Postgraduate research degrees in theatre, film, television and interactive media
Help to advance emerging research and creative practice in one of our diverse research clusters, from cultural histories to accessible film-making and digital cultures to immersive narration.
Why study at York?
At York, we generate innovative ideas and practices that benefit culture, society and the economy. Our research culture builds on our strengths in studying and making theatre, film, television and interactive media and the ways in which those practices interact. Such innovation has led to several multi-million pound, industry-facing projects with digital creativity at their heart. Study with us and contribute expert research to projects highly relevant in today’s world, such as virtual reality or competitive video games.
Our courses
Masters degrees
- Filmmaking (by research) (MA)
- Interactive Media (by research) (MA/MSc)
- Screenwriting (by research) (MA)
- Theatre (by research) (MA)
Doctoral degrees
- Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media (by research) (PhD)
- Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media (by creative practice) (PhD)
Our Screenwriting by research (MA), Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media by Research (PhD) and Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media by Creative Practice (PhD) degrees can be taken as distance learning courses.
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Applying
Applicants to PGR courses (PhD, MPhil and MA by Research) in the School of Arts and Creative Technologies are asked to submit a clear, well-structured research proposal as part of this process.
The proposal should be around 1500-2000 words long. (It can be useful to develop this proposal in consultation with the staff member who will potentially supervise the work, if this is known.) The proposal should include:
- provisional title of research
- summary of the topic to be investigated
- indications of relevant previous work in the field by others: key theoretical research or creative practice
- an overview of your own experience to date, relevant to the proposal
- your broad aims and specific questions within this
- provisional information about the likely methods to be used: will the work take place primarily through artistic/creative practice research, empirical processes of experimentation and/or theoretical investigation?
Visiting postgraduate researchers
Spend up to a year in York as a visiting research student from a university outside the UK.
Scholarships and funding
Find out about scholarships and studentships that are available to students in the School of Arts and Creative Technologies.
World-leading research
We’re one of the UK’s top 25 research institutions in the Times Higher Education’s ranking of the latest Research Excellence Framework results (2021). 83.3% of our research impact is rated 4* - REF’s highest rating.
York is a UNESCO city of Media Arts
From digital innovation to media arts, York is a creative hub for innovation and ideas. Also a member of the Creative Cities network, for two millennia York has been the meeting point for the ideas and creativity of the world.
Industry-standard facilities
You'll have access to two professional HD television studios, theatre stages, extensive vision and sound post-production suites and a 140-seat 4K digital cinema with surround sound.
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Facilities
Our purpose-built £30m media complex is central to our research activity and home to a wide range of production facilities. We offer industry-standard professional theatres, television studios, sound stage, production labs, digital cinema and much more. Our first-class facilities and diverse staff specialisms place us at the forefront of efforts to develop interdisciplinary research across the University.
Careers
To showcase our research and enhance collaboration, we hold a regular series of seminars including papers by visiting speakers, as well as talks by University of York staff. There are also opportunities for current research students to present their research, giving you a chance to build your confidence and forge industry links.