FILM-BA - Film and Media Studies (BA)

The undergraduate program in Film and Media Studies is designed to help students think critically about the visual arts and visual culture. Courses focus on the meaning of images and media and their historical development, societal roles, and relationships to disciplines such as literature, music, and philosophy. Work performed in the classroom, studio, and screening room is designed to develop a student’s powers of perception, capacity for visual analysis, and knowledge of technical processes.

Subplans in the FILM-BA include:

• Culture and Criticism

• Screenwriting

Suggested Preparation for the Major

Students considering a Film and Media Studies major should take course and are encouraged to take either course or course during their frosh or sophomore year. These courses anchor the major through exposure to film language, genre, and visual and narrative structures. Majors must take one course in the fundamentals of film and video production.

How to Declare the Major

Students who wish to declare the Film and Media Studies major must meet with the Student Services Specialist. The student then selects a faculty advisor in consultation with the Student Services Specialist and FMS faculty, declares the major on Axess, and chooses a subplan. Majors must attend an orientation session presented by the professional staff of the Art and Architecture Library, which introduces the tools of research and reference available on campus or through the Internet. This requirement should be completed before the quarter following the major declaration.