Learn to analyze film, television and other moving images.
"I appreciated connecting classes in the cinema minor to my major in history. I enjoyed discussions about the history of film and directed a student film set in historical places on the Oxford Square."
Cathryn Grace Guntharp (B.A. in History, minor in Cinema Studies '18)
The College of Liberal Arts offers the interdisciplinary minor in Cinema Studies. It offers courses from across the arts, humanities, and social science disciplines to study cinema as works of art and culture.
Cinema Studies is at the heart of a growing international, interdisciplinary interest in media studies. Students gain the critical vocabulary and perspective to analyze motion pictures within larger artistic, cultural, historical, political, linguistic, and global contexts. Because of the variety of cinema content, analysis, technology, and distribution, a cinema minor complements almost any major.
18
Minor
Here are some of the classes you may take while earning your Minor in Cinema Studies. See all Cinema Studies courses.
UG
3 credits
This course is an overview of cinema history and an introduction to the study of cinema form and criticism. It is a lecture course with weekly film showings. May be repeated for credit if topic varies.
UG
3 credits
This course examines films across a variety of popular genres, such as horror, comedy, melodrama, science fiction, exploitation cinema, and documentary with specific attention to how depictions of femininity, masculinity, and sexuality intersect with categories such as race, ethnicity, and class. Students will learn key concepts used by scholars in gender and sexuality studies as well as interdisciplinary strategies drawn from fields across the humanities, in order to analyze films from a variety of contexts and, on a broader level, strengthen their abilities to synthesize information and apply learned concepts to their work as critical thinkers and writers.
UG
3 credits
This course introduces students to major methods of film analysis and important moments in cinema history, while offering a behind-the-scenes look at how films are made. An emphasis is placed on studio and independent filmmaking in the U.S. and on the methods and theories that have most influenced these filmmakers.
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3 credits
In this course, students analyze films from Spain within their social, political, and historical contexts.
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3 credits
Survey of the major developments in French and Francophone cinema. Content varies.
"Created in 2011, Cinema Studies is an interdisciplinary minor that introduces students to a broad range of methods and analytical approaches to critically analyze film and other moving image-based forms like television as well as animation, AI-generated content and social media platforms. Students in the minor can choose from a wide array of classes from introductory classes in film studies and film history, classes that expose them to national and international film traditions, courses in film genres or those that focus on more contemporary advancements in media technology and audience reception. Cinema Studies courses draw from the wonderful faculty and departments in the College of Liberal Arts, including Modern Languages, History, Film and Theater, and English to name a few. Given the centrality of screens and the moving image to contemporary culture, we actively encourage students to explore widely and deeply within the major so you can gain expertise and refine your critical thinking skills to appreciate moving image-based art and entertainment. "
Director of the Cinema Studies Minor and Hubert H. McAlexander Chair and Associate Professor in English
According to national surveys, employers are more likely to hire college graduates who have:
These experiences are about core liberal arts skills of thinking, communicating, interpersonal skills, and understanding the world around us. Showcase and enhance these skills in an internship opportunity for that first step into the professional world. We encourage students in the Cinema Studies minor to combine coursework with hands-on, experiential learning opportunities.
We have a variety of scholarships and financial aid options to help make college more affordable for you and your family.
Are you ready to take the next step toward building your legacy?
