University Catalogs

Film and Media Studies Major (B.A.)

Centered on the nature of storytelling in all its forms, the Film and Media Studies Major is an integrated curriculum that spans media literacy, theory, and business. Students can select one of four concentrations focusing on Film Producing, Film Marketing, Media Production, or Media Studies. Each concentration allows students to: explore media production courses where they gain technical expertise in the craft of narrative and documentary filmmaking, graphic and motion design, photography, and podcasting; hone critical thinking skills in media studies courses that provide the means to deconstruct and write about media forms; and develop requisite business skills in media industry courses where they learn how to promote, market, sell, brand, and/or distribute content. Additionally, English and Media Studies electives in the major teach how media texts operate at the creative, cultural, and industrial levels. New majors can join graduates whose careers span the many facets of media production, post-production, and distribution, as well as in such areas as media marketing and advertising, graphic design, media finance, entertainment law, and publishing. Students have screened their original short films at the Cannes Film Festival, interned at such companies as Disney+, Netflix, WGBH, NBC, Sony Music Entertainment, Dick Clark Productions, Allen & Gerritsen, Arnold Worldwide, and Marvel Comics, and have landed prominent positions with leading media firms and film studios in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles.

Students are required to complete either a media internship or capstone project and will have the flexibility to study abroad. The Film and Media Studies Lab houses professional equipment and software for screenwriting, film editing, sound mixing, animation, photography, and design. Our state-of-the-art classrooms and production studio provide students with hands-on experience in all forms of media production to develop their craft.

For further information about degree requirement policies and guidelines, see the Degree Requirements page.

Major Requirements

Course Title Credits
Required Courses:
EMS 200Introduction to Film, Literature and Media3
EMS 240Introduction to Media Production3
EMS 493Capstone Project in English and Media Studies3
or EMS 492 Internship in English and Media Studies
Two Electives: Select any two courses from the English and Media Studies department.6
Select a concentration:12
Total Credits27

General Degree Requirements

Foundations for Success (15 Credits)

Course Title Credits
FDS 100Falcon Discovery Seminar3
Communications and Writing
Select one from:
EMS 101Critical Reading and Writing3
or EMS 101L Critical Reading and Writing with Lab
or EMS 102 Critical Reading and Writing for Multilingual Students
or EMS 102L Critical Reading and Writing for Multilingual Students with Lab
And one from:
EMS 104Multimodal Communication3
or EMS 105 Multimodal Communication for Multilingual Students
Information Technology
CS 100Solving Business Problems with Information Technology 3
Mathematical Sciences
Select one from:
MA 105Mathematical Foundations for Business3
or MA 105L Mathematical Foundations for Business with Lab
or MA 107 Applied Calculus for Business
or MA 107L Applied Calculus for Business with Lab
or MA 131 Calculus I
or MA 131L Calculus I with Lab
Total Credits15

Context and Perspectives (18 Credits)

Course Title Credits
Students must take six courses, one in each category of Context and Perspectives:
Total Credits18

Business Dynamics/Business Administration Minor (18 Credits)

Course Title Credits
All courses are required:
AC 115Introduction to Financial Reporting and Analysis3
EC 111Principles of Microeconomics3
FI 118Introduction to Finance3
LA 100Business Law3
MG 116Human Dynamics in Organizations3
ST 113Business Statistics3
Total Credits18

Communication Intensive

All students are required to take a three-credit course designated as a Communication Intensive. This requirement can be met within a variety of course subjects in both Arts & Sciences and Business. Communication Intensive courses are designated with a "Communication Intensive" course tag in Workday. Transfer students with a minimum of 30 credits will be waived from the Communication Intensive requirement.

Please note that certain majors have an additional three-credit Communication Intensive built into their major requirements, separate from the general CI requirement.

Additional Requirements

Modern Language Requirement (6 Credits)

Course Title Credits
Two Modern Language courses (must be two semesters of the same language, regardless of proficiency level)6
Total Credits6

Unrestricted Electives (36 Credits)

Course Title Credits
Select 12 elective courses36
Total Credits36

Total: 120 Credits

Concentration Requirements

Film Marketing

Course Title Credits
Required media industry course:
EMS 402The Business of Media3
Select one media studies elective:3
Introduction to Cinema Studies
Introduction to Cultural Studies
Introduction to Communication Studies
Introduction to Mass Communication
Intercultural Communication
Select two electives (one must be in EMS):6
Introduction to Photography
Introduction to Graphic Design
Global Media
International Cinema
The Television Industry
Hollywood Convergence
Money, Power, Communication
Communication Design: Messages and Means
Fashion Photography
Designing Brands for Change
Cross-Cultural Understanding
Marketing Law
Entertainment Law
Marketing Essentials
Consumer Behavior
Advertising
Digital Marketing
Strategic Brand Management
Media, Culture and Society
Sociology of Markets
Global Public Relations
Digital Public Relations
Total Credits:12

Film Producing

Course Title Credits
Required production course:
EMS 434Film Producing 3
Select one media studies elective:3
Introduction to Cinema Studies
Introduction to Cultural Studies
Global Media
International Cinema
Hollywood Rebels: A History of American Independent Film
Select two electives (one must be in EMS):6
Introduction to Video Production
Revisions and Retellings
Horror/Sci-Fi in Film and Television
Film and Television Genres
The Television Industry
Disney+: Content + Platform
The Business of Media
Hollywood Convergence
Hollywood Genres: Classical Forms and Contemporary Re-Inventions
Films, Franchises, and Fandom: Superheroes in Popular Culture
Money, Power, Communication
Documentary Production
The Art of Film Editing
Media Law
Entertainment Law
Leadership: Concepts, Competencies and Character
Supply Chain Management
Entrepreneurial Thinking
Negotiating
Popular Culture in Consumer Societies
Film and Society
Introduction to Public Relations
Public Relations Writing
Total Credits12

Media Production

Course Title Credits
Select one production elective:3
Introduction to Video Production
Introduction to Photography
Introduction to Graphic Design
Audio Production
Documentary Production
Animation Production
Film Directing
Film Producing
Communication Design: Messages and Means
Podcasting
The Art of Film Editing
Fashion Photography
Designing Brands for Change
Select one media studies elective:3
Introduction to Cinema Studies
Introduction to Cultural Studies
Introduction to Media Theory
Film and Television Genres
Great Directors
Select two electives (one must be in EMS):6
Introduction to Acting
Mythology and Folklore
Horror/Sci-Fi in Film and Television
Writing for Drama/Screen
American Cities in Film
Sitcom Nation: The American Family in Fiction and Film
Black Cinema
Women and Film
Wonder Women
The Male Image in American Film
Images of the Hero
Global Media
International Cinema
Youth Cultures in International Cinema
The Television Industry
Disney+: Content + Platform
The Business of Media
Hollywood Convergence
Hollywood Rebels: A History of American Independent Film
Hollywood Genres: Classical Forms and Contemporary Re-Inventions
Films, Franchises, and Fandom: Superheroes in Popular Culture
Money, Power, Communication
Video Game Studies
Popular Music Studies
Arts and Society
America and Its Arts
Cross-Cultural Understanding
Media Law
Entertainment Law
Media, Culture and Society
Popular Culture in Consumer Societies
Film and Society
Total Credits:12

Media Studies

Course Title Credits
Required media studies course:
EMS 221Introduction to Media Theory3
Select one media studies elective:3
Introduction to Cinema Studies
Introduction to Cultural Studies
Introduction to Communication Studies
Introduction to Mass Communication
Film and Television Genres
Select two electives (one must be in EMS):6
The Wonder of Human Language: An Introduction to Linguistics
Graphic Novel
Revisions and Retellings
American Landscapes
American Cities in Film
Sitcom Nation: The American Family in Fiction and Film
Black Cinema
Women and Film
Wonder Women
The Male Image in American Film
Queer and Trans Media Studies
Cultural Studies and the Body
Diasporic Literature and Culture
Images of the Hero
Global Media
International Cinema
Youth Cultures in International Cinema
The Television Industry
Disney+: Content + Platform
The Business of Media
Hollywood Convergence
Hollywood Rebels: A History of American Independent Film
Hollywood Genres: Classical Forms and Contemporary Re-Inventions
Films, Franchises, and Fandom: Superheroes in Popular Culture
Money, Power, Communication
Video Game Studies
Popular Music Studies
Directed Study in English and Media Studies
Cross-Cultural Understanding
Science, Technology & Society
Media and Politics
Latin American Cinema
Politics Through Film
Arts and Society
America and Its Arts
Law and Film
Chinese for Cinema
French Cinema
Italy through Films
Critical Thinking
Love, Sex, and Robots
Feminist Theory
Media, Culture and Society
Popular Culture in Consumer Societies
Film and Society
Total Credits:12