Film Studies minor

The Film Studies minor introduces students to the critical study of cinema and media studies. It explores how cinema both reflects and influences the facts, ideas, and activities of any given society, and how film allows us to travel most places in the world and become familiar with diverse cultures, traditions, and ways of thinking. The film studies minor also teaches students how to discern the cinematic and narrative features that are used in cinematography and how culture can influence them. The study of film encourages critical thinking, respect for cultural diversity, and detailed knowledge of film as a text of facts and ideas.

The courses listed below represent a selection of courses available on the WSU Vancouver campus. For a full listing of courses in the film studies minor, please consult the university catalog.

Core courses

Choose three courses from the following list (9 credits). All core courses must be taken at WSU. Plan with the department carefully to ensure course availability. Core courses may be taken in any order or combination with electives.

Electives

Choose three courses from the following list (9 credits). You may choose electives from courses geared towards critical approaches to cinema as well as course that focus on training or skill building that could be applied towards film production. No more than two courses with the same prefix (including both core and electives) may be applied towards the minor. The intent of this minor is to broaden and enhance knowledge and/or incorporate additional skills in the student’s academic preparation. After consultation with the film studies advisor, a maximum of two elective courses may be transferred to the film studies minor from accredited study abroad and other university/college programs. A maximum of 3 internship credits may count towards the minor as an elective option.

Electives with a social and/or cultural perspective

Electives focusing on applied skills