5 Best PhD’s in Film Studies

Updated on March 17, 2021

A great film can enrich our understanding of others and ourselves. With one of the following 5 Best Ph.D.'s in Film Studies, students can explore the visual and meaningful magic of movies.

A film can pull us into bygone eras and fantastical realms while also revealing profound truths about humanity. It can stir up emotion, provoke thought, and provide an escape from the daily grind. With one of the following 5 Best Ph.D.'s in Film Studies, students can take a scholarly approach to film critique, theory, history, production and beyond.

The following five doctoral programs provide students opportunities to conduct original, fascinating research in the most intriguing aspects of the film world. The following programs allow students to explore the behind-the-scenes, aesthetic, historical, theoretical, and symbolic elements of film through both universal and unique perspectives.

Explore these promoted online degree programs.

These top, accredited schools offer a variety of online graduate degree programs. Figuring out where to apply? Consider one of these online Master's or PhD programs.

Individuals with doctoral degrees in Film Studies may go on to work as film critics, film professors, producers or directors. While doctoral degrees are largely research-based, students' analysis may provide strong theoretical foundations for film production. According to the most recent report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, motion picture producers and directors made a 2018 median salary of $71,680 per year.

Employment for producers and directors is experiencing a projected growth rate of 12 percent. The growth of the film industry reflects the growing consumption of and demand for motion picture entertainment. Degrees in new media may also be useful as media platforms evolve and websites such as YouTube become increasingly popular and lucrative.

Methodology

The staff of Grad School Hub has compiled the following 5 Best Ph.D.s in Film Studies 2020 for the 2019-20 academic school year based on public data released from educational, commercial, and government databases. Data contributed from sources such as the National Center for Education Statistics, and the U.S. Department of Labor plays a significant role in how graduate degree programs are ranked because institutional transparency is essential for deciding which career path is right for you. Based on this data, GSH organizes information into five weighted categories, which are:

  • Alumni Feedback: 20%

  • Continued Enrollment: 20%

  • Degree Selectivity: 10%

  • Graduate Expenses: 25%

  • Projected Annual Salary: 25%

A more comprehensive evaluation of how each category is determined and scored is accessible through ourRanking Methodology page.

Here are the 5 Best Ph.D.'s in Film Studies!

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