Film Studies Major & Minors
Film Studies
Film and video are ubiquitous in contemporary society, combining image and text to create a powerful medium which increasingly reflects us, defines us, persuades us, markets us, and tells our stories. Students all over the country--and world--are majoring in Film Studies: to teach, to succeed in the business world, to enter graduate study, to work with non-profit arts or charitable organizations, to work in media of all types, or to create their own films.
DePauw offers both a major and a minor in Film Studies. The major requires nine (9) courses in film, which complement the other graduation requirements defined by the university, to fully engage students in the liberal arts model. The minor requires five (5) total courses in film. Specific requirements for the major and minor are listed below and aim to expose students to a variety of approaches to film study-- from history to theory and criticism, cultural to genre exploration, production to the final capstone senior project (for majors only) which enables students to focus on a scholarly or creative project of larger scope.
Requirements for a major
Film Studies
| Total courses required | Nine and one-quarter |
|---|---|
| Core courses | FILM 100 (ENG 167), FILM 200 (COMM 237), FILM 429, FILM 430 |
| Other required courses | One additional course in each of the following areas:
|
| Number 300 and 400 level courses | 4 (including the Senior Project) |
| Senior requirement and capstone experience | Successful completion of FILM 430. |
| Recent changes in major | FILM 429 (.25 credit) was added to the list of core courses and the number of courses required for the major was increased to 9.25, effective Fall 2014. |
| Writing in the Major | As an interdisciplinary program, Film Studies recognizes that writing skills are applicable across multiple disciplines and methodologies, and most require an understanding of specific vocabulary and terminology as well as the ability to summarize, synthesize, and analyze both primary and secondary sources. Students are expected to write in a style consistent with published scholarly and artistic work in the discipline, and will practice writing in several stylistic modes, which could include research papers, reviews of scholarly literature, statements of research methodology, prospectus and proposals, text analysis, and writing for the screen. The writing in the major course requirement for Film Studies can be satisfied either through FILM 300 (Film Theory & Criticism) or other 300-400-level courses approved by the program director, with a grade of C (2.0) or above. These courses promote improvement in students' writing though a variety of methods including peer reviews, sequenced assignments, and multiple drafts and/or writing conferences. Majors are also required to submit a substantial written project of original research or creative expression as part of their senior capstone experience, to fulfill the remainder of the writing in the major requirement. |
Requirements for a minor
Film Studies
| Total courses required | 5 |
|---|---|
| Core courses | One course from either FILM 100 (ENG 167) or FILM 200 (COMM 237) |
| Other required courses | One class from each of the following areas:
|
| Number 300 and 400 level courses | 1 |