also like to give it a shot for phd programs.

I would appreciate it for any response and advice!

 And of course, best of luck to ALL of you! What is yours will eventually come by your side.

Hi! So while I'm not super sure, I did ask Dr. Groening a sort of similar question regarding this. (I was stressing out about getting accepted for the PhD program and asked whether they ever consider rejected PhD applicants for MA, even though I have one in a related field😂). But he said: 

"If an applicant has an MA in a related field their file gets placed in the PhD pool. All of the applicants in the MA field have only Bachelor’s degrees."

So I think that it might maybe default to master's? But I'm not quite sure. It never hurts to ask! Best of luck to you as well and enjoy your studies!