Departmental Executive Officer: Dean Bakopoulos
Director of Graduate Studies: Christopher Goetz
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Patrick Wimp
Head of Film and Video Production: Laura Gede
Head of Film Studies: Andrew Owens
Head of Screenwriting: Rachel Yoder
Departmental Administrator/Graduate Coordinator: Lindsay Vella
Administrative Services Coordinator: Norah Rehor
IT Consultant: Mike Hendrickson
Production Unit Instruction Services Manager: Angela Looney
Undergraduate Academic Advisor: Marcus Leyton

A new student's first semester in Iowa City and at the University of Iowa is an ideal time to discover the various opportunities offered by this extremely rich intellectual and artistic community. These include not only courses in a wide spectrum of departments, but also academic lectures and discussions, campus art events, or off-campus opportunities. Please also see the Graduate College website for more information about employment standards and campus resources (https://grad.uiowa.edu/funding/graduate-student-employment- standards).

The department regularly sponsors lectures and screenings by local and visiting scholars and filmmakers. These offer an exciting opportunity to find out what is going on in the field and provide important contributions to your graduate education and professional development. The department expects you to attend these special events as often as possible.

All newly admitted students automatically receive Office 365 email accounts. The DA will add your name to relevant listservs. The Cinematic Arts graduate student listserv is (cinegrads@team.uiowa.edu). Only members of the graduate student listserv can send messages to it. The members include all current graduate students, HP, DGS, DEO/Chair, and SSC staff. You should rely on UI e-mail for all official UI and department correspondence.

All graduate students must meet with the appropriate HP prior to applying for a fellowship or any other funding support outside of the department. This step is necessary to confirm your eligibility. Except in rare cases, graduate students employed as Teaching Assistants should not accept employment beyond their contracted hours. Before committing to such opportunities, students must first confer with department faculty and staff to clarify their employment (or fellowship) requirements and eligibility. Any and all requests for outside employment (i.e., any other source of funding on or off campus) need to be made in writing to HP, pending formal approval by the Cinematic Arts DEO/Chair.

You will have an Advisor throughout your graduate studies at UI. An initial Advisor will be appointed by the HP. With the agreement of your current Advisor, you may change Advisors or committee members at any point by completing the Committee Change Form. You are expected to meet with your Advisor at least once each semester to ensure proper registration in graduate level coursework, including relevant course offerings in areas outside your program of study.

Registration in Cinematic Arts graduate programs should reflect the amount and kind of work undertaken by graduate students in the Graduate College. The purpose of the registration requirement is to promote a high level of intellectual and scholarly activity and focus. These requirements foster intensive, concentrated engagement over an extended period of time with the faculty members and graduate students in your program of study. To that end, the Department of Cinematic Arts does not grant approval for students pursuing the MA or MFA in Cinematic Arts to also pursue a second degree simultaneously/concurrently. Please see Graduate College policy (subsection G).

MA Policy:
Of the minimum semester hours required for the degree (36 for MA in Film Studies; 54 for MFA in Film & Video Production), at least 24 semester hours must be completed under the auspices of The University of Iowa after admission to a graduate department/program, regardless of allowed transfer credits.

PhD Policy:
All doctoral programs will contain a minimum of 72 semester hours of graduate work. Of those 72 semester hours, at least 39 must be earned while registered in The University of Iowa Graduate College, and after admission to a graduate department/program, regardless of allowed transfer credits.

You must get “Registration Authorization” from your Advisor. Contact your Advisor before Early Registration to discuss course selection. You are expected to register for the courses that you discussed with your Advisor. Notify your Advisor immediately if you decide not to register for them. If your Advisor is unavailable, contact the HP or DGS. They will also help you with registration questions.

It is important that you register during Early Registration because enrollments at the end of Early Registration can determine whether a course will be offered. You are required to register for fall classes by June 1 and for spring classes by the end of the fall semester, and in no case later than December 31.
If you are a teaching assistant (TA), do not enroll in courses that conflict with your TA assignment (including required screenings). For example, TAs who teach courses (discussion sections or standalones) that have screenings should not enroll in courses that conflict with that required portion of their teaching assignment because TAs are contracted (and paid) to attend (which may include run) the weekly screenings. An overlap is not allowed. The Department makes every effort to schedule its graduate courses at times that do not conflict with courses taught by its TAs.

Graduate students in Film Studies are expected to regularly enroll in the graduate-level Film Studies courses that are offered in order to build a record of graduate work in the program. While we allow and encourage students to take relevant courses in related programs, we assume Film Studies graduates will largely concentrate their coursework in Film Studies.

If you have questions regarding continuous registration or registering for your final semester, contact the DA. If a Short Hours Form is needed, contact the DA for completion and submission to the Registrar to certify that you should be considered either a half-time or full-time student even though your registration does not show such status. The form can cover one semester, a calendar year (January through December), or an academic year (Summer Session through Spring Semester).

Courses at several levels are offered each semester. Courses numbered 5000 and above are restricted to graduate students. Film Studies courses numbered below 5000 are available to graduate students with special permission from their Advisor and the course instructor. The student and course instructor must meet, discuss, and agree to special assessment to merit graduate-level credit for the course (e.g., additional readings, discussions and forms of assessment). Graduate credit is not given for courses numbered under 3000. Note that some courses open to graduate students are offered during the summer and other sessions, including courses in languages and literatures other than English and other areas of interest to graduate students.

You may request to take an independent study for course credit with an appropriate faculty member when regular course offerings do not address a desired topic, or if you wish to pursue focused and guided study of a specific topic that regular coursework does not allow or facilitate.

Because independent study courses represent a large amount of extra work for faculty, faculty members rarely agree to conduct them unless they are already familiar with a student's skills, work habits, and interests. You should request an independent study only when you have already worked successfully with a professor in at least one previous course, when the study meets a crucial need that regular course offerings do not, when the proposed study area aligns with the faculty member’s core expertise, and when the study has been discussed as a viable option with that faculty member. Independent studies are restricted to one credit (for substantial reading, viewing, or research) or, less often, two credits (when, additionally, substantial written work is included) and are normally (though not always) graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis. The total number of credit hours of Independent Study allowed towards the degree is restricted to three.

After a faculty member agrees to work with you in an independent study, an Independent Study Agreement must be prepared and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. This must be done in the semester before the independent study will take place. This written agreement should provide justification for undertaking an independent study, a summary of the work to be performed, a semester schedule, and clarification of the basis for determining a final grade. Once approved, you will register for the course and a copy of the signed agreement will be placed into your academic file.

Grades of Incomplete are granted only in exceptional cases for students who are in good academic standing in a course. Incompletes require a clear, written contract between student and instructor. This agreement must stipulate the work to be completed, the length of the extension granted, and the sanctions for not meeting the new deadline. A copy of the agreement may be retained in the student’s academic file. The due dates for making up incompletes cannot exceed College limits, which require submission of work three and one-half weeks prior to the close of finals week of the next semester. But faculty reserve the right to contract for shorter extensions.

Most University of Iowa courses are graded on an A-B-C-D-F scale; + and - grades are regularly used. Anything below a B is an inadequate grade for graduate work. A few courses are graded

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory; these S/U courses do not figure in the calculation of your grade point average, and thus should not take up too large a proportion of your overall curriculum.

To hold a teaching assistantship or fellowship, you must be making satisfactory progress in your program of study (see requirements for each Program of Study below). This includes completing the required coursework, maintaining the required cumulative GPA on graduate work taken at the University of Iowa, and performing assigned assistantship duties satisfactorily. Courses graded Incomplete are not counted. Failure to meet these requirements may result in non-renewal or cancellation of an assistantship or fellowship. In the spring semester each year, faculty meet to review the progress of all graduate students. In preparation for this meeting, you are expected to contact your Advisor to report on your academic progress and to announce significant achievements (publications, conferences, film and video productions, etc.) for the previous academic year.

For students in the process of writing their dissertations (post-Prospectus), progress is evaluated on a semester- by-semester basis by the students’ supervisor, in line with Graduate College and Department of Cinematic Arts standards and expectations, in addition to agreed-upon timelines for chapter draft completion and submission (established between the supervisor and student once they have defended their prospectus). At the start of each semester, the student and their supervisor should meet and discuss a plan for that semester. The outcome of this meeting should be a written agreement regarding student progress, which should include a timeline of chapter-based work to be completed and submitted that semester. This timeline should be submitted by week 2 of the semester to the DGS, in addition to the supervisor, signed by all 3 (DGS, supervisor, and student) and placed in the student’s file. A grade of Satisfactory indicates the student is making satisfactory progress on chapter completion in the dissertation for that semester. Though individual agreements may vary, a good general rule is for students to provide supervisors sufficient time to evaluate their written work, so chapter drafts should be submitted at least three weeks ahead of the date for grade submissions for that semester (i.e., the Monday following Finals Week). A grade of Unsatisfactory indicates the student has not made satisfactory progress on the dissertation for that semester. These grades are essential indicators to the student of whether they are making satisfactory progress or whether they are not meeting expectations for satisfactory progress.

It is your responsibility to schedule committee meetings and final exams/screenings/dissertation defenses after consulting with your Advisor. If a committee member is not able to attend an exam in person, prior arrangements must be made. The Graduate College has specific rules regarding electronic participation in graduate committee meetings.

Committee meetings (including but not limited to Plan of Study meetings, Comprehensive Exam meetings, Prospectus meetings, and MFA and PhD Dissertation defenses) must adhere to the typical nine-month faculty teaching and service calendar. Dates available for committee meetings during the fall semester are: three working days prior to the opening day of classes through the closing day of final exam week, excluding University Holidays and Recesses. Dates available for the spring semester are: opening day of classes through the closing day of final exam week, excluding University Holidays and Recesses. Faculty are not expected to meet for official graduate student committee business between the closing day of final exam week of the spring semester and three days prior to the opening day of classes fall semester.

Contact the DA for assistance with scheduling and help with coordination, including required paperwork.

After receiving permission from the DA, you may look at your files but you cannot take them out of the SSC.

The department adheres to the Graduate College rules related to the postponement of studies. There are certain circumstances in which you can delay your registration or put things on hold. There are other circumstances in which you cannot hold back the clock. For example, after you have passed the Doctoral Comprehensive Exam, you have five years in which to make a successful defense of your dissertation, with no exceptions. If you do not meet that deadline then you will have to petition for re-instatement, which may or may not entail retaking your Doctoral Comprehensive Exam (and possibly also retaking at least some coursework) before you can submit a dissertation.

As noted in an earlier section, you may request up to one year’s leave of absence for medical cause without loss of normal progress status. Reasons for leaves of absence other than medical will result in a failure to maintain normal progress. Failure to maintain normal progress jeopardizes your TA funding eligibility should you decide to return to the program at a later date.

Refer to the Graduate College’s Manual of Rules and Regulations Academic Standing, Probation, and Dismissal.

Refer to the Graduate College’s Manual of Rules and Regulations Academic Standing, Probation, and Dismissal.

The office of the Ombudsperson responds to questions or problems presented by any member of the University community – students, faculty, and staff. The Ombudsperson serves as a confidential, neutral, independent resource person who listens, provides information, advises, and sometimes mediates. All requests and consultations are treated in the strictest confidence. You should observe procedures outlined in the University document, “Policies & Regulations Affecting Students.” Your academic Advisor, HP, supervisor, DEO/Chair, dean or other administrator should normally be consulted before contacting the Ombudsperson. Where the use of official channels would mean lengthy and damaging delays or involve a lack of confidentiality and/or impartiality, it may be appropriate to consult the Ombudsperson early in the process.

The Office of the Ombudsperson is located on the third floor of the Jefferson Building, 129 E. Washington Street. Appointments can be made by email (ombudsperson@uiowa.edu) or by telephone (319-335-3608). More information can be found here.
 

This section outlines the rules and practices that apply to candidates for the Master of Arts in Film Studies. In addition, Graduate College rules apply to all students enrolled in a Graduate College program, including those in Film Studies.

Students who do not already hold an MA in Film Studies or a closely allied discipline are typically first admitted into the Film Studies MA program, even if they are interested in pursuing a doctorate in Film Studies. This is a two-year program, and no more than six hours of graduate credit for courses taken elsewhere will be accepted toward the Film Studies MA.

The Film Studies MA serves two basic purposes: 1) to give students substantial training in film analysis, history, and theory, and 2) to afford students an opportunity to learn about various film-related disciplines in order to make an informed career choice. Students who complete a UI Film Studies MA may go on to PhD work in film studies or another discipline, M.F.A. work in film and video production or another discipline, a library science degree, film distribution, film programming, archival work, arts management, and many other disciplines. MA students are expected to enroll in all graduate-level film studies courses offered by the department each semester. Beyond that, students are welcome to explore graduate courses in other programs, or even advanced undergraduate Film Studies courses, pending approval from Advisors and course instructors.

All M.A. students write original theses in their second year, closely mentored by one primary Advisor and two additional faculty members. Two of the three-person committee must be from Cinematic Arts (including 0% faculty appointees). Theses give students the chance to complete a work of substantial original scholarship that meets the expectations of submission to an academic journal. M.A. students must convene a 3-person thesis committee (including a primary thesis Advisor) and decide on a general topic for their thesis by mid-April of their first year, so that preliminary research can begin over summer break. The thesis topic should be submitted to the student’s thesis Advisor in the form of a brief prospectus, which the Advisor may waive (but other committee members may still request). The student should consult with their Advisor regarding prospectus length. In the beginning of the Fall of their second year, the student and Advisor confirm the 3-member committee and agree upon a timeline for work to be completed that semester.

Where possible, students are encouraged to craft a project developed from or inspired by an existing seminar paper. However, there are cases when students wish to work on a new topic. You should discuss these options with your Advisor. If the thesis is a revision of a previous seminar paper, it should represent a considerable expansion and revision of the original work. It should be between 6,000-8,000 words following MLA or Chicago format. The final thesis must be submitted to the committee for evaluation no later than two weeks prior to the oral defense. And the defense of the thesis must be scheduled at least 2 weeks before the Graduate College deadline for final defense/exam (check the Graduate College website for specific dates). Like all exams, thesis defenses must be scheduled during the academic year when faculty members are in residence. The thesis is evaluated by the committee as either Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.

A copy of the thesis must be presented to the Graduate College for approval. For information about Graduate College deadlines and policies, see the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College.

To pass, a thesis should provide coherent and original textual analysis, provide historical contextualization (if appropriate), and incorporate primary research in a cogent scholarly argument relating to Film and Media Studies. While evaluation of any actual MA Thesis remains the responsibility of the student’s actual committee, there are general research guidelines that students should be aware of while writing. Faculty will evaluate each thesis according to the following general criteria: 

• Crafting a compelling thesis: Is the main argument clear and relevant to an area of interest within Film and Media Studies? Does it offer an original intervention?
• Creating a scholarly dialogue: Does the thesis engage effectively with scholarly literature relevant to the chosen topic? Does it show a clear and accurate sense of who the relevant interlocutors are (and what they argue)?
• Understanding methodology: Does the thesis demonstrate a methodology appropriate to its intended intervention? 
• Supporting Claims with Evidence: Does the thesis use appropriate evidence so that its claims are convincing? Does it anticipate and address counter-arguments?
• Communicating to a Scholarly Audience: Is the thesis well written? Does it explicitly convey its argument clearly and upfront? Does it demonstrate a logical organization? Are the paragraphs focused (tangents minimized) and claims clear? Are there consistent problems with syntax, spelling, vocabulary, etc.?

Requirements for students entering the MA program in Film Studies with a B.A. in Film Studies or an MA in an unrelated field: To permit breadth within MA programs, the Film Studies MA requirements are few:

Credit Hour Requirement: a total of 36 semester hours of graduate coursework

Required Courses:
•    CINE:5673 Advanced Film Theory (taken at least once)
•    CINE:5675 Advanced Film History (taken at least once)
•    CINE:5500 Success in Graduate Studies (taken once, 3 s.h)

Grade Point Average: A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.25 for graduate degree requirements taken within the major at the University of Iowa.

Language Study: Given the program’s emphasis upon the study of film in an international context, foreign language acquisition is considered to be highly advantageous. Up to six hours of study in languages and literatures other than English (in courses numbered 3000 or above, as per Grad College regulations) may be counted toward the FS MA degree.
 

The following are schematic timelines of typical two-year Film Studies MA programs (one for a terminal MA program, the other for an MA student applying to the PhD program in year 2).

Standard Two-Year MA Timeline

YEAR 1

• Mid-August: All incoming graduate students are assigned a faculty Advisor. Plan to meet with that Advisor during the latter part of the week preceding the start of classes or during the first week of classes. The Advisor can inform you of program rules and practices, discuss your first-semester course selection and long-term aspirations, and field your questions.
• Thursday or Friday before the first day of classes of the fall semester: Combined Film Studies and Film & Video Production orientation meetings. (Students with a teaching assistantship should also expect to meet with their course supervisor on one of these days and to attend basic training sessions.)
• October/November: Prior to early registration, make an appointment with your Advisor to discuss course selection for the spring.
• January: Meet with your Advisor to prepare for the spring review of graduate students.
• March/April: Prior to early registration, make an appointment with your Advisor to discuss course selection for the fall, coverage of MA requirements, and your choice of MA thesis Advisor and second committee member, including a Chair.
• April 15: Confirm MA Thesis committee and general topic of thesis.
• Summer: Begin research for your MA Thesis.

YEAR 2

• August: Meet with your Advisor to discuss summer progress and plan of work to be completed for Fall semester. This meeting is also when students may discuss possible application to PhD or other academic programs (whose deadlines typically fall in December or early January). 
• October/November: Submit your first draft of your thesis to your Advisor to receive feedback.
• November: Meet with your Advisor (and other faculty as needed) to discuss your choice of spring courses. Register for MA Thesis in Film Studies (CINE:5999) for the Spring. Note that if you apply for and are accepted into the UI Film Studies PhD program, you are subject to a special timeline in the spring of your second year (detailed at the end of this section).
• January: Meet with your Advisor to discuss progress on the thesis and plan of work to be completed for the semester.
• February: Apply for Degree (Graduation) on MyUI by late February (check Graduate College  Deadlines for exact date). See the Graduate College’s Graduation Checklist.
  By the first week of Feb, you should submit a draft of your thesis to your Advisor to receive feedback. By the end of the month, be sure to schedule your thesis defense, which must take place at least 2 weeks prior to the Graduate College final exam deadline.
• March: Submit your final thesis essay to your committee for evaluation. Reminder: the committee must receive your final draft at least 2 weeks prior to the defense, and this does not include time during academic recess (e.g., Spring Break).
• April: Defend your thesis. Carry out any requested committee revisions for final submission. Submit final thesis deposit to the Graduate College by the deadline.
• May: Graduate!

SPECIAL TIMELINE FOR UI MA FILM STUDIES STUDENTS APPLYING TO THE UI PHD PROGRAM IN FILM STUDIES

• November of Year 2: Consult the DA about which elements of your MA original application may be used as part of your PhD application. If necessary, provide updated materials or request additional letters of recommendation prior to the due date.
• January: Submit PhD application. (Note that if you are applying to other schools, those programs may have earlier deadlines in November or December).
• Late February of Year 2: The PhD admission decision is reported. If you are not admitted, you continue on the normal MA timeline.

This section outlines the rules and practices that apply to candidates for the Doctor of Philosophy in Film Studies. In addition, Graduate College rules and deadlines apply to all students enrolled in a Graduate College program, including those in Film Studies.

If the MA degree may be characterized as a learning experience, a process in which interested students visit major sections of a film territory that has already been mapped, the PhD may best be understood as a voyage of discovery, in which talented and dedicated students set off to chart unknown regions. The MA primarily involves the dissemination of existing knowledge; the PhD aims at the creation of new knowledge. The UI Film Studies PhD has several traditions and goals with which all candidates should be familiar. This program is dedicated to the questioning of received knowledge and the creation of new knowledge about film, defined in the broadest possible way. Understanding film depends on an ability to chart the ways in which film shares (or challenges) devices, processes, and situations with other forms of art, communication, and culture. It also depends on an ability to share insights with scholars and practitioners around the world. The UI Film Studies program, particularly at the PhD level, thus actively encourages students to be independent, interdisciplinary, and international.

Students are encouraged throughout their program of study to consult faculty and students across the University in search of ideas and advice regarding diverse and rewarding intellectual opportunities. In developing an appropriate plan of study, students should consult their Advisor and committee members regularly.

Following are the provisions governing the PhD in Film Studies:

Requirements for students entering the PhD program in Film Studies with an MA in Film Studies or a closely related field, including an MA in Film Studies from the University of Iowa:

General Requirements:

• Adherence to all applicable Graduate College rules.
• A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.25 for graduate coursework taken at the University of Iowa.
• A minimum of 72 hours of graduate courses and seminars relevant to major areas of interest, at least 39 of which must be post-MA coursework. No more than 33 s.h. of MA transfer credit can be applied to the 72 s.h.
• Regular (at least twice each semester) meetings with Advisors, once within the first two weeks of each semester, and once in the week before registration for each upcoming semester. A record of these meetings will be placed in each student’s academic file.
• At least 4 hours of dissertation credit to be taken no earlier than the semester when the student takes the Comprehensive Examination.
• Presentation of an acceptable Plan of Study in the second semester of the first year in the PhD Program.
• Development of a research tool or skill chosen in consultation with the candidate's committee (see information on Language Study – MA in Film Studies).
• Successful completion of the written and oral Comprehensive Examination, following committee approval of submitted reading lists and filmographies for the three areas.
• The writing and approval, following a meeting with a dissertation committee, of a Dissertation Prospectus.
• The writing and satisfactory oral defense and final deposit of a Dissertation.

PhD Required U of Iowa Courses

Note: PhD students in their coursework years are expected to enroll in all graduate-level film studies seminars offered by the department each semester.

• CINE:5500 Success in Graduate Studies (consult Advisor) 1-3 s.h.
• CINE:5673 Advanced Film Theory (taken at least twice)
• CINE:5675 Advanced Film History (taken at least twice)
• A 7000-level seminar (taken at least once post-MA): 7615 Seminar: Film Theory or 7616 Seminar: Film History

Note: The Head of Film Studies may waive or adjust the required course requirements in specific circumstances.

As part of their initial meeting with their primary Advisor, students should discuss possible transfer credits. Advisors will then consult with the Head of Film Studies for joint approval of the transfer credits. In the second semester, students will submit a Plan of Study, based on a provided template. Students should submit a draft of this document to their Advisor early in the second semester. The Plan of Study meeting will occur the week before Spring Break and will include all Film Studies faculty. The final Plan of Study document serves as an agreement between the candidate and the Department, guiding future expectations of both. Copies of the final document, approved by all members of the Film Studies faculty, will be placed in the candidate's academic file.

FORMING EXAM AND DISSERTATION COMMITTEES
In close consultation with their Advisor and as soon as possible, students should begin to select and request appropriate faculty members to serve as their upcoming Comprehensive Examination Committee (the deadline for finalizing the exam committee is April 1st of the first year), and, later, Dissertation Committee: a record of these committees will be maintained in each student’s professional file. Adhering to Graduate College rules, at least three of the four faculty members for each committee must be members of the University of Iowa tenure- track faculty, and at least three must be members of the major department (which may include faculty with 0% appointments). Comprehensive Examination committees (and directors) do not have to match Dissertation Committees, but it is typically advantageous for the student’s progress if these closely resemble one another. Changes to committee membership are often necessary and can be made at various stages in a student’s program, but this should be done in close consultation with a student’s Advisor and/or the Director of Graduate Studies.

The Comprehensive Examination is a rigorous, two-part test intended to determine whether a PhD student is ready to begin dissertation research (at which point, they cease being a PhD student and instead become a PhD candidate). The first part is a written exam (given over the course of 3 separate days), and the second is a 2-hour oral defense.

The purpose of the Comprehensive Examination is to assess each candidate’s mastery of the knowledge and skills important for research in their particular fields. The exam focuses on 3 chosen areas, which likely reflect those designated early in the PhD student’s Plan of Study document, but which might also represent interests developed during the intervening year of coursework and study.

The Comprehensive Examination typically and ideally takes place in the Spring semester of the student’s second year, though students sometimes complete it early in the following Fall semester. Note: while having “extra time” to prepare (i.e., the summer between semesters 4 and 5) may seem appealing, faculty encourage the standard/earlier exam timing. While completing a Comprehensive Exam is a meaningful milestone in a scholar’s training, the exam is ultimately instrumental to the broader goal of conducting original dissertation research. That “extra time” to study for the exam comes directly at the expense of scheduled dissertation research time.

Before the conclusion of the semester prior to the scheduled Comprehensive Exam, the student will need to assemble and receive approval from their entire committee for 3 field lists. This task tends to require multiple meetings and list drafts. Field lists consist of scholarly and cinematic texts that establish expertise on chosen areas of study while also offering a glimpse of the student’s own voice and approach. Traditionally, one field is historical in emphasis, one is theoretical, and one offers a third area that, while still legible as a known field of study, might also reflect the student’s own research interests. Each list should contain roughly 30 scholarly texts and a comparable number of film or media texts, as appropriate. Some of the scholarly texts should be book-length but not all. Note: the exact number and density of scholarly texts varies by field and must be decided in consultation with your Advisor and exam committee.

It is the student’s responsibility to coordinate faculty availability and schedule the exam, which must be on the calendar no later than the end of the semester prior to the exam. Once scheduled, the exam chair (usually the primary Advisor) works with the departmental administrator to prepare the exam, which the student will take in a designated location without access to Internet or notes (only a copy of the field lists is allowed).

After completing the written portion of the exam (which involves 3 separate days of writing: 1 for each field), the student will advance to an oral exam—a two-hour meeting at least one week (but no more than two weeks) after the last written exam. Though the written exam comes first, the oral exam represents the major scheduling hurdle (as it involves student and committee in a room together), so it is usually the first part of the exam that needs to be scheduled.

The oral exam has 3 possible outcomes: Satisfactory, Reservations (requiring successful completion of a specific task set by the examining committee in order to officially lift the reservations to make the exam Satisfactory), or Unsatisfactory (two unsatisfactory votes make the report unsatisfactory and it would be considered a first failure). In the case of a report of unsatisfactory on a comprehensive examination, the committee may grant the candidate permission to attempt a reexamination not sooner than four months after the first examination. The examination may be repeated only once, at the option of the department.

Following the oral defense meeting, the Comprehensive Examination Committee Chair (usually the Advisor) will summarize the collective judgment of the committee concerning the candidate's examination performance. The exam outcome will be placed in the candidate's academic file.

After successful completion of the Comprehensive Exam, the candidate chooses a Dissertation Advisor, and in consultation with them, a Dissertation Committee typically made up of three other members, which may include one faculty member from outside the Department. Faculty with 0% appointments in Cinematic Arts may count as either a Cinematic Arts member or as an outside member of the committee. No later than the semester following successful completion of the Comprehensive Exam, the candidate submits to all members of the Dissertation Committee a Prospectus that has been developed in consultation with the Dissertation Advisor.

A committee meeting will then be held to assess the significance of the proposed dissertation, the reasonableness of its scope and approach, and the candidate's methodological and substantive preparation to carry out the work. Committee members must receive a copy of the prospectus at least 2 weeks prior to this meeting, so that there is adequate time to evaluate the prospectus. Three outcomes of the prospectus meeting are possible: 1) Approval of the Prospectus; 2) Conditional Approval subject to needed adjustments in scope, direction, or method; and 3) Rejection. At the prospectus meeting, the faculty and candidate agree on the respective roles that the Dissertation Advisor and each committee member will play in advising the candidate and reading drafts of the dissertation.

Once the prospectus is approved, the PhD candidate may begin dissertation research and writing. A dissertation is an original, book-length research project that expands the knowledge of our field. It is written independently by the PhD candidate, but it is closely supervised by the candidate’s Advisor and Dissertation Committee.

The Film Studies PhD dissertation in Cinematic Arts typically comprises four chapters (approximately 50pp per chapter or 16,000-18,000 words per chapter including notes), plus an Introduction, Conclusion, Bibliography, Notes and Images. We are open to creative research (e.g.. a film;) as a supplement to the dissertation, but not as a replacement of a chapter. Any creative supplement would need to be discussed and agreed to as part of the Prospectus with the Advisor and full committee agreeing to the request.

At the start of each semester while dissertating, the PhD candidate and their Advisor should meet and discuss a plan for that semester. The outcome of this meeting should be a written agreement regarding writing progress, which should include a timeline of chapter-based work to be completed and submitted that semester. A grade of Satisfactory indicates that the candidate is making satisfactory progress on chapter completion in the dissertation for that semester. Though individual agreements may vary, a good general rule is for candidates to provide their Advisor sufficient time to evaluate their written work, so chapter drafts should be submitted at least three weeks ahead of the date for grade submissions for that semester (i.e., the Monday following Finals Week). A grade of Unsatisfactory indicates the candidate has not made satisfactory progress on the dissertation for that semester. These grades are essential indicators to the candidate of whether they are making satisfactory progress or whether they are not meeting expectations for satisfactory progress.

With the Advisor's approval, a Final Examination (Oral Defense) of the dissertation can be scheduled. At least two weeks prior to the Defense, a copy of the dissertation to be defended must be distributed to each member of the Dissertation Committee. According to Graduate College regulations, the Defense will be publicly announced and is open to the public. The Final Examination and Dissertation are evaluated separately. Possible outcomes for the Final Examination are Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. The Dissertation itself may be Approved, Conditionally Approved (with specification of changes to be made before final approval is granted), or Failed. The Final Examination (Oral Defense) may be repeated once at the option of the Committee.

Regardless of location of residence, all doctoral candidates must maintain continuous registration until the completion of their degree. All doctoral candidates are considered to be “under instruction” and are thus considered to be accessing University of Iowa faculty and staff time, and University facilities. Tuition is to be paid for such access. Doctoral candidates will be required to register for coursework by their department and pay the appropriate tuition OR for PhD Dissertation (CINE:7992:0IND) and pay 1 s.h. tuition. This requirement applies to candidates conducting research, fieldwork or other scholarly activities related to their graduate programs of study including the writing of the thesis or dissertation and consultation with faculty, as well as students taking UI courses.

Using a form available in the Graduate College, students may petition the Graduate College for the privilege of paying a special Post-Comprehensive Registration only when extenuating circumstances arise that require a temporary lapse in their academic program. Such circumstances could include, but are not limited to, medical or maternity leaves, personal or family situations, military obligations, etc. The Graduate College will consult with the student's department regarding the petition, prior to making a decision to grant or deny the petition for the special Post-Comprehensive Registration. Post-Comprehensive Registration is not to be used for final registration in a doctoral program.

When doctoral students plan to defend their dissertations, they will register for “Doctoral Final Registration” (GRAD:6003:0001). During this final registration, the student will be required to pay the 1 s.h. tuition. The final registration may be repeated if the degree requirements are not completed in this session.

YEAR 1

• Coursework (minimum of 18 semester hours)
• Mid-August: All incoming graduate students are assigned an initial faculty Advisor. Plan to meet with that Advisor during the latter part of the week preceding the start of classes or the first week of classes. Your Advisor can inform you of program rules and practices, discuss your first-semester course selection and long-term aspirations, and field your questions. You should also discuss possible transfer credits at this meeting.
• Thursday or Friday before the first day of classes: Combined Film Studies and Film & Video Production orientation meetings. (Students with a teaching assistantship should also expect to meet with their course supervisor on one of these days and to attend basic training sessions.)
• August-December: Get to know faculty members who might eventually sit on your committee. Your Advisor, the Department web site, and graduate student recommendations are good sources of information about which faculty work on which topics.
• January: Meet with your Advisor to prepare for the Plan of Study meeting and the spring review of graduate students.
• March: Meet with the Plan of Study committee (consisting of all Film Studies faculty) to plan a course of study leading to the Comprehensive Examination.

YEAR 2

• Coursework (minimum of 18 semester hours)
• Early Fall: Confer with your Advisor and attend the required meeting held by the Director of Graduate Studies and/or Head of Film Studies regarding the Comprehensive Examination.
• Late Fall: Approval of reading lists and filmographies for the PhD Comprehensive Examination.
• Spring of Year 2: PhD Comprehensive Examination.
• Spring: Select a dissertation Advisor, in consultation with whom you will develop a Prospectus and constitute a Dissertation Committee. The Prospectus should be presented to the full committee no later than the following fall.

YEAR 3

• Additional Coursework (if required)
• Fall: Dissertation Prospectus Meeting (note: some dissertation research grants require approval of a prospectus by October or November for research in the following year).
• Spring: Begin dissertating according to schedule agreed upon between student and Advisor in regular meetings throughout the semester.

YEAR 4

• Fall: Continue dissertating and meeting regularly with Advisor
• Spring: Continue dissertating and meeting regularly with Advisor

YEAR 5

• Fall: Continue dissertating and meeting regularly with Advisor
• Spring: First (Departmental) Deposit (at least two weeks prior to Defense), Defense, and Final Deposit of Dissertation (according to Graduate College deadlines).

The DA will make office assignments annually prior to the start of the fall semester. Offices are a shared space and are to be used for office/drop-in hours and other TA responsibilities.

•    If a computer is not working, contact our computer consultant, mike-hendrickson@uiowa.edu.
•    Do not remove the computers from the offices.
•    Always keep a backup of your data. Data stored on your home drive (H Drive) is actively backed up.
•    The computers are not assigned to individuals so please share them.
•    The computers should be used for teaching purposes only.
 

If you need assistance ordering textbooks, contact your course supervisor.

TAs assigned to teach stand-alone courses will receive information about this from the DA before early registration begins for each semester. Faculty instructors take care of this for lecture/discussion courses. More information can be found here.

TAs assigned to teach stand-alone courses should work closely with their course supervisor to craft course descriptions. Faculty instructors take care of this for lecture/discussion courses.

TAs assigned to teach stand-alone courses should work with their course supervisor to create a syllabus. Faculty instructors usually create syllabi for lecture/discussion courses. However, sometimes the faculty instructor will ask the TAs who teach the discussion sections to create an addendum for their section. Additional information can be found here. Contact the DA if you have questions.

Instructors are required to e-mail their walk-in or drop-by hours to the DA no later than the end of the first week of classes. Required under College policy, every member of the instructional staff is expected to keep a minimum of three scheduled walk-in or drop-by office hours per week (60 minutes x 3) and be available before and after class and at other times by appointment for a reasonable amount of time. They must be included in the required syllabus.

Please remind yourself of the effort allocation agreed upon in your TA offer letter/contract so that you are working within the limits of those agreed upon hours for the courses you are teaching. Please refer to your TA offer letter/contract for the effort allocation table. If you have any concerns about your workload, you should first try to resolve the issue by speaking with your course supervisor and then if the problem is not resolved, be sure to contact the DGS and DEO/Chair.

Important info can be found here. If you receive requests from students who want to either ADD or CHANGE discussion sections or courses, tell them you are unable to assist them because CINE uses waitlists.

Students are able to add themselves to a waitlist for a class. We cannot just add students to a section that is already full, sometimes due to room capacities, but mostly because it would not be fair to others that have already added themselves to the waitlist.

For the fall and spring semesters, MyUI remains open for the first week of classes, and the waitlist is still the fairest system to use. The ASC will give you more information about this before classes start each semester.

Read: Instructor's option to drop for nonattendance

If you cancel a class and want a sign posted on the classroom door, contact the SSC (335-0330) at least two hours before the class begins to give the staff time to post the sign. You should also follow with an e-mail and include your course supervisor. It is very important that the subject line of the e-mail message is CANCEL MY CLASS to alert the staff to take immediate action. The message should include the time the class meets, course number and title, room #, and building. Also, you are required to e-mail your students when a class is canceled.

Faculty and staff utilizing e-mail correspondence with more than one student are responsible for restricting access to a student’s e-mail address if the student has requested non-disclosure of directory information. In 2009 FERPA was modified to state that a student may not be anonymous in a class even if they have restricted their data. The sharing of this information with other members of the class is at the instructor’s discretion, provided it is deemed appropriate for the success of the class. Students participating in such classes should be notified of this. An example of this might be the need to share email addresses in order to facilitate classroom interactions/discussions. Read: Technology Use and FERPA

Information can be found here and here. You will receive more information about this from the UCC.

Instructions can be found here in MAUI. Important information can be found here. The DA will give you more information about grades each semester.

All courses with their administrative home in CLAS must use the Student Perceptions of Teaching (SPOT) online forms. Important information can be found here.

Instructors who use exam books should contact the DA at least two weeks in advance so that more can be ordered, if necessary.

The University invites all interested instructors to utilize this tool. Information can be found here.

Instructors will not be reimbursed for copies made outside of the department. Copy allocations support the courses you teach—not the courses you take and not personal copies.

You have access to the copier two weeks before classes begin each semester. Access is removed the last day of finals week each semester. Your access code is the last four digits of your UID. Contact the DA if you have questions.

If you need course materials printed for a Cinematic Arts course that you are teaching (so that you can make copies for your class), you can email them to the DA to print. You can also ask your course supervisor to print course materials for you. The printer/copier in the work room should never be used to print or copy materials for the courses that you are taking or for personal documents.

Instructors who want to use a classroom for an extended class period need to receive prior approval from Classrooms by completing the Room Reservation Form. Do not assume that you can use a classroom before or after class even though it is usually vacant.

The Room Reservation Form should also be used for extra class meetings like workshops, screenings, etc. Be sure to get your course supervisor’s approval prior to making the reservation.
 

E-mail the request to the ACC. Do not contact Classroom Scheduling or the Office of the Registrar. Because of Registrar policies and deadlines, requests must be emailed to the ACC by December 15 for spring classes and July 15 for fall classes.

The following information must be included in your e-mail to the ASC:

• reason for the room change course #
• section #
• title
• total # of seats needed
• building and room preference
   

You must get “Registration Authorization” from your Advisor. Contact your Advisor before Early Registration to discuss course selection. You are expected to register for the courses that you discussed with your Advisor. Notify your Advisor immediately if you decide not to register for them. If your Advisor is unavailable, contact the HP or DGS. They will also help you with registration questions.

It is important that you register during Early Registration because enrollments at the end of Early Registration can determine whether a course will be offered. You are required to register for fall classes by June 1 and for spring classes by the end of the fall semester, and in no case later than December 31.

Do not enroll in courses that conflict with your TA assignment (including required screenings). For example, TAs who teach courses (discussion sections or standalones) that have screenings should not enroll in courses that conflict with that required portion of their teaching assignment because TAs are contracted (and paid) to attend (which may include run) the weekly screenings. An overlap is not allowed. The Department makes every effort to schedule its graduate courses at times that do not conflict with courses taught by its TAs.

Mailboxes for on-campus graduate students and the outgoing mailbox are located in the workroom, E210A AJB. The mailboxes are for university-related mail only—no personal mail, please. Check your mailbox regularly. If you leave campus for a semester or during the summer, please do not have the post office forward your personal (home) mail to the department.

All departmental email messages will be sent to your uiowa.edu address so it is important that you check your email daily. If you are currently using another email service and would like to keep it as your email provider, link the two accounts so that mail sent to your UI email address will be re-routed to your personal email address. Please be aware that if you redirect your UIowa account to another ISP, you may lose your ability to post messages to the listservs (see below).

Graduate students should be attentive to and are responsible for deadlines regarding their teaching assistantships and/or fellowships. Messages from the department requesting information or annual applications regarding
these appointments will always provide an explicit and often strict deadline: missing deadlines seriously inconveniences the staff and may result in the loss or delay of anticipated support, so you should make every effort to respond to requests on time.
 

Please use the listservs wisely to ensure that the information you want to share is received by everyone who might be interested. Only members of the following listservs can send messages to them unless otherwise indicated:

• CINEFAC@team.uiowa.edu (all Cinematic Arts faculty)
• CINEGRADS@team.uiowa.edu (all Cinematic Arts graduate students)
• CINEALL@team.uiowa.edu (all Cinematic Arts faculty, staff, and graduate students)
• CINE-UNDERGRADS@iowa.uiowa.edu (all Cinematic Arts undergraduate majors and minors)

If you are not a member of a listserv that you would like to send a message to, please send it to cinematicarts@uiowa.edu and indicate what listserv(s) it should be forwarded to.

The DA maintains all of the listservs for Cinematic Arts should you have questions or need help.

Travel funding is contingent on the departmental budget. Since funding is not guaranteed, students should seek out other funding available through the Graduate Student Senate Travel Award for Research and the Graduate & Professional Student Government. In addition, please refer to the department website for other available funding opportunities. If the department is able to provide funding, it will be communicated at the start of the Fall semester. Funding requests for the fall semester need to be made by October 30, spring semester requests need to be made by March 31.

1. Complete the departmental travel form in workflow at least TWO WEEKS PRIOR to travel. You must provide documentation of participation, i.e. presenting a paper at a conference or an acceptance of a screening at a festival. The travel form and documentation of acceptance must be submitted to the DA via e-mail.
2. Review UI travel policy. Speak with Jenny Ritchie PRIOR to travel if you are unsure about required documentation for reimbursement.
3. Submit required documentation upon return from travel to Jenny Ritchie (Office E210C AJB; email uss- cinearts@uiowa.edu) within TWO WEEKS from the end of the trip.

VERY IMPORTANT! All travel must be processed through workflow via ProTrav before the trip begins. A “trip” will be created for you and routed into workflow. You must approve the trip request and continue its routing in workflow. Travelers are also required to read and understand the travel policies. Review the pertinent sections from the column on the left. The department requires travelers to submit original, itemized receipts for all expenses (including meals), not just expenses of $75 or more. We will not reimburse you without receipts. Meal claims should reflect actual expense not to exceed the maximum daily allowance.

Faculty and TA drop-in hours are posted in E210 AJB.

It is important that you routinely check all of the bulletin boards on the second floor of AJB and in the workroom, E210A. Please make note of the pertinent information, but do not remove materials from it.

If you are creating a poster to publicize a department-sponsored event or screening, you must comply with the University's brand standards and the DA must approve your poster before it is copied and posted.
 

If you are in good standing, you can use the department’s e-letterhead for cover letters when applying for jobs. You should get it from your Advisor or the DGS. Please do not forward letterhead to others. We are supposed to limit dissemination to those applying for jobs as much as possible. Remember to save the document as a pdf file before e-mailing to others.

REMINDER: University employees may NOT use letterhead to advertise their own entrepreneurial activities on- or off-campus (e.g., consulting), as this is explicitly prohibited by the policy on Conflict of Interest in the Workplace.

The department requires anyone requesting departmental funds for such events to consult with the DEO/Chair and with the DA BEFORE submitting proposals for support so that they can advise on the best way to proceed. No department funds will be awarded without this prior consultation, as noted above.

Reservations for the department’s conference room, E211 AJB, may be made by contacting the ASC.

At the earliest moment possible in your planning for visitor invitations, co-sponsorships, or anything else that might involve the department in paying money for anything, please contact the DA. Also, most internal grant applications require the DEO/Chair to sign off on them, but once in a while you might come across one that does not. Please still communicate with the DA and the DEO/Chair about your plans.