This interdisciplinary minor explores mass culture in its visual manifestations and helps students develop an informed awareness of culture and media, ideological tendencies, and effects on daily experience. Committed to interdisciplinary studies, the program addresses the increasing complexity and multiplicity of visual cultures and offers students the tools with which to read a variety of texts, including film, television, video, and new media.
Most coursework is offered through the Departments of Communication and English, with other courses available through the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and the Film and Video Studies Program. The two required courses provide an introduction to the languages of film and popular media and modes of analysis appropriate to each. They are prerequisites for all advanced work in the minor. Students select four additional courses designed to introduce a more specialized level of study. Students may decide to focus on film, television, or the study of mass culture, or they may choose some mix of courses that suits their interests.
Faculty
Cynthia Fuchs, Program Director
Thomas Britt, Film and Video Studies; Giovanna Chesler, Film and Video Studies; Mark Cooley, Art and Visual Technology; Jeremy Freer, School of Music; Timothy Gibson, Communication; Carma Hinton, Robinson Professor; Alison Landsberg, History and Art History; Carla Marcantonio, English; David Miller, Communication; Janine Ricouart, Modern and Classical Languages; Jessica Scarlata, English; Benjamin Steger, Film and Video Studies; Gail Scott White, Art and Visual Technology; Martin Winkler, Modern and Classical Languages.
Policies
Eight credits of coursework must be unique to the minor and students must complete all coursework with a minimum GPA of 2.00. For policies governing all minors, see AP.5.3.4 Minors.
Minor Requirements
Total credits: 18
Students should be aware of the specific policies associated with this program, located on the Admissions & Policies tab.
Core Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGH 372 | Introduction to Film (Mason Core) | 3 |
| COMM 380 | Media Criticism | 3 |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
Electives
AVT, COMM, and FAVS majors can only use 6 elective credits from their home department toward the Film and Media Studies minor. Only six credits total for any students may be FAVS courses.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 12 credits from the following: | 12 | |
| Cyberpunk | ||
| Contemporary Chinese Film | ||
| Introduction to Media Production | ||
| Media Theory | ||
| Mass Communication and Public Policy | ||
| Multi-Camera Studio Production | ||
| Digital Postproduction | ||
| Videography | ||
| Gender, Race, and Class in the Media | ||
| Visual Communication | ||
| Sports and the Media | ||
| Media Production Practicum | ||
| Comparative Mass Media (Mason Core) | ||
| Introduction to Cultural Studies 1 | ||
| Popular Culture 1, 2 | ||
| Global Voices (Mason Core) 1, 2 | ||
| Introduction to Documentary (Mason Core) | ||
| Television Studies (Mason Core) | ||
| Cultural Constructions of Sexualities 1 | ||
| Topics in Popular Literature 1 | ||
| RS: Topics in Film/Media History (Mason Core) 2 | ||
| Topics in Film/Media Theory 2 | ||
| Topics in Film/Media Studies 2 | ||
| Independent Study 1 | ||
| Introduction to World Cinema (Mason Core) | ||
| Business of Film and Television | ||
| Global Horror Film (Mason Core) | ||
| Ethics of Film and Video (Mason Core) | ||
| Special Topics in Film and Video Studies 2 | ||
| French and Francophone Cinema 1 | ||
| Contexts for Global Cinema (Mason Core) | ||
| Japanese Cinema | ||
| Music in Motion Pictures (Mason Core) | ||
| Topics in (Post) Soviet Film 1 | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
| 1 | Requires prior written approval of the FAMS director. |
| 2 | May be repeated when topic is different. |
| 3 | Cannot be used by FAVS majors towards this minor. |