Major

The major in Film Studies provides students with critical skills and multiple perspectives on historical and contemporary media forms. It promotes the study of film and media in their aesthetic, social, cultural, political and technological contexts and expands students' understanding of media as essential elements of our global cultural environment.

In recent years, some of our Film Studies graduates have gone to pursue Masters and Doctoral degrees in Film Studies/Cinema and Media Studies/Screen Studies programs at UCLA, Northwestern University, American University, Boston University, and the University of Chicago.

Students interested in a Film Studies Major or those having questions about the Program should contact Benjamin Schneider or stop by his office, Curtin Hall 488.

Suggested Course Sequence

Course of Study: Major

A total of 39 credits is required for the major, at least 15 in upper-level courses (numbered 300 or above) taken in residence at UWM. Students must complete the requirements specified below.

Required Core Courses

ArtHist 205 - History of Film I: Development of an Art, 3 cr (Fall semester only)

English 286 - Writing about Film and Television, 3 cr
English 290 - Introduction to Film Studies, 3 cr
English 390 - Classical Film Criticism and Theory, 3 cr (Fall semester only. Prerequisite for FS 590)

FilmStd 590 - Contemporary Film Criticism and Theory (meets capstone requirement), 3 cr (Spring semester only)

Additional Requirements

Three of the following 9 courses:
ArtHist/English 111 - Entertainment Arts: Film, Television, and the Internet, 3 cr
ArtHist 206 - History of Film II: Development of an Art, 3 cr

English 291 - Introduction to Television Studies, 3 cr

Film 201 - Introduction to Experimental Film and Video, 3 cr
Film 202 - Current Topics in Media Arts Production: (Subtitle), 3 cr
Film 203 - Media Workshop: (Subtitle), 3 cr
Film 220 - Basic Elements of Filmmaking I, 3 cr
Film 221 - Basic Elements of Filmmaking II, 6 cr
Film 222 - Basic Elements of Video, 3 cr

Two intermediate (200)-level courses selected from the following:
ArtHist 206 - History of Film II: Development of an Art, 3 cr (if not selected above)

CompLit 233 - Literature and Film: (Subtitle), 3 cr

English 291 - Introduction to Television Studies, 3 cr (if not selected above)
English 293 - Literature and Media: (Subtitle), 3 cr
English 295 - Women and Film, 3 cr

Film 203 - Media Workshop: (Subtitle), 3 cr (if not selected above)
Film 220 - Basic Elements of Filmmaking I, 3 cr (if not selected above)
Film 221 - Basic Elements of Filmmaking II, 3 cr (if not selected above)
Film 222 - Basic Elements of Video, 3 cr (if not selected above)
Film 232 - Animation I, 3 cr
Film 234 - Introduction to the Screenplay, 3 cr
Film 251 - Theory/Practice Workshop: (Subtitle), 3-4 cr

FilmStd 212 - Intermediate Topics in Film Studies: (Subtitle), 3 cr
FilmStd 299 - Ad Hoc: (Subtitle), 1-6 cr

Italian 229 - Italian Cinema

JMC 260 - Contemporary Non-Fiction Media

Three advanced (300 and above) electives, at least 9 cr, from the approved list. The following is a partial list. Other variable content courses with appropriate subtitles may be approved on a semester-by-semester basis to count toward the major. See the list published in the Timetable under Film Studies, the Film Studies web site, or the program director.

ArtHist 305 Film Analysis I: Method and Theory, 3 cr
ArtHist 306 - Film Analysis II: Method and Theory, 3 cr
ArtHist 307 - Film Directors: (Subtitle), 3 cr
ArtHist 308 - Film Styles: (Subtitle), 3 cr

ArtHist/English/JMC 310 - Integrated Film Exploration: (Subtitle), 6 cr
ArtHist/English/JMC 311 - Film as Document, 6 cr
ArtHist/English/JMC 321 - Narrative Cinema, 6 cr

CompLit 362 - Transnational Asian Cinemas (subtitle)
CompLit 461 - Film-Fiction Interaction: (Subtitle), 3 cr

English 312 - Topics in Film Studies: (Subtitle), 3 cr
English 316 - World Cinema: (Subtitle), 3 cr
English 320 - Studies in Film Authorship: (Subtitle), 3 cr
English 329 - Film and the Novel, 3 cr
English 330 - Film and Drama, 3 cr
English 331 - The Avant-Garde Film, 6 cr
English 380 - Media and Society: (Subtitle), 3 cr
English 383 - Cinema and Genre: (Subtitle), 3 cr
English 391 - Television Criticism and Theory, 3 cr
English 392 - Contemporary Film Criticism and Theory
English 394 - Theories of Mass Culture: (Subtitle), 3 cr
English 395 - Feminist Film Criticism and Theory: (Subtitle), 3 cr

FilmStd 350 - Global Jewish Film and Television (subtitle)
FilmStd 412 - Global Cinemas (subtitle)
FilmStd 489 - Upper-Level Internship, 1-6 cr
FilmStd 499 - Ad Hoc: (Subtitle), 1-6 cr
FilmStd 699 - Advanced Independent Study, 1-6 cr

French 451 - French Cinema: (Subtitle), 3 cr
German 311 - History of German Film: (Subtitle), 3 cr
Italian 629 - Major Film Directors: (Subtitle), 3 cr

JMC 360 - History and Mass Media
JMC 450 - Race and Ethnicity in the Media
JMC 562 - Media Studies and Culture
JMC 620 - Global Media Systems