The Film Studies major concentrates on cinema as an international social practice and shapes its study as a humanistic discipline. Students take core courses to develop a proficiency in film analysis, history, and theory. Courses in early, multicultural, and experimental traditions, as well as electives provide further exploration in the field. During their sophomore year students choose a focus area in film theory, screenwriting, or film production. Students complete an intensive senior seminar during the last year of study.
Major Requirements
Prerequisite (3 credit hours)
ENGLISH 2263 Introduction to Film
Core (6 credit hours)
Introduces students to international film history, theory, and analysis.
Students take both courses:
FILMSTD 2271 Introduction to Film Studies (3)
HISTART 2901 Introduction to World Cinema (3)
Non-Fiction/Non-Industrial (6 credit hours)
Provides students an intensive engagement with artistic and documentary aspects of cinema. This section has two separate course requirements; Non Fictional (typically offered in autumn term) and Non Industrial (typically offered in spring term).
Choose one course from each category:
Non-Industrial: Experimental / Avant Garde
- FILMSTD/GERMAN 4670H Cinema and the Historical Avant Garde (3)
- HISTART 5643 New Media Art (3)
- HISTART 5645 Video Art (3)
- HISTART 5905 Avant-Garde Film (3)
- HISTART 5906 Experiments in Film and Media Theory (3)
Non-Fiction: Documentary
- FILMSTD 3660 Studies in Non-Fiction Cinema (3)
- HISTART 5910 Documentary Film (3)
Multicultural Component (3 credit hours)
Students select from classes built around topics and voices that do not usually have a place in mainstream cinema.
Choose one course:
- CHINESE 4405 - China in Chinese Film (3)
- EALL 3446 - Asian American Film (3)
- EALL 4407 - Early Asian Cinema (3)
- FILMSTD 4650 - Studies in Regional Cinema (3)
- HISTART 3901 - World Cinema Today (3)
- INTSTDS 4451 - Immigration Controversy Through Film (3)
- RUSSIAN 3460 - Modern Russian Experience through Film (3)
- SLAVIC 3360 - Screening Minorities: Representations of the Other in Slavic Film (3)
- SLAVIC 5457 - Ideology and Viewers: East European Film and Media (3)
- SPANISH 2380 - Introduction to Latin American Cinema (3)
- SPANISH 4582 - Latinx Cinema: Filmmaking, Production & Consumption (3)
Pre-1950s Component (3 credit hours)
A chance for students to deepen their understanding of the roots and development of cinema.
Choose one course:
- ACCAD 3350 - The History of Animation (3)
- EALL 4407 - Early Asian Cinema (3)
- FILMSTD/GERMAN 4670H - Cinema and the Historical Avant-Garde (3)
- FRENCH 2801 - Classics of French Cinema (3)
- * FRENCH 4053 - French and Italian Cinema to 1952 (3)
- GERMAN 3351 - Democracy, Fascism, and German Culture (3)
- HISTART 5901 - Silent Cinema 1895-1927 (3)
- HISTART 5902 - Classical Sound Cinema 1927-1948 (3)
- JAPANSE 4400 - Japanese Film and Visual Media (3)
*Offering may be in foreign language; may have language prerequisite
Film Studies Electives (9 credit hours)
Chosen from over 50 course offerings, these three courses will be at the upper level to prepare students for research in film studies.
Choose 3 courses (9 credit hours), of which 6 hours must be at the 4000 level or above:
- AAAS 4571 - Black Visual Culture and Popular Media (3)
- AAAS 3320 / HISTORY 3310 - History of African American Cinema (3)
- ACCAD 3350 - The History of Animation (3)
- ARTEDUC 5835 - Visual Representations of LGBTQ+ Subjects (3)
- CHINESE 4405 - China in Chinese Film (3)
- COMPSTD 3607 - Film and Literature as Narrative Art (3)
- EALL 3446 - Asian American Film (3)
- EALL 4407 - Early Asian Cinema (3)
- ** ENGLISH 4578 - Special Topics in Film (3)
- FILMSTD 3660 - Documentary Film Studies (3)
- FILMSTD 4580 - Studies in a Major Director
- FILMSTD 4640 - Studies in Cinema History (3)
- FILMSTD 4650 - Studies in Regional Cinema (3)
- FILMSTD / GER 4670H - Cinema and the Historical Avant Garde (3)
- FILMSTD 4895 - Senior Seminar in Film Studies
- FILMSTD 4998 - Undergraduate Research (2-12 CH)
- FILMSTD 4999 - Distinction Project (2-12 CH)
- FILMSTD 4999H - Honors Thesis Research (2-12 CH)
- FRENCH 2801 - Classics of French Cinema (3)
- * FRENCH 3701 - Introduction to French Cinema (3)
- * FRENCH 4053 - French and Italian Cinema to 1952 (3)
- * FRENCH 5702 - Contemporary French Cinema 1945 to Present (3)
- ITALIAN 2053 - Introduction to Italian Cinema (3)
- ITALIAN 2055 - Mafia Movies (3)
- * ITALIAN 4223 - Italian Cinema (3)
- GERMAN 2451 - Germans in Hollywood: Exiles and Émigrés (3)
- GERMAN 3351 - Democracy, Fascism, and German Culture (3)
- HISTART 3901 - World Cinema Today (3)
- HISTART 4015 - Wexner Seminar (3)
- HISTART 5643 - New Media Art (3)
- HISTART 5645 - Video Art (3)
- HISTART 4901 - Classic Film Theories (3)
- HISTART 5901 - Silent Cinema: 1895-1927 (3)
- HISTART 5902 - Classical Sound Cinema: 1927-1948 (3)
- HISTART 5903 - Recent Cinema: 1948-Present (3)
- HISTART 5905 - Avant-Garde Film (3)
- HISTART 5906 - Experiments in Film and Media (3)
- HISTART 5910 - Documentary Film (3)
- INTSTDS 4451 - Immigration Controversy Through Film (3)
- JAPANSE 4400 - Japanese Film and Visual Culture (3)
- MUSIC 3344 - Film Music (3)
- RUSSIAN 3460 - Modern Russian Experience through Film (3)
- SCANDVN 4450 - The Films of Ingmar Bergman (3)
- SLAVIC 3310 - Science Fiction: East vs. West (3)
- SLAVIC 3360 - Screening Minorities in Slavic Film (3)
- SLAVIC 5457 - Ideology and Viewers: East European Film/Media
- SPANISH 2380 - Introduction to Latin American Cinema (3)
- * SPANISH 4580 - Latin American Film (3)
- * SPANISH 4581 - Spanish Film (3)
- SPANISH 4582 - Latinx Cinema: Filmmaking, Production, Consumption (3)
- WGSST 2317 - Intro to Gender & Cinema (3) - previously 3317
- WGSST 4527 - Studies in Gender and Cinema (3)
*Offering may be in foreign language; may have language prerequisite
** English 4578 can only be repeated in the major for a total of 6 credit hours and each course must be on different topics
Focus Area (9 credit hours)
The Film Studies Focus Area is a nine-credit hour requirement in the major that allows students to choose a specific intellectual focus for completing their degree. Students can pick from Film Theory, Screenwriting, Film Production, or a combination of any of these areas and should discuss their selection with their major academic advisor.
- See list of eligible courses by theme.
Senior Seminar (3 credits)
Required course during senior year of study:
- FILMSTD 4895 Advanced Senior Seminar
Focus Area (9 credit hours)
The Film Studies Focus Area is a nine-credit hour requirement in the major that allows students to choose a specific intellectual focus for completing their degree. Students can pick from Film Theory, Screenwriting, Film Production, or a combination of any of these areas and should discuss their selection with their major academic advisor.
A - Film Production Focus Area (for Film Studies majors only, list is not for Moving-Image Production majors)
The Film Production Focus Area encompasses a wide range of professional skills, designed to let students concentrate in a specific field like cinematography, editing, or animation. This focus area can also be approached in an all-encompassing manner, combining multiple skills depending on the student’s interests and career aspirations. Film Studies majors must complete a minimum of 9 credit hours, with a minimum of 6 hours at/or above the 4000-level. Courses cannot overlap with other Film Studies Major requirements.
- ART 2500: Visual Studies: Digital Image Manipulation
- ART 2555: Photography I - Digital Camera
- ART 2601: Podcasting
- ART 3009: Film/Video I: Technologies and Analysis
- ART 4009: Film/Video II: Experimental Strategies
- ART 5009 - Film/Video III: Topics in Technologies and Strategies
- ART 5019 - Film/Video IV: Topics in Theories and Strategies
- ART 4101: Moving Image Art
- ART 4201: New Media Art
- ACCAD 5001: Animation Techniques and Practices
- ACCAD 5002: 3D Computer Animation: Form, Light and Motion 1
- ACCAD 5003: 3D Computer Animation: Form, Light, and Motion 2
- ACCAD 5100: Concept Development for Time-based Media
- ACCAD 5102: Programming Concepts for Artists and Designers
- ACCAD 5140: Interactive arts Media 1
- ACCAD 5141: Interactive Arts Media 2
- ACCAD 5142: Interactive Arts Media 3
- DANCE 3401: Dance in Popular Culture
- DANCE 4193: Independent Studies
- DANCE 4805: Interdisciplinary Performance
- DANCE 5211: Dance-Film 1
- DANCE 5212: Dance Film 2
- DANCE 5213: Intermedia Performance
- DANCE 5612: Digital Video Editing
- DANCE 7215: Emerging Research Methodologies
- FILMSTD 4191: Internship
- FILMSTD 4999/4999H
- FILMSTD 5193: Independent Study
- FILMSTD 5600: Pathways in Film Practice and Theory
- MVNGIMG 2201: Filmmaking Foundation 1
- MVNGIMG 2202: Filmmaking Foundation 2
- THEATRE 2341H: Moving Image Art (Honors)
- THEATRE 4000.03: Practicum: Video
- THEATRE 5189: Field Work
- THEATRE 5321: Video Production 1
- THEATRE 5322: Editorial Process
- THEATRE 5323: Video Production 2
- THEATRE 5341: Studies in the Documentary
B - Film Theory Focus Area (for Film Studies majors)
The Film Theory Focus Area is designed to allow students to delve into the academic fields of film history, criticism and theory and to prepare students for careers in film and television criticism, media archives, film festival curation and programming, film studies education, and many other fields. This focus area extends the Film Studies major electives and comprises course options from the same list. Film Studies majors must complete a minimum of 9 credit hours, with a minimum of 6 hours at/or above the 4000-level. If 6 credit hours are from the approved list, the student may be allowed to have one course overlap with the electives area upon discussion with their advisor.
- AAAS 4571: Black Visual Culture and Popular Media
- ACCAD 3350: The History of Animation
- ARTEDUC 5835: Visual Representations of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Queer Subjects
- CHINESE 4405: China in Chinese Film
- COMPSTD 3607: Film and Literature as Narrative Art
- EALL 3446: Asian American Film
- EALL 4407: Early Asian Cinema
- ** ENGLISH 4578: Special Topics in Film
- FILMSTD 3660: Documentary Film Studies
- FILMSTD 4580: Studies in a Major Director
- FILMSTD 4640: Studies in Cinema History
- FILMSTD 4650: Studies in Regional Cinema
- FILMSTD 4895: Senior Seminar in Film Studies
- FILMSTD 4998: Undergraduate Research
- FILMSTD 4999: Distinction Project
- FILMSTD 4999H: Honors Thesis Research
- FRENCH 2801: Classics of French Cinema
- *FRENCH 3701: Introduction to French Cinema
- *FRENCH 4053: French and Italian Cinema to 1952
- FRENCH 5702: Contemporary French Cinema 1945 to Present
- GERMAN 2451: Germans in Hollywood: Exiles and Émigrés
- GERMAN 3351: Democracy, Fascism, and German Culture
- GERMAN/FILMSTD 4670H: Cinema and the Historical Avant Garde
- HISTORY 3310: History of African American Cinema
- HISTART 3901: World Cinema Today
- HISTART 4015: Wexner Seminar
- HISTART 4901: Classic Film Theories
- HISTART 5645: Video Art
- HISTART 5901: Silent Cinema: 1895-1927
- HISTART 5902: Classical Sound Cinema: 1927-1948
- HISTART 5903: Recent Cinema: 1948-Present
- HISTART 5905: Avant-Garde Film
- HISTART 5910: Documentary Film
- INTSTD 4451: Immigration Controversy Through Film
- ITALIAN 2053: Introduction to Italian Cinema
- ITALIAN 2055: Mafia Movies
- *ITALIAN 4223: Italian Cinema
- ITALIAN 8242: Studies in Italian Culture: Gender and Genre
- JAPANSE 4400: Japanese Film and Visual Culture
- RUSSIAN 3460: Modern Russian Experience through Film
- SCANDVN 4450: The Films of Ingmar Bergman
- SLAVIC 3310: Science Fiction: East vs. West
- SLAVIC 3360: Screening Minorities: Representations of the Other in Slavic Film
- SPANISH 2380: Introduction to Latin American Cinema
- *SPANISH 4580: Latin American Film
- *SPANISH 4581: Spanish Film
- WGSST 2317: Hollywood, Women and Film (prev. 3317)
- WGSST 4527: Studies in Gender and Cinema
*Offering may be in foreign language; may have language prerequisite
** English 4578 can only be repeated in the major for a total of 6 credit hours and each course must be on different topics
C – Screenwriting Focus Area (for Film Studies majors)
The Screenwriting Focus Area is designed to give students practical, hands-on experience, training them for careers as professional screenwriters. The courses are designed to allow students to develop a cinematic world, write short and feature-length screenplays, and learn about the business screenwriting for both film and television. Film Studies majors must complete a minimum of 9 credit hours, with a minimum of 6 hours at/or above the 4000-level. Courses cannot overlap with other Film Studies Major requirements.
- FILMSTD 4800: Concept Development and Storytelling
- FILMSTD 4880: Screenwriting and the Business of Cinema – Film
- FILMSTD 4881: Screenwriting and the Business of Cinema – Television
- FILMSTD 4890: Advanced Screenwriting
- THEATRE 5331: Screenwriting