B.A. in Film and Media Studies

The major in film and media studies is designed to enable students to understand the history of film and media, to think critically about them, and to gain hands-on experience in how they are made. In the process students also garner a strong background in the humanities and have ample opportunities to polish their skills in verbal, visual, and written expression.Students who graduate with a BA in film and media studies will have: Comprehensive knowledge of the history, theory, and practice of the moving image and of film’s relationship to and relevance within a network of academic disciplines; The ability to identify and define the major movements of American and international film cultures and to place them within their broader social-historical contexts; Familiarity with the various forms of the moving image: mainstream narrative, silent, avant-garde, documentary, animated, and experimental film and media; Proficiency in applying advanced critical and analytical skills to writing essays that are clear, well researched, and organized, and that mount an original argument; The ability to organize ideas into clear and cogent oral presentations and to contribute thoughtfully to discussions on film history, theory, and practice; Familiarity with both hands-on filmmaking and the interpretation of films through a variety of aesthetic, cultural, historical, and theoretical frameworks; Students who choose the program’s Critical Studies track will apply core skills in the creative aspects of film production—including camera work, editing, and sound—to their understanding and appreciation of film and media. Students who have chosen the program’s production track will have achieved expertise in all aspects of digital and 16-mm film production and will apply their knowledge of theory, criticism, and history to the making of original visual texts.