Film & Media Studies First Year Courses

Director: L. Luthra
Program Site
The film and media studies program introduces students to the critical study of film and other media. Through the study of history and theory, formal analysis, and production experiences, the program examines how film and media serve as powerful determinants of ideology, identity, and historical consciousness. Courses offered in a range of departments and programs constitute the major and minor, reflecting the fact that cinema and media-based research cuts across disciplines.

It has been said that the mass media collectively represent the most important and widely shared context for the receipt of information and ideas in our contemporary experience. Courses in Film and Media Studies question the consequences of our passive consumption of mass media as both entertainment and information. Students learn the history and theory of film and media, analytical approaches and strategies; they also come to understand the various ways in which film and media are produced, circulated, and consumed.

The film and media studies curriculum encompasses history, theory, and practice, with the goal of developing in students the critical skills necessary to analyze representation and experience as they are constructed by new and emerging visual technologies, and to put theoretical and historical knowledge into practice through media production courses and exercises.

The film and media studies major consists of nine courses: FMST 200, a media practice course, six electives, and a capstone seminar. The film and media studies minor consists of five courses: FMST 200 and four electives. Although students may take courses in any order, taking FMST 200 early in the program is highly recommended.