In general, grad schools offering programs in critical studies see
the MA only as a point on the path to a PhD. Anyone who states they
are ONLY pursuing an MA will be a second class citizen, not get a
graduate assistantship, etc. So if all you want is an MA, tell them
you're pursuing a PhD and just drop out once you pass the MA. One
might ask why you are pursuing an MA? If you think you'll seek any
sort of academic or research career, you'll need a doctorate... E.g
MAs are worth almost nothing in the marketplace, not that PhDs are
worth that much more given the glut of students gaining advanced
degrees.
So, it's a competitive world, and if you're serious about grad
school, you should try to get into one of the top programs. You can
tell what these are by looking at the Job Tracks section in Lingua
Franca magazine, and seeing what schools get a lot of graduates hired
to academic posts.
Perhaps even more important than the overall rep of the program is
finding a professor who does work that interests you, and might serve
as a mentor, or intellectual guiding light. Presumably you've read
some film scholarship if you're interested in grad school in the
area, and you have found some books or essays you really like that
were written by professors. Look to the schools where they teach.
Finally, talk to your undergraduate professors. They shoudl know
something about graduate schools, and you also want to be able to
make use of their connections in terms of getting recommendations
that may help you get admitted.
>I'm applying for my MA in Film Studies this fall, and I was wondering if there
>is any sort of definitive list of film studies departments (primarily in the
>US & Canada) lurking somewhere on the web. As of yet, I seem unable to locate
>any. There's lots on production, but what about the critical side?
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Online resources for film/TV studies may be found at ScreenSite
http://www.tcf.ua.edu/ScreenSite
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