Kevin J. Reynolds, Coordinator
Phone: (540) 568-8183
Email: reynolkj@jmu.edu
Print Version of Catalog

Film Studies
The minor in film studies is designed for students who wish to extend their critical understanding of visual communication and narrative form by studying how movies tell stories, convey information and influence audiences. Because the program is cross disciplinary, it examines films as both art and entertainment, bringing together the literary traditions of English and the communication perspectives of media arts and design. Together, the aim is to explore cinema’s pictorial “language,” investigate its commercial consequences and evaluate its impact across cultures as a medium for enacting the human story.
Six credit hours may be double-counted between the minor and major. Information is available from the film studies adviser of the School of Media Arts and Design or the Department of English.
Required Courses |
Credit Hours |
3 |
|
Select no fewer than five courses from the following: |
15 |
ENG 381. History of Film to 1960 |
|
ENG 382. History of Film Since 1960 |
|
ENG 383. Film Genre |
|
ENG 384. Film Authorship |
|
ENG 385. Special Topics in Film Study |
|
SMAD 371. Narrative Media Studies |
|
SMAD 460. Film and Society |
|
SMAD 461. Film as Art |
|
SMAD 462. Documentary in Film and Television |
|
SMAD 463. Film Adaptations |
|
SMAD 464. Contemporary American Film |
|
SMAD 498. Senior Seminar (when topic is film) |
|
|
|
18 |