Film

Internal Minor

Students wishing to pursue an internal minor in the Department of Communication Arts must elect to study in one of four graduate tracks:

Communication Science
Film
Media and Cultural Studies
Rhetoric

After consulting with a faculty member in the chosen area of specialization, students must complete 12 credits of course work, four courses. Three of the four should be at the 400-level or above, and at least one of those three should be at the 600-level or above. Students with no prior film studies background are encouraged to take CA 350 (Introduction to Film) before enrolling in more specialized courses, but CA 350 will not count as one of the four courses in the minor track.

CA 352 (History of World Cinema) provides a survey of film history. It is recommended for all graduate students seeking a minor, and it is particularly appropriate for students interested in national cinemas (German, French, Italian, etc.). Graduate students should enroll in the section being taught by the professor.
CA 354 (Film Styles and Genres) examines the concepts of group style, individual style, and genre, using films drawn from the range of film history. It is especially appropriate for students in literary studies and art history. Again, graduate students should enroll in the professor’s discussion section.
CA 358 (History of Documentary Film) is a historical study of documentary filmmaking. It is particularly relevant to students in history and in journalism and mass communication.
CA 454 (Critical Film Analysis) studies theories and methods of film analysis. It is particularly appropriate for graduate students in art history and literary studies.
CA 455 (French Cinema [cross-listed with the Dept. of French & Italian]) and CA 456 (Russian and Soviet Film) study the histories of these two important national cinemas. These courses would be useful for students in European area studies.
CA 463 (Avant-Garde Film) covers the history and aesthetics of experimental cinema. It is particularly appropriate for students studying art history, visual or performance arts.
CA 556 (The American Film Industry in the Era of the Studio System) and CA 557 (Contemporary Media Industries) are historical examinations of the conduct and performance of studio filmmaking before and after 1948. These courses are appropriate for students interested in American history and economic history.
CA 664 (Classical Film Theory) and CA 665 (Contemporary Film Theory) survey the central issues in film theory through a study of several writers’ work. The first course considers film theory before the mid-1960s, concentrating on Arnheim, Bazin, the Soviet thinkers, and others. The second course examines structuralism, semiotics, psychoanalytic theory, feminism, and other recent theories of film. These courses are appropriate for students working in literary and art theory and in women’s studies.
In addition to the above, special topics courses (under CA 613) and 900-level graduate seminars are regularly offered in a variety of advanced and specialized areas. A faculty member in the department can assist graduate students in selecting among these.