Academic Requirements
In addition to meeting general degree requirements, all film majors must complete the following requirements (104–106 credits, outlined below by year) and maintain the board-of-study standards for academic and professional conduct.
Requirements for the major include:
- A minimum of 24 credits in film history, criticism, and/or theory: CIN 1500 and 1510 plus four additional courses
- Satisfactory completion, as determined by the Film Board of Study, of the 16-credit senior thesis film
Note: Criteria for advancement also include the student’s fitness and potential for a professional life in the field, as determined by the board of study. Advancement each year is by invitation of the board of study following a scheduled, mandatory review of each student’s work. Any student on warning or probationary status is reviewed at the end of the semester (fall or spring). There is an ongoing assessment of professional growth in all work for all students.
Freshman Year | Sophomore Year | Junior Year | Senior Year
Freshman Year: 31 credits
| FLM 1090 and 1100/Exercises in Storytelling* | 6 credits |
| FLM 1160 and 1170/Film Workshop* | 10 credits |
| FLM 1250/Filmmakers Acting Workshop | 2 credits |
| CIN 1500 and 1510/Introduction to Cinema Studies I and II | 8 credits |
| FLM 2010/Film Editing I | 3 credits |
| FLM 2090/Cinematography I | 2 credits |
| *Part One and Two (two-semester course) | |
| Note: CIN 1500 and 1510 are prerequisites for most film history courses. | |
Sophomore Year: 27 credits
| FLM 2000 and 2050/Introduction to Documentary: Nonfiction Film* | 10 credits |
| FLM 2020/Film Editing II | 3 credits |
| FLM 2100/Cinematography II | 2 credits |
| FLM 2310 and 2320/Directors’ Scene Workshop* | 6 credits |
| FLM 2810/Writing for Film I | 2 credits |
| CIN —/Film history elective | 4 credits |
| *Part One and Two (two-semester course) | |
Junior Year: 24–26 credits
| One of the following two-semester courses: | 6–8 credits |
| FLM 3200 and 3210/Film Directors’ Workshop* (8 credits) or | |
| FLM 3460 and 3470/Documentary Workshop I and II (8 credits) or | |
| FLM 3610 and 3620/Experimental Workshop* (6 credits) | |
| FLM 3090/Cinematography III | 2 credits |
| FLM 3250/Directing the Actor | 2 credits |
| FLM 3320/Screenwriting | 3 credits |
| FLM 3650/Advanced Sound | 3 credits |
| CIN —/Two electives in film history, criticism, and/or theory | 8 credits |
| *Part One and Two (two-semester course) | |
Senior Year: 22 credits
FLM 3725/The Business of Film | 2 credits |
| FLM 4180 and 4190/Senior Production: Filmmaking* | 16 credits |
| CIN —/One elective in film history, criticism, and/or theory | 4 credits |
| *Part One and Two (two-semester course) | |