The Minor in Film and Media Studies
The Minor in Film and Media Studies is an interdisciplinary program of study enabling undergraduates to acquire the critical tools necessary for the rigorous analysis of traditional and new media, combined with knowledge of some of the crucial historical and interpretive problems raised by the study of media within the broader context of the humanities and social sciences.
Conceived as an interdisciplinary initiative between the School of Communication and WCAS (specifically, between the departments of Radio/Television/Film and Comparative Literary Studies), the minor seeks to bring together faculty and students from across the university who share an interest in film and media studies, and who are interested in thinking critically about media within a broader intellectual framework. As such, the minor need not be considered a separate or secondary field of study but as a vital complement to the student’s coursework and research for their individual major. Minors will be encouraged to participate in the rich and varied offerings of the university in the way of film series and individual film screenings, workshops and invited speakers, performances and exhibitions.
It should be emphasized that while this minor allows access to film and media studies courses in the Radio/Television/Film department, production courses in that department are not part of this minor and declaring this minor will not provide access to production courses.
Eligibility
All students are eligible for this minor except Radio/Television/Film majors. University policy allows students to declare only one minor. Students may apply as early as the spring quarter of their freshman year for admission to the minor, but students can also declare the minor during any spring quarter.
Required courses
All minors will be required to take RTVF 220-0 Analyzing Media Texts and COMP LIT 206-0 Literature and Media. These courses serve as an introduction to the critical and historiographical approaches to the study of traditional and new media (photography, film, radio, television, and interactive and digital media). Spaces will be reserved in RTVF 220 for minors.
Other requirements
Minors will also be required to take five electives, at least three of which must be at the 300-level. Courses may be drawn from the School of Communication or from across WCAS and must have a primary emphasis on film and/or media studies. Coursework for the Film and Media Studies minor will, for the most part, be drawn from already existing courses, primarily in Radio/Television/Film (School of Communication) and CLS (WCAS). For sample electives, see the list below.
Course exceptions
There may be more courses eligible for the minor than are on the current list. If the course has a primary emphasis in film or media studies, it is probably eligible, but it must be approved by the Chair of the Film and Media Studies Coordinating Committee before it can count for the minor. The Chair may ask for a syllabus in order to evaluate course content. This is especially the case for courses taken at other institutions. However, the following courses will not count toward the minor: production courses (including screenwriting), student-organized seminars, internships, field studies, and independent studies. Also, courses with a P/N or “D” grade will not count toward the minor.
Declaring the minor
- Pick up a Declaration of Minor form in the Radio/Television/Film department office (Annie May Swift #212). Return the completed form to that office and make an advising appointment with the Director of Undergraduate Programs for Radio/Television/Film, Roberta Stack.
- At your advising session, the Director will sign and file your Declaration and review with you the courses needed for the minor.
- The Director will be available for advising as you progress toward the minor and will authorize your Minor Application when you have completed the coursework. Faculty mentors will be available as needed.
Contact
For administrative and advising questions, contact Roberta Stack, Director of Undergraduate Programs for Radio/Television/Film, at dear-roberta@northwestern.edu. To make an appointment with Ms. Stack, call 847-491-7315 or 847-491-7214, or drop by the Radio/Television/Film department office, AMS 212. For other questions, contact Scott Curtis, Associate Professor of Radio/Television/Film and current Chair of the Film and Media Studies Coordinating Committee, at scurtis@northwestern.edu, or 847-491-2249.
Courses
Click here to view courses that may be selected for elective requirements.
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