Studying the MSt in Film Aesthetics at the University of Oxford 

No worries, Richard. Happy to hear it was of some use!

Glad it was helpful, Isatu!

How did it go? 🫶🏽

@@nivaniii I unfortunately did not end up doing it. I instead did the Master in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Oxford. Then later proceeded to doing the Master in Public Policy which I am at the tail end of.

@@IsatuBokumsVlogs I am very intrigued by the first study you did! How was the process of applying? And did you do any interviews? I live in Norway so it’s kinda scary to apply and move abroad! Also scared of the living and study costs🫣

@@nivaniii It was a great experience. I did not do interviews but just like any other program in Oxford, had to submit an application with a person statement, CV, etc. I didn’t program under scholarship and there are many scholarships in Oxford you could check out. Do not be afraid to apply. You have got this 🔥

Hi Charles, I'm afraid I don't know. You can try asking the admissions team - I believe their email is listed on the course webpage. The link to this is in the description of this video.

Hi Aitor, thanks for your question. I've posted a full list of all the texts and films that were set for the 2019-20 MSt program on the Cinema Scholar website. The link to this is in the description of this video. I hope this helps, Zach

@@ZacharyXavier thank you very much zach!

No worries, Joey. I don't have any plans to pursue a PhD in the immediate future, but it is something that I would consider undertaking in a few years time perhaps. Good luck with the application!

Hi Elle, The most important part of the application is your academic background, i.e. your grades, familiarity with studying film in an academic context, and ideally demonstrable knowledge of film aesthetics/ film-philosophy/analysing film form (or, at least, aesthetics as a branch of philosophy more broadly speaking). Even if you don’t come from a background in Film Studies (I was the only person in my cohort that majored in Film Studies as an undergraduate) you should find a way to demonstrate this in some way, e.g. maybe you wrote an essay comparing a novel to a film as an undergraduate that you can highlight in the personal statement. I doubt any work experience will make or break the application, but if its relevant to studying film in an academic context in any way, it will be a nice bonus to mention in the academic CV or personal statement, if relevant. Your transcript will speak for itself regarding your academic performance, and the personal statement is there for you to demonstrate your motivation behind applying to the course and demonstrate your familiarity with studying/potential to study film in an academic context, especially if you haven’t majored in Film Studies before. Hope this helps, and good luck with the application!

Hi Bee, When I wrote my personal statement, I followed the instructions of what to include outlined on the webpage. Primarily, I addressed: why I was applying, my relevant experience and education, and the specific areas of research that interest me. I started with a general overview of my intention for applying, and honed in on specific examples within the main body that demonstrated: 1) That I know what the difference is between Film Aesthetics and Film Studies more broadly, and 2) that I have the relevant education and experience to back this up. I approached the main body as a story about how I became interested in Film Aesthetics specifically as an undergraduate studying Film. I ended the statement with a general overview of what I wanted to get out of the programme and what topics interested me most. Here, you don’t need a fully fleshed out idea for the dissertation or the essays, but it is a good idea to include what interests you at the very least. Hope this helps, and good luck with the application!

Hi Kush, Thanks for your message. Overall, studying Film Studies as an undergraduate will typically involve studying the various approaches to contemplating film and the history of the medium. Whereas, film production will be geared towards learning production techniques and putting those into practice. I've made a video going over what Film Studies is, and I touch on how it differs from studying film production. I'd recommend checking that one out first, and if you have any further questions about studying Film Studies as an undergraduate let me know. All best, Zach (no worries about the spelling)

Hi Arthur, thanks for your comment. Yes, there were 10 students in my cohort, and I believe they select around 10 (+/- 1-2) each year. Best, Zach

Hi imaniman, there are DPhil (PhD) students at Oxford researching film, but to do this you would have to apply through a related discpline e.g. DPhil in English, DPhil in French etc. There isn't a DPhil programme directly in Film I'm afraid. Hope this helps, Zach

Hi Sanaa, I'm afraid I don't know what the funding ratio is for this course. If it helps, there is a funding search on Oxford's website, which I believe lists all the available scholarships offered by the university that Film Aesthetics applicants can apply to. Regarding your professional experience, I would include it on the academic CV under work experience. You can briefly mention it in the personal statement too, but I would only do that if you can relate the experience back to studying film in an academic context, e.g. maybe it taught you certain things about film construction that informs how you analyse or write about films. Hope this helps, and good luck with the application!

Hi Boer, thank you for the comment. No, there isn't an interview at any stage of the application process. Regarding the colleges, it is really down to your own personal preference - the choice of college doesn't really affect the experience of the program. Hope this helps, Zach

Hi Kuntal, Thanks for your message. You can find the entry requirements on the course webpage. I've linked this in the video description. If you have any other questions regarding eligibility, please get in touch with the admissions team via the email also listed on that webpage. I can't provide advice on this topic. Best of luck, Zach

No, I don't have any plans to pursue that route in the immediate future