FILM-BA - Film and Media Studies (BA)

The department offers courses of study in:

1. Art History

2. Art Practice (studio)

3. Film and Media Studies

4. Film Production

These lead to the following degrees:

• BA degree in Art History

• BA degree in Art Practice

• BA degree in Film and Media Studies

• MFA degree in Art Practice

• MFA degree in Documentary Film and Video

• PhD degree in Art History.

The undergraduate program 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.

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 concentration. 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.

Concentrations

The student’s principal advisor approves concentrations within the major that are not declared on Axess and do not appear on the transcript or the diploma. Concentrations include:

• Culture and Criticism

• Screenwriting

Degree Requirements

A student declaring a major in Film and Media Studies must complete 61 units of coursework as detailed below. Students must declare their concentration by winter quarter of their junior year.

Courses may not be offered every year and are subject to change. Consult your principal advisor or the Student Services Specialist if a course is not listed below.