VES Academic Calendar

GRADUATE PROGRAM IN FILM AND VISUAL STUDIES (FVS)

The study of film at Harvard has long been conceived as the multi-disciplinary examination of visual experience.From Paul Sachs’s incorporation of film into the academic and curatorial focus of the fine arts at Harvard to Rudolf Arnheim’s consideration of the medium in his investigations of “visual thinking,” and from Hugo Münsterberg’s forays into the psychological reception of moving images to Stanley Cavell’s groundbreaking philosophical approach to the medium, Harvard maintains a long tradition of engaging cinema through the cultural, visual, spatial, and philosophical questions it raises. With their emphases on experimentation in the contemporary arts and creative collaboration among practioners and critics, the Department of Visual and Environmental Studies and the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts together provide a lively and unparalleled context for advanced research in Film and Visual Studies. The program aims to foster critical understanding of the interactions between the making of and thinking about film and video, between studio art, performance, and visual culture, and between different arts and pursuits whose objects are aural-visual entities. The Carpenter Center also supports a lively research culture, including the Seminar on Film History/Theory and a Film Workshop for advanced doctoral students, as well as lecture series and exhibitions featuring distinguished artists, filmmakers, and scholars.

Interdisciplinary in its impetus, the program draws on and consolidates course offerings in VES and in other departments of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to study film and the spatial arts in all their varieties and to investigate the place of visual arts in the humanities. Graduate students may also take advantage of the significant resources of the Harvard Film Archive. For more than twenty-five years, the Harvard Film Archive has been a vital resource for advanced research in film through the development of a vast collection of 16mm and 35mm film prints, as well as rare video materials and vintage film posters and promotional materials. The purpose of the archive is to further artistic and academic appreciation of cinema and moving image media within Harvard and the New England community by creating a setting where students and faculty have the opportunity to interact with filmmakers and artists. In early 2003, the HFA opened a new Conservation Center that allows the HFA conservator and staff to accession new films as well as to preserve its diverse collection of independent, international, and silent films.

Students in Film and Visual Studies are also eligible to apply to the Harvard Film Study Center for fellowships, awarded annually to graduate students and faculty in support of original film, video, and photographic projects. Established in 1957, the Film Study Center provides production equipment, post-production facilities, technical support, and funding for nonfiction works that interpret the world through images and sounds. Among the many important films to have been produced at the Film Study Center are John Marshall's The Hunters (1956), Robert Gardner's Forest of Bliss (1985), Susan Meiselas, Alfred Guzzetti, and Richard Rogers' Pictures from a Revolution (1991), Irene Lusztig's Reconstruction (2001), Robb Moss's The Same River Twice (2002), and, most recently, Ross McElwee's Bright Leaves (2003).

The graduate study of film and visual culture at Harvard is also bolstered by a vibrant undergraduate concentration in Film Studies that offers many opportunities for teaching. Students interested in serving as Teaching Fellows should contact the Director for Undergraduate Studies in Film.

The Program

The Graduate Program in Film and Visual Studies leads to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). This is a research degree whose core emphasis is the theory and history of moving images in relation to the visual arts.

The Program will not admit candidates for a terminal AM degree. Students may apply for a master’s degree after advancing to PhD candidacy by satisfactorily completing their coursework and exams as indicated below. A master’s degree may also be offered to students unable to complete the PhD. The expected timetable for completion of the degree will be five to six years.

We also recognize that there are graduate students pursuing serious research in film and related visual media in other departments who, for reasons both intellectual and professional, may wish to have their work validated by our program. Therefore, we also offer a secondary field in Film and Visual Studies for students already admitted to other doctoral programs in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Residence and Academic Standing.

Two years of enrollment for full-time study are a minimum requirement, with a minimum of at least fourteen courses completed with honor grades (no grade lower than B-).

Courses

A minimum of fourteen courses must be completed no later than the end of the second year. Normal progression would include eight courses in the first year and six courses in the second in order to provide time for preparation for the general examination as well as flexibility to pursue course work in neighboring fields of study.
Of these fourteen courses, two are required: VES 270, the Proseminar in Film and Visual Studies: History and VES 271, Proseminar in Film and Visual Studies: Theory. The Proseminars will normally be taken in the first year of study.
At least seven of the fourteen courses must be at the 200 level.
In addition, at least seven of the courses must be chosen from a list of courses approved for credit by the Film Studies Committee.
The remaining courses (including courses in other departments, or transferred from other schools) may be either the 200 or 100 level.
One of the non-200 level courses may be taken as a 300 level reading and research course with a professor, but not before the second term of residence. Other reading and research courses will be permitted in exceptional circumstances, and with the concurrence of the professor that the work is essential to the student’s program and not covered elsewhere in the existing curriculum.

Advanced Standing

Students entering the Graduate School who have done graduate work elsewhere may apply for transfer of credit at the end of their first year of residence at Harvard.
The amount and kind of credit shall be decided by the DGS with the advice and consent of the Film Studies Committee, but in no case will it exceed seven half-courses. The decision will be partially based on the nature of the student’s work done elsewhere and on their record in their first year at Harvard.

Language Requirements

A reading knowledge of two languages is required.
Normally, French or German should be one of these two languages. Other languages may be acceptable if deemed relevant and appropriate to the student’s program of study.
Proficiency may be certified either by a grade of B- or better on a proficiency exam administered by the relevant language department or by successful completion (B- or better) of a second-year or higher course taught in a foreign language. (Note: Elementary language courses do not count for course credit.)

Incompletes

No more than one Incomplete may be carried forward at any one time by a graduate student in Film and Visual Studies, and it must be made up no later than six weeks after the start of the next term. This policy includes courses in the student’s plan of study taken outside of Film and Visual Studies. Normally, any additional Incompletes will be considered “permanent” and may not be completed at a later date.
Additional courses will need to be taken in place of any permanent Incompletes, unless or until the required number of courses has been completed.
Delay in completing the fourteen courses will require postponing the student’s general examination until the following year. A student who is still unprepared to take the examination at that time cannot continue in the program.
Students may not take an Incomplete in any course in the second term of the second year.

(Non-Terminal) Master of Arts (AM)

Students must complete at least eight half-courses in Film and Visual Studies, maintaining a minimum GPA of 3.5 (B+) in all classes.
Two of these eight courses must be the Proseminars in Film and Visual Studies.
Students are also required to have as many 200 level courses as 100 level.
No more than one reading course is allowed for credit.
Students must have fulfilled at least one language requirement.

Advising

In the first two years of graduate study, students will be advised primarily by the DGS.
After the first two years, working with the DGS, the student will select a dissertation director who takes primary charge of advising the dissertation, with a second and third reader involved to a greater or lesser degree according to the wishes of the student and faculty members involved. The dissertation director and advisers will also help students choose and prepare field topics for the general examination.

The Secondary Field in Film and Visual Studies

Graduate students admitted to other doctoral programs in the FAS who wish to pursue research in Film and Visual Studies in addition to their principle area of study may petition for a secondary field in Film and Visual Studies.
The secondary field will consist of four graduate level courses: the two Proseminars plus two courses chosen from a list of courses approved for graduate credit by the Film Studies Committee. The Proseminars should be taken in the first year of study.
Successful completion of an examination or alternative means of demonstrating mastery in the field of Film and Visual Studies is also required. The particular form of examination or alternative means of demonstrating mastery will be agreed upon by the DGS in Film and Visual Studies and the DGS in the student’s home PhD department. This demonstration of mastery might be part of a departmental general or field examination, or it might be combined with departmental requirements in some other way. One or more members of the Committee on Film and Visual Studies will conduct and adjudicate the portion of the preliminary examination devoted to Film and Visual Studies, and the results will be reported to both directors of graduate studies.

Advancement to Candidacy

Advancement to candidacy for a PhD in Film and Visual Studies consists of three components: a qualifying paper, a written general examination, and an oral examination. The examinations are designed to test the students’ mastery of their scholarly fields and their ability to proceed to writing a dissertation. They will normally take place together in September at the beginning of the third year of study, and will be supervised by an Examination Committee appointed each year from members of the Film Studies Committee. The timing of the general exam is meant to encourage students to take the exam as a cohort. Individually scheduled exams will be discouraged.

Qualifying paper

The qualifying paper is required of all students, even those who have completed a master’s thesis elsewhere. It is ordinarily developed from an existing seminar paper, research paper, or portion of a master’s thesis. It is about 5,000 to 10,000 words in length, including notes. Emphasis is placed upon the student’s independence of thinking and research, ability to use primary source materials, and proficiency in writing and presentation. Following close consultation with their field advisors, students at the beginning of their third term of residence will submit to the DGS the proposed topic and a timetable for completion. The paper should be completed and submitted at the time of the general examination. A student may request that a master’s thesis written for another institution be substituted in lieu of a qualifying paper; this must be approved by the DGS and two members of the Film Studies Committee.

General examination

The written examination is designed to test students’ mastery of their scholarly fields as well as general knowledge of the history and aesthetics of moving images in relation to the visual and performing arts. The examination consists of two parts, one relating to history and one to theory and aesthetics; each part has three components. Each component comprises a two-hour exam consisting of three essay questions, of which the student must choose one for each component.

A. The history examination has three components:a general examination relating to methodology and historiography; a national or regional field component; and a third field component examining topics in the history of film and the visual or performing arts.

The general history examination is based on an extensive bibliography and filmography, regularly updated by the faculty in Film and Visual Studies. This component is designed to test the breadth of students’ mastery of the history of moving visual media and their ability to develop synthetic arguments in relation to that history.
The national or regional fields is examined on a bibliography and filmography developed by candidates in consultation with a field adviser. Examples of national and regional fields could include: American cinema, French cinema, Eastern European cinema, African cinema, Pacific Rim cinemas, and so on.
The special topics field is examined on a bibliography and filmography developed by students in consultation with a field adviser. Examples of special topics could include: early cinema; technological history and the visual image; economic and industrial history of media; urbanism, space and cultures of modernity; visuality and performance studies; film and the history of science, etc.

B. The theory and aesthetics examination also has three components consisting of a general examination and two special fields.

The general theory examination is based on an extensive bibliography and filmography, regularly updated by the faculty in Film and Visual Studies. This component is designed to test the breadth of students’ mastery of the aesthetics of moving visual media and their accompanying theories, as well as students’ ability to develop synthetic arguments in relation to those theories.
The two field components are based on topics, with accompanying bibliographies and filmographies, developed by the candidate in consultation with their field advisers. These fields may be organized conceptually or thematically. Examples could include: narrative theory in the visual arts; gender and sexuality in film; performance theory; authorship and genre; theories of spectatorship and audience; theories of documentary and non-fiction film; design, architecture and theories of space; film, philosophy and aesthetics, etc.

C. At the oral examination (two hours), students will be asked to review, deepen, clarify, and defend their arguments as presented in the qualifying paper and written examinations. Candidates should also expect to present and discuss preliminary ideas and research for their proposed thesis topic. Students whose performance on the examination is not satisfactory will be given one opportunity to repeat all or a portion of the exams.

The Dissertation

The Dissertation Prospectus.

After the successful completion of the general examinations, a topic for the dissertation should be chosen in consultation with the student’s dissertation director and advisers. Discussing potential topics with several faculty members is advisable before the student begins.
A committee should be formed and agreed no later than January in the third year of study, consisting of the dissertation director and two readers.
Once a student has a topic and advisor to guide his or her dissertation, a formal written dissertation proposal is the next step. Not including the bibliography, the prospectus should be about ten pages in length, but not more.
Students will be expected to have a prospectus approved within five months of passing the general examination in order to be considered to be making satisfactory progress toward the degree.

The Dissertation

After the dissertation prospectus has been approved, candidates work closely with their dissertation director and readers. The PhD dissertation is expected to be an original and substantial work of scholarship or criticism, excellent in form and content. The program will accept dissertations on a great variety of topics involving a broad range of approaches to film and related visual media. It sets no specific page limits, preferring to give students and directors as much freedom as possible.

Teaching

Students begin teaching in their third year. Ordinarily they teach discussion sections in courses in Film Studies and in VES. It may also be possible to serve as Teaching Fellows for studio courses. Preparation for a teaching career is a required part of each student’s training, and teaching fellows benefit from the supervision and guidance of department members. Teaching fellows are also encouraged to avail themselves of the facilities at the Bok Center for Teaching and Learning.

General Guidelines for Admission

The following is a set of general guidelines for the admissions process. It should be noted that while several areas are emphasized here, the Admissions Committee will carefully examine the overall profile of each applicant, taking these and other aspects of the candidate’s application into consideration.

The Writing Sample: The writing sample is one of the most important materials in the application. Candidates should submit only one 15–20 page paper, in 12-point type, double-spaced througout, and with normal margins. The writing sample must be an example of critical writing (rather than creative writing) on a subject directly related to film, performance and/or visual studies. Applicants should not send longer papers with instructions to read an excerpt or excerpts, but should themselves edit the sample so that they submit only up to 20 pages.
Grades: While the overall GPA is important, it is more important to have an average of no lower than A- in courses related to film and visual studies or related fields. In addition, if a candidate has not majored in film studies or a related field, it is important to have sufficient background to enter the graduate program— a matter perhaps best determined by speaking with one’s undergraduate advisor.
Letters of Recommendation: It is important to have three strong letters of recommendation from professors who are familiar with the candidate’s academic work. An applicant who has been out of school for several years should try to reestablish contact with former professors. Additional letters from employers may also be included.
GREs: High scores in the Verbal (700) are positive additions to the application but are by no means the most important aspect of one’s candidacy. (The Quantitative and Analytical scores carry less weight than the Verbal and Subject scores.) Applicants should make timely plans to take these examinations in order to ensure arrival of scores by the January application deadline. Scores received after mid-January may be too late to be considered.
Statement of Purpose: The Statement of Purpose should give the admissions committee a clear sense of one’s individual interests and strengths. Applicants need not indicate at the time of application precisely what their field of specialization will be, but it is helpful to know something about a candidate’s aspirations, and how Film and Visual Studies at Harvard might help in attaining these goals.
Languages: Strong language background helps to strengthen the application, and students who lack it should be aware that they will need to repair these gaps during their first two years of graduate study.

Faculty In Film and Visual Studies

For More Information

Further information on Film and Visual Studies at Harvard may be obtained by contacting:

The Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Visual and Environmental Studies
Harvard University
24 Quincy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
fvs@fas.harvard.edu