Film Studies

• M.A. Film Studies

• M.A. Film Studies with Specialization in African Studies

• M.A. Film Studies with Specialization in Digital Humanities

M.A. Film Studies

About the Program

The School for Studies in Art and Culture offers a program of study and research leading to the degree of Master of Arts in Film Studies. Priority is given to critical and historical concepts and methods pertaining to the study of media technology and aesthetics; national and transnational cinemas in their global contexts; Canadian and Quebec cinema; animation and new media; and film's relationship to literature, theatre, music and the visual arts.

Academic Regulations

See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

A standing of B- or better must be obtained in each course counted towards the master's degree.

Admission Requirements

The minimum requirement for admission to the Master's program in either a full-time or part-time capacity is a B.A. (Honours) or the equivalent in film studies or a related discipline with high honours standing. Related disciplines might include mass communication, art history, literature, Canadian studies, women's studies, and history. Applicants without a background in film studies may be required to take a maximum of two full credits from designated courses in the undergraduate Film Studies program in addition to their normal M.A. program requirements.

Applicants who lack an Honours degree, but who have a three-year degree in film studies or a related discipline with a minimum standing of B+, may be admitted to a qualifying-year program. Students who complete the qualifying-year requirements with high honours standing or better will be considered for admission to the master's program. The regulations governing the qualifying-year are outlined in the General Regulations section of this calendar.

Program Requirements

Students enrolled in the Film Studies M.A. must select one of the following two program streams:

Thesis stream: 2.5 credits plus a 1.5 credit Thesis
Intensive stream: 4.0 credits of course work

Note: In choosing the 1.5 additional credits beyond the core seminars, students may take 0.5 credits of coursework outside the Film Studies program subject to the approval of the Graduate Supervisor. 

Note: In choosing the two additional credits beyond the core seminars, students may take 0.5 credits of coursework outside the Film Studies program subject to the approval of the Graduate Supervisor.

Guidelines for Completion of M.A. Film Studies

• Full-time students in the thesis stream are expected to finish all requirements for the degree, with the exception of FILM 5909, during their first two terms of study, and part-time students by the end of the fifth term. The thesis requirement is designed to take two or three additional terms.
• Full-time students in the intensive stream are expected to finish all requirements for the degree, with the exception of FILM 5908 during their first two terms of study, and part-time students by the end of the fifth term. Full-time students are expected to complete the research essay by the end of the third term and part time students during the sixth term. Full-time students are expected to write the comprehensive exam during the third term and part-time students during the sixth term.

Thesis/Research Essay Proposal

• Students in the thesis stream will submit a detailed thesis proposal to the Film Studies Graduate committee no later than mid-May of the first year of registration for students enrolled full time and no later than the middle of the fifth term of registration for students enrolled part time.
• Students in the intensive stream will submit a research proposal that has been accepted by their research essay supervisor for approval no later than mid-May. The topic should concern research undertaken after admission into the program.

Language Requirements

A reading knowledge of French (or another language approved by the Film Studies Graduate Supervisor) is required.

Selection of Courses - African Studies

The courses listed below (all are worth 0.5 credit) are relevant to students of African Studies and could, with the approval of the specific requirements of the units involved, be used as courses to help fulfill degree requirements. There are also often graduate courses and 4000-level courses in a number of units at Carleton that are offered on an ad hoc basis that have significant content appropriate to African Studies. To have any such course count towards their degree requires approval of the Director of the Institute of African Studies when it is being offered.

Note: the number of spaces in graduate courses offered by other departments may be limited, and registration may be conditional upon obtaining the prior approval of the department concerned. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that permission is obtained from the appropriate department prior to registering in any of the following courses.

Note:  In choosing the two additional credits beyond the core seminars, students may take 0.5 credits of coursework outside the Film Studies program subject to the approval of the Graduate Supervisor.

Summer session: some of the courses listed in this Calendar are offered during the summer. Hours and scheduling for summer session courses will differ significantly from those reported in the fall/winter Calendar. To determine the scheduling and hours for summer session classes, consult the class schedule at central.carleton.ca

Not all courses listed are offered in a given year. For an up-to-date statement of course offerings for the current session and to determine the term of offering, consult the class schedule at central.carleton.ca