Cinema Studies

Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Cinema Studies Institute's additional admission requirements stated below.

Successful completion of an appropriate four-year University of Toronto bachelor's degree, or its equivalent from a recognized university.

Minimum B+ standing, demonstrated by an average grade in the final year, or over senior-level courses.

Successful completion of a minimum of 6.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) in cinema studies, or comparable program preparation.

A letter of intent addressing the academic goals an applicant wishes to pursue in the program.

Three letters of recommendation.

Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions.

An academic writing sample of no more than 3,000 words.

The MA is a coursework-only program and therefore does not require a thesis.

Students must successfully complete a total of 4.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) over the course of an academic year, normally extending from September until August, as follows:

• 1.0 FCE mandatory core courses: CIN1101H Theories and Practices of Cinema and CIN1102H Key Developments in Film History.

• 1.0 FCE devoted to either the writing of a major research paper (CIN1006Y) or pursuing an internship (CIN1007Y).

• 2.0 FCEs may be completed in the following way:

  • from elective CIN courses chosen from rotating special topics courses, also under the CIN rubric, but possibly cross-listed with another department, depending on the instructor's departmental home.

  • from film-related courses offered by other units (non-CIN designator) but approved as relevant to the Cinema Studies master's program curriculum.

Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Cinema Studies Institute's additional admission requirements stated below.

Letter of intent outlining the academic ambitions, including possible thesis topic, the applicant aims to pursue in the program.

Three letters of recommendation.

A writing sample.

Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions.

The student's program of study must be approved by the Cinema Studies Institute (CSI).

Coursework. Students must successfully complete a total of 4.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

• 1.0 FCE required courses: CIN2100H History and Historiography of Cinematic Media and CIN2101H Pressures on the Cinematic. Students who have already taken these courses, or their equivalent, will be required to enrol in alternate course selections, with the Graduate Coordinator's approval.

• 1.5 FCEs offered in cinema studies.

• 1.0 FCE elective courses offered in cinema studies or by other graduate units and chosen in consultation with the student's faculty advisor.

• 0.5 FCE: CIN2999H Research Seminar in Cinema Studies.

All coursework is normally completed by December of Year 2 of study, except for CIN2999H which may extend beyond that date.

Completion of one Qualifying Examination. Students generally undertake the Qualifying Examination after the completion of coursework in Year 2 of study.

• The Qualifying Examination covers two special fields and has two components: a written examination and an oral examination. These exams are scheduled by the student’s supervisor and committee members. Examinations are marked on a pass/fail basis. (Should the committee deem their work exceptional, students may pass with distinction.) Students are allowed two attempts to pass the written examination and two attempts to pass the oral examination.

Students must have completed all requirements for the degree, exclusive of thesis research, by the end of Year 3 of study in order to remain in good academic standing and in order to achieve candidacy.

Completion of a PhD dissertation based on original research conducted by the candidate on an approved topic in cinema studies. The dissertation proposal should be approved by the supervisor no later than May of Year 2 of PhD studies. Each student is required to meet at least annually with a supervisory committee, which includes the supervisor and two faculty members, to review academic progress, and to consult about future directions.

The thesis must be presented within six years of first enrolment in the PhD program. Successful defence at the SGS Doctoral Final Oral Examination.