You work with specialists to produce a thesis of up to 80,000 words (up to 40,000 words plus original creative work for a practice-based PhD). Your supervisory team includes a Director of Studies and secondary supervisors with expertise and interest in your research area. Much of your work will be carried out independently and you will need the initiative, motivation and commitment to succeed.

Your supervisors will help you define your research, agree associated training requirements, and provide direction while encouraging you to develop as an independent researcher.

You learn through

• independent research
• mentoring with your supervisory team
• film screenings

We have a vibrant research culture and we value and support all our research students, who make a vital contribution to the intellectual life of the University. You will be part of our community of researchers in the Humanities, with the opportunity to attend and/or contribute to a range of discipline, college and University-wide seminars, workshops, training and conferences. We offer formal research training events and academic seminars as well as more informal workshops where you can practise delivering conference papers in a supportive environment. Funds are available to support you in attending conferences and we encourage you to deliver papers and publish your work.

We recognise that doctoral researchers arrive with a diversity of skills and experience. Therefore, we provide flexible training and development opportunities covering a range of research-related skills, including transferable skills, research ethics and integrity (mandatory), data management, teaching skills and career planning. Your development needs are identified and agreed with your supervisory team at the start of your degree, and reviewed and updated as appropriate.

You benefit from access to our specialist film studies facilities for your research. For example, films are shown in our purpose-built film theatre The Void, which combines state-of-the-art technology with older technology, including cinema-standard 4K digital projection and two 40-year-old Westrex 7000 35mm projectors. These projectors can show both recent and rare, culturally valuable films in their original cinema format, including silent films at the correct speed. We are one of the few universities in the country that have these capabilities. You can view films as they were originally meant to be seen, an experience that cannot be replicated through home viewing alone. The Dolby 5.1 surround-sound system enhances your viewing experience.

A research degree is an essential qualification for academic careers such as teaching Film in further and higher education. You will have the opportunity to develop a range of transferable skills which are applicable in related areas such as the film industry, film curatorship and preservation, the creative industries and beyond.

All applicants should hold a strong undergraduate degree (2.1 or above) and/or a relevant masters qualification (or expectation of the same).

All applicants must submit a completed postgraduate application form including a 1500 word research proposal.

You are encouraged to find out more about our staff and their current research to inform the development of your research proposal and to ensure it aligns with our research themes. Before submitting your proposal, please contact the member(s) of staff listed against the relevant research theme.

Applicants are required to give a short 10–15 minute presentation followed by an interview. Interview panel members will include the head of research degrees for the relevant research area or centre, a local postgraduate research tutor and a prospective director of studies.

Where English is not your first language, you must show evidence of English language ability to the following minimum level of proficiency: an overall IELTS score of 7.0 or above, with at least 6.5 in each component or an accepted equivalent. Please note that your test score must be current, i.e. within the last two years.