Film Studies King’s College
Upgrade from Mphil to PhD
Discipline-Specific Criteria
Upgrade Attempt Successful: No further action required
Understanding
Depth of Knowledge
Advanced in-depth, full
Complex work and key issues
understanding of key issues in the analysed. Wide range of sources used
relevant field with evidence of
selectively to support
originality
argument/discussion
Strong evidence of critical approach
to key issues and ability to evaluate
arguments
Structure
Coherent and
compelling work
locally presented
General
-Excellent research potential and originality and independent thought;
ability to make informed judgements; high standards of presentation.
Literature review properly contextualises one’s project within the
relevant field of study, critically engages with the existing literature
and key issues and justifies the methodology and scope of the project;
sample chapter successfully demonstrates research aims by offering
excellent textual analysis of chosen films and/or by providing
compelling analysis of the cultural and historical context in which
particular films and/or institutions emerged.
Provisional chapter outline presents the convincing logic of chapter
breakdown including the methodology employed and the corpus of
films examined in each chapter, and demonstrates the feasibility of
completing each chapter within the proposed timeframe.
Presentation meets high standards of academic writing in terms of
conceptual clarity, style and reference.
Refer for Further Review (1): Minor amendments
(Revision and resubmission of either literature review and/or sample chapter on the on-line portal or outside the system)
Understanding
Depth of Knowledge
Structure
General
In-depth understanding of key
Key issues analysed. Relevant
Coherent work
-Some evidence of research potential; clear thinking/or ability to
issues with evidence of some
sources used effectively to support
logically presented
make informed judgements; good standards of presentation.
originality
argument/discussion
Literature review adequately contextualises one’s project within the
Clear evidence of critical approach to
relevant field of study, effectively engages with the existing literature
key issues and some ability to
and key issues and justifies the methodology and scope of the project;
evaluate arguments
sample chapter clearly demonstrates research aims by offering
competent textual analysis of chosen films and/or by providing
adequate analysis of the historical and cultural context in which
particular films and/or institutions emerged.
Provisional chapter outline presents the valid logic of chapter
breakdown including the methodology employed and the corpus of
films examined in each chapter, and demonstrates the feasibility of
completing each chapter within the proposed timeframe.
Presentation meets good standards of academic writing in terms of
conceptual clarity, style and reference.
Refer for Further Review (2): Repeat full upgrade process
(Resubmission of both literature review and sample chapter for a full formal review-considered 2nd attempt)
Understanding of some key
Some key issues addressed; relevant
Competent work in
-Some evidence of clear thinking and/or making informed
issues with evidence of ability to
sources used to support
places but lacks
judgements but lacks insight; satisfactory standards of presentation.
reflect critically
argument/judgement.
fluency/coherence
Literature review contextualises one’s project within the relevant
Some evidence of critical approach to
field of study, engages with some of the existing literature and key
key issues and ability to evaluate
issues, but requires further justification of the methodology and scope
argument.
of the project; sample chapter sets out research aims without offering
adequate amount of textual analysis of chosen films and/or sufficient
analysis of the cultural and historical context in which particular
films and/or institutions emerged.
Provisional chapter outline may demonstrate the feasibility of
completing each chapter within the proposed timeframe, but lack
coherence in terms of the overall logic of the chapter breakdown.
Presentation meets satisfactory standards of academic writing in
terms of conceptual clarity, expression and style.
Fail: Remain at Mphil level or Initiate discussion to terminate registration
Understanding
Depth of Knowledge
Structure
Superficial understanding of
Key issues not always understood or
Weakness in structure,
some key issues, lack of focus
addressed, gaps in the use of relevant
fluency and/or
sources use to support work.
coherence
Limited evidence of a critical
approach to key issues and ability to
evaluate argument.
General
-Limited evidence of clear thinking in places but lack insights;
presentational weakness.
Literature review neither adequately contextualises one’s project
within the relevant field of study, nor demonstrates a clear
understanding of the existing literature and key issues; sample
chapter lacks adequate research aims, offers insufficient evidence in
the form of either textual analysis of chosen films or explication of
the cultural and historical context in which particular films and/or
institution emerged.
Provisional chapter outline is neither presented coherently, nor
feasible in terms of the completion of each chapter within proposed
timeframe.
Presentation fails to meet the academic standards in terms of
conceptual clarity, expression and style.
Your upgrade from Mphil to PhD registration will normally occur between 9-12 months of full-time registration as a result of a formal upgrade review.
A student will only be allowed to undertake a maximum of two formal reviews to upgrade from MPhil to PhD registration. All students are expected to
have transferred from MPhil to PhD status within 18 full time equivalent months of commencing their studies (36 months for part time students).
Upgrade Outcomes:


Upgrade attempt successful – no further action required
Refer for further review
o Minor amendments – panel chair will confirm deadline for minor amendments to be completed, and can confirm whether to use the online system to
monitor this or to complete the amendments outside of the system
o Repeat full upgrade process – panel chair will confirm new upgrade deadline and the process begins again from Stage 1
o Upgrade attempt unsuccessful
 Remain at MPhil level
 Initiate discussion to terminate registration