What does Film Studies offer academically?

The Film Studies Program at the University of Northern Colorado offers an academic Minor in Film Studies. Several courses of general interest to students are available, including "Introduction to Film" (Humanities 120) and a more advanced course "Topics in Film" (Humanities 320), which is repeatable with varying subtitles. Recently, for example, this course has concentrated on topics such as "Film Melodrama," and "Science Fiction Film." As an interdisciplinary minor, Film Studies also includes offerings from a variety of disciplines on campus, which means that it includes contrasting perspectives on film interpretation, consideration of film in various periods of the history of cinema, as well as the study of films produced in various cultures. A few of the academic programs participating in the Film Studies Minor are Africana Studies ("Blacks in Film," AFS 395), English ("Film Noir," ENG 225 "Women in Film," ENG 239), Foreign Languages ("Traditions in International Film," FL 400), History ("Hollywood's America," HIST 395) and Philosophy ("Philosophy and Film," PHIL 300). Thus, Film Studies at UNC not only offers a deeper understanding of film as an art form, it also encourages an understanding of film as a phenomenon that is central to the American experience-a medium that is influenced by and in turn influences many avenues of thought and endeavor in our society and in the world. For a detailed outline of Film Studies course offerings and requirements for the Film Studies Minor, see the UNC Catalog .

What are the objectives and general features of the program?

The Film Studies Program is designed to provide students with an understanding of film as a distinct art form, with its own unique history, language, mechanics, and principles of production and reception. The emphasis in the program is on film reception rather than on training in film production. This area of inquiry includes film analysis, film criticism, consideration of the social implications of film, with some attention also to various theories of film reception. Although many forms of film are considered in this program, Western narrative film receives the greatest emphasis. Students will learn to "read" film and interpret it through an examination of its individual elements as well as by discussing how these parts fit together as a whole. Moreover, students are encouraged to make connections between cinema and the general importance of visual representation in contemporary culture.

Which majors might be enhanced by an accompanying Minor in Film Studies?

Students pursuing a Minor in Film Studies represent a wide range of academic disciplines, including many in the Humanities. While the program offers useful connections to programs that focus on literature and culture (such as English, Africana Studies, or a Foreign Language major), there are also productive linkages between Film Studies and subjects such as History and Philosophy. Other students find Film Studies to be a good enhancement to a major in Performing and/or Visual Arts or to studies in the Social Sciences, such as Sociology or Journalism and Mass Communications. Certainly there are many other possible combinations as well. We invite your ideas and inquiries, no matter which major you are contemplating.

How do I declare a Minor in Film Studies?

See the Film Studies director or your academic advisor. The submission form for declaring a Film Studies minor is easy to complete and can be submitted to your advisor or to a Film Studies faculty member. Consult with the Film Studies director regularly concerning course offerings, requirements for completing the minor, and extracurricular opportunities.

For more information about the Film Studies program at the University of Northern Colorado, please contact April Miller

Office: Ross Hall 1180D Phone: (970) 351-2851

Site last updated on October 12, 2007