Studies in Cinema & Media Culture

Through our program's interdisciplinary framework, students explore the sounds and images of cinema as they have changed throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Print, photography, radio, television, video, and digital media are also considered crucial to understanding the medium.

Students develop the ability to "read" the production and circulation of meaning in cinema, especially within the institutions of mass culture; examine the history of cinema cultures; engage the cross-cultural and global dynamics of cinema production and reception; and explore the theoretical models that have shaped thinking about the cinema and its relations to other media.

We offer two undergraduate programs in studies in cinema and media culture: a BA and a minor.

BA in Studies in Cinema & Media Culture

Studies in Cinema and Media Culture (SCMC) examines cinema by emphasizing its location within the intricate social, historical, and cultural matrix of audiovisual forms and practices. Core courses and electives are offered not only in the Department of Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature (CSCL), but also in a number of other contributing departments, including Asian languages and literatures; gender, women, and sexuality studies; art; and journalism. Although the major includes a production component, its principal focus is on cultural contexts, history, and theory.

Students in our major will:

  • Develop the ability to read the production and circulation of meaning in cinema, especially as it arises and circulates within the institutions and practices of mass culture.
  • Examine the history of cinema cultures.
  • Engage the cross-cultural and global dynamics of cinema production and reception.
  • Explore the theoretical models that have shaped thinking about the cinema and its relations to other media.

View BA Requirements

View lists of approved courses by semester

Minor in Studies in Cinema and Media Culture

Students majoring in many fields throughout the University may find that a minor in SCMC will both complement and enhance understanding in their major. Coursework for this minor may cover a broad array of topics, including media production, African-American cinema, photography, history, feminist studies, and more. In addition to foundational coursework in film study, students will take electives that correspond to their personal interests and pair well with their major.

Many students majoring in the arts, history, communication studies, geography, American studies, and more find studies in cinema and media culture to be a useful and compatible minor.

View Minor Requirements