The master's degree must be completed within five years of matriculation. Comprehensive Examinations To receive the M.A. degree, a student must pass a comprehensive examination, administered thrice yearly in November, March, and August. The examination may be taken upon completion of 24 points of course work but cannot be taken later than a semester after the completion of 36 points of course work. The comprehensive exam is a take-home examination consisting of five questions of which the student must answer two. The questions are drawn from the total course of study as well as material on the M.A. comprehensive filmography and bibliography.
Students have one week to complete the exam.
Students who fail the exam may retake it once. The Doctor of Philosophy is conferred for advanced studies in which the student demonstrates outstanding original scholarship. It signifies the student can conduct independent research and has both a broad basic knowledge of all areas of his or her field and a comprehensive knowledge of one field in particular. A student who wishes to qualify for the degree is expected to meet the requirements of both the Graduate School of Arts and Science and the Department of Cinema Studies in the Tisch School of the Arts. A doctoral candidate must complete all requirements not later than ten years from matriculation, or seven years from the time of his or her matriculation if the candidate holds a master's degree.