the Department of Film, Television, and Media doctoral program provides assistance to all admitted students for the full 5 years of their study. We offer students a combination of fellowships and graduate student instructor (GSI) positions that include tuition remission, a stipend, and eligibility to participate in the University's health benefits program. A limited number of fellowships are awarded on the basis of academic achievement and the Graduate Program Committee's expectations of student success in our program. The department and Rackham Graduate School also offers Rackham Merit Fellowships to students from culturally, geographically, or educationally underrepresented groups in our discipline or at the University; additionally, the Caren J. Deming Endowed Fellowship Fund may be granted to first year students.
For more on funding your graduate education, please visit the Rackham Graduate School.
Trueblood Funding
Students in need of additional funding for conference travel may submit a request to receive Trueblood funds. A request may only be submitted only after Rackham Travel Grant funds and other potential sources have been exhausted for the academic year. To request this funding, a student must complete the online form: Trueblood Funding Request and send it to the Chair, the DGS, and the Student Services Coordinator. The following information is required on this form:
a. A description of the conference travel
b. A budget for anticipated expenses
c. The amount requested from the Department of Film, Television, and Media department (maximum amount of $500)
d. Evidence that the student has already attempted to secure funding from existing sources for which they are eligible
Students must apply for these funds in advance of their travel. A student may only submit a request once per academic year.
Richard Abel Graduate Research Fund
This fund is to be used to support graduate students for travel expenses related to their research and professional development. We will give strong preference to students researching:
1. Film festivals that focus on cinema's heritage and that program newly restored films,
often in 35mm, and accompanied by live performances. Suggested venues include Le
Giornate del Cinema Muto in Pordenone, Italy; 11 Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna, Italy;
the San Francisco Silent Film Festival; and the Nitrate Film Show at the George
Eastman Museum, Rochester, New York.
2. Specialized archives housing materials that focus on cinema's heritage. Suggested
archives include the US Library of Congress, Washington D.C.; the Margaret Herrick
Library, Los Angeles; the Ransom Center, University of Texas; the George Eastman
Museum, Rochester; and the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Award amount: up to $ 2,000
Eligibility: Film, Television, and Media Undergraduate, Doctoral, and Graduate Certificate Students
Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
