Film Studies PhD

Overview

Research in the Department of Languages, Cultures and Film is characterised by an interest in the global dimensions of language-based study. When you undertake our Film Studies PhD, you’ll benefit from expertise in a wide range of disciplines, ensuring you receive the support you need to become a well-rounded researcher.

Introduction

Our research strengths include:

We also have expertise in histories and memories, specifically in themes relating to representations of war and conflict in different international contexts. Our staff are developing engagement with digital transformations, employing new technologies in the presentation of their research on periods from the Middle Ages to the contemporary world.

• Hispanic, Lusophone and Francophone cultures and societies outside of Europe
• Migrant and transnational cultures in Europe
• Multilingualism
• Sociolinguistics
• World cinema
• The cultural impacts of European expansion and colonialism
• Global Black Studies
• The processes of translation and transculturation implicit in all those encounters.

Research topics

Our Film Studies PhD covers a broad range of potential topics for investigation. We welcome research proposals in topics including:

• Post New Wave French cinema
• Political cinema in France post-1968
• Film and multilingualism
• Contemporary and post-war German literature and film
• Italian film and television
• Gender and Latin American film
• Movements in Latin American cinema
• Cinematic realism
• Spanish cinema and television
• Contemporary world cinema
• Slow cinema
• Middle Eastern and North African Cinema
• Stardom and performance
• Post-colonial cinema
• Gender in world cinema
• Latin American digital cultures
• Chicana/o and Latina/o film and culture
• Popular feminisms and media culture
• Cinema and Politics
• Film Violence and extremism
• Transnational and Postcolonial Cinemas: Gender, race and sexuality
• Transnational and Postcolonial Cinemas: Vulnerability, childhood and youth narratives
• Conflict, ethics and spectatorship
• Photography and documentary cinema
• Ecocinema
• Chinese visual culture (contemporary cinema and art)
• Cinema and new technologies (virtual reality).

Research culture

Our research groups provide a forum for the exchange of new concepts and knowledge produced by staff and postgraduate researchers. This gives you the opportunity to present your research, develop your research profile, and interact with other leading figures in your field of study.

Research groups include:

The city of Liverpool also has a thriving film culture, with opportunities to liaise with local arts organisations such as Tate Liverpool and the city’s arts cinemas.

• Image, Sound and Performance
• Conflict, Memory and Heritage
• Media Histories .

How to apply

• 1. Identify potential supervisors Potential supervisors for this PhD include: Dr Alison Smith Dr Marco Paoli Dr Andrew Plowman Dr Lisa Shaw Professor Claire Taylor Dr Niamh Thornton Dr Abigail Loxham Dr Maria Flood Dr Samar Abdel-Rahman Dr Angela Becher . For any questions about finding a supervisor, please contact Postgraduate Research Enquiries: hlc-pgr@liverpool.ac.uk .

1. Identify potential supervisors

• Dr Alison Smith
• Dr Marco Paoli
• Dr Andrew Plowman
• Dr Lisa Shaw
• Professor Claire Taylor
• Dr Niamh Thornton
• Dr Abigail Loxham
• Dr Maria Flood
• Dr Samar Abdel-Rahman
• Dr Angela Becher .
• 2. Prepare your application documents You may need the following documents to complete your online application: A research proposal (this should cover the research you’d like to undertake) University transcripts and degree certificates to date Passport details (international applicants only) English language certificates (international applicants only) A personal statement A curriculum vitae (CV) Contact details for two proposed supervisors Names and contact details of two referees.

2. Prepare your application documents

• A research proposal (this should cover the research you’d like to undertake)
• University transcripts and degree certificates to date
• Passport details (international applicants only)
• English language certificates (international applicants only)
• A personal statement
• A curriculum vitae (CV)
• Contact details for two proposed supervisors
• Names and contact details of two referees.
• 3. Apply Finally, register and apply online. You'll receive an email acknowledgment once you've submitted your application. We'll be in touch with further details about what happens next.

Fees and funding

Your tuition fees, funding your studies, and other costs to consider.

UK fees (applies to Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland)

Full-time place, per year - £5,238 Part-time place, per year - £2,619

International fees

Full-time place, per year - £25,350 Part-time place, per year - £12,650

Fees stated are for 2026/27 and may be subject to change for academic year 2027/28. The University may administer inflationary rises to international fees in subsequent academic years as you progress through the course.

Additional costs

We understand that budgeting for your time at university is important, and we want to make sure you understand any costs that are not covered by your tuition fee. This could include buying a laptop, books, or stationery.

Find out more about the additional study costs that may apply to this degree, as well as general student living costs .

Funding your PhD

If you're a UK national, or have settled status in the UK, you may be eligible to apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan worth up to £30,301 to help with course fees and living costs.

There’s also a variety of alternative sources of funding . These include funded research opportunities and financial support from UK research councils, charities and trusts. Your supervisor may be able to help you secure funding.

We've set the country or region your qualifications are from as United Kingdom . Change it here.

Scholarships and bursaries

We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries that could help pay your tuition fees and living expenses.

Duncan Norman Research Scholarship

If you’re awarded this prestigious scholarship, you’ll receive significant funding to support your postgraduate research. This includes full payment of your PhD fees and a cash bursary of £23,000 per year while you study. One award is available in each academic year.

John Lennon Memorial Scholarship

If you’re a UK student, either born in or with strong family connections to Merseyside, you could be eligible to apply for financial support worth up to £12,000 per year for up to three years of full-time postgraduate research (or up to five years part-time pro-rata).

Sport Liverpool Performance Programme

Apply to receive tailored training support to enhance your sporting performance. Our athlete support package includes a range of benefits, from bespoke strength and conditioning training to physiotherapy sessions and one-to-one nutritional advice.

Facilities and resources

Our postgraduate researchers benefit from excellent facilities within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences . This includes designated shared office space and access to a vast repository of sociolinguistic journals through the Sydney Jones Library .

Careers and employability

A PhD in Film Studies is both creative and academically rigorous, ensuring you gain the key skills that employers are looking for. This includes many opportunities to present your work to academics and peers during the course of your PhD.

Our graduates from the Department of Languages, Cultures and Film have been employed in academic roles at the University of Liverpool, University of Warwick, and Bangor University.

Outside of academia, other sectors of employment have included arts and entertainment, education, information and communication, and professional, scientific and technical activities.

Recent examples of positions held by our graduates have been translator, lecturer, associate lecturer, research associate, and writer/author.

Career support from day one to graduation and beyond

Once you graduate after completing your PhD, you’ll gain free access to Prosper to help you unlock your potential and kickstart your postdoctoral research career.

Prosper provides structured career development and support, designed specifically for postdocs, in close collaboration with employer partners and principal investigators.

Opportunities include coaching, workshops, webinars and a buddy scheme designed to help you realise the next step in your career journey.

You can also access online resources including the Prosper portal so you can manage your personal and professional development at your own pace.

As a postgraduate researcher at the University of Liverpool, you have access to an exciting portfolio of development opportunities, designed to support your ongoing success and help you realise your ambitions.

These development opportunities, available through The Academy’s PGR Development Hub , are suitable for all subject specialisms. You might be just commencing your research or in the final stages of completing your PhD.

An initial Development Needs Analysis will encourage you to reflect on your abilities. This exploration of your personal, professional and career development needs will form the foundation of a bespoke development plan you’ll agree with your supervisor.

The aim is to immerse yourself in new experiences, engage in development opportunities designed exclusively for postgraduate researchers, and reflect on your progress.

Our campus Career Studio is a space for students and graduates to drop into and talk to a career coach. Career coaches are highly trained to help no matter what stage you are at in planning for your future career.

You can access tailored guidance and support to find and apply for full-time and part-time roles, placements, internships and graduate schemes. You will also find the help you need if you have a start-up idea or want to create a business plan. You can explore the world of work, prepare for job interviews, and access careers events and workshops.

The Career Studio is open Monday to Friday from 10am-5pm, simply drop in at a time that works for you.

Meet our PhD researchers

These are the trailblazers, the leaders, the true originals. Our postgraduate researchers are shaping their future, and the future of the world we live in, advancing knowledge with each discovery.

Entry requirements

Discover the qualifications you'll need to apply for this course.

You’ll typically need a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree, and a UK master’s degree or international equivalent in a subject relevant to your proposed field of research.

English language requirements

You'll need to demonstrate competence in the use of English language, unless you’re from a majority English speaking country .

We accept a variety of international language tests and country-specific qualifications .

International applicants who do not meet the minimum required standard of English language can complete one of our Pre-Sessional English courses to achieve the required level.

Qualification | Details

IELTS | 6.5 overall, with no component below 6.0

TOEFL iBT | If you took a TOEFL test on or before 20 January 2026, you’ll need 88 overall, with minimum scores of listening 19, writing 19, reading 19 and speaking 20. If you took a TOEFL test from 21 January 2026 onwards, when a new scoring system was introduced, you’ll need 4.5 overall, with 4 or above in all components. TOEFL Home Edition not accepted.

Pearson PTE Academic | 61 overall, with no component below 59

Pre-sessional English

Do you need to complete a Pre-sessional English course to meet the English language requirements for this course?

The length of Pre-sessional English course you’ll need to take depends on your current level of English language ability.

If you don’t meet our English language requirements, we can use your most recent IELTS score, or the equivalent score in selected other English language tests , to determine the length of Pre-sessional English course you require.

Use the table below to check the course length you're likely to require for your current English language ability and see whether the course is available on campus or online.

Your most recent IELTS score | Pre-sessional English course length | On campus or online

6.0 overall, with writing at 6.0 and no component below 5.5 | 6 weeks | On campus or online

5.5 overall, with writing at 5.5 and no component below 5.0 | 10 weeks | On campus or online

5.5 overall, with no more than one component at 5.0 | 12 weeks | Online

5.5 overall, with no component below 5.0 | 20 weeks | On campus

5.0 overall, with no more than one component at 4.5 | 30 weeks | On campus

4.5 overall, with no more than one component at 4.0 | 40 weeks | On campus

If you’ve completed an alternative English language test to IELTS, we may be able to use this to assess your English language ability and determine the Pre-sessional English course length you require.

Please see our guide to Pre-sessional English entry requirements for IELTS 6.5 overall, with no component below 6.0, for further details.

Contact us

Have a question about this research opportunity or studying a PhD with us? Please get in touch with us, using the contact details below, and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Research areas