Academic Programs Catalog

College of Arts and Letters

Department of English

Undergraduate Program
Minor in Film Studies

The Minor in Film Studies, which is administered by the Department of English, offers students in-depth education in the disciplinary understanding of film as a medium and in the critical analysis of films as interpretable texts. Students will gain an understanding of aspects of cinematic aesthetics, film grammar, history of film, cultural contexts of film, and theoretical and critical approaches in film studies.

The minor is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University other than the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Film Studies.  With the approval of the department and college that administers the student’s degree program, the courses that are used to satisfy the minor may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor’s degree.

Students who plan to complete the requirements of the minor should consult the undergraduate advisor in the Department of English or the Director of Film Studies in the Department of English. 

Requirements for the Minor in Film Studies

               
Students must complete a minimum of 20 credits from the following: 
1. Both of the following courses (5 credits):
FLM 200 Film Collective 1
FLM 230 Introduction to Film 4
2. One of the following courses (3 credits):
FLM 300 History of Film to Midcentury 3
FLM 301 History of Film after Midcentury 3
3. One of the following courses (3 credits):
FLM 380 Classical Film and Media Theory 3
FLM 381 Contemporary Film and Media Theory 3
4. One 3 credit FLM course at the 400-level 3
A 400-level Film Studies course used to fulfill requirement 5. below may not be used to fulfill this requirement.
5. Two of the following courses (a minimum of 6 credits):
ENG 231 Film and Literature 4
ENG 478A Literature, Technology, and Representation 3
ENG 478B Literature and Visual Culture 3
FLM 211 Documentary History and Theory 3
FLM 255 Stars and Directors 3
FLM 260 Introduction to Digital Film and Emergent Media 4
FLM 300 History of Film to Midcentury 3
FLM 301 History of Film after Midcentury 3
FLM 334 Introduction to Screenwriting (W) 3
FLM 336 Aesthetics of Film Editing 3
FLM 337 Topics in Film Form 3
FLM 350 National and Transnational Cinemas 3
FLM 355 Studies in Film Genres 3
FLM 380 Classical Film and Media Theory 3
FLM 381 Contemporary Film and Media Theory 3
FLM 400 Seminar in the History of Film (W) 3
FLM 434 Advanced Screenwriting (W) 3
FLM 438 Film Financing, Programming, and Distribution 3
FLM 450 Studies in Ethnic Film 3
FLM 451 Studies in Postcolonial Cinema 3
FLM 452 Studies in Film, Gender, and Sexuality 3
FLM 455 Experimental Film and Media 3
FLM 460 Seminar in Digital Film and Emergent Media (W) 3
FLM 480 Seminar in Film and Media Theory (W) 3
FLM 491 Special Topics in Film Studies 3
FLM 492H Honors Seminar in Film Studies 3
LL 250B Topics in National Cinemas: East Asian Cinema 3
ROM 355 French, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish Cinema since 1930 4
RUS 250 Russian and Soviet Cinema 3
THR 304 Topics in Acting/Directing II 3
THR 350 Plays as Film 3
Film Studies 300, 301, 380, and 381 may not count towards fulfillment of this requirement if used towards requirements 2. or 3.