School of Arts and Sciences
Film and Media Studies

Film and Media Production Sequence

FMS majors have the option of completing the major that includes the Film and Media Production Sequence. Up to four production practice courses may be counted toward the FMS major, and majors can undertake a two-semester production-based Senior Honors Thesis in their senior year. 

Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Studies Course Requirements

To view all course requirements and major policies, please visit our Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Studies page.  

The Film and Media Studies major requires the completion of 10 courses:

Required Core Courses (Two Courses)

The two required core courses impart analytical skills, historical background, and theoretical underpinnings, providing a coherent knowledge base and consistent language among FMS students. 

  • Core requirement #1: Art of the Moving Image (FMS-0001) 

    Students should take Art of the Moving Image (FMS-0001) as their first course in the major (or aim to complete it in their first year in FMS). FMS-0001 is a pre-enrollment requisite for a number of FMS courses and must be taken before enrolling in those courses. This course is taught every semester and is open to first-years, sophomores, and juniors. Questions about the course can be directed to the instructor or Denise Cummings, Director of Undergraduate Studies.

  • Core requirement #2 (choose one): Global History of Cinema (FMS-0002) OR 20th Century U.S. Television History (FMS-0001) 

    Students should aim to complete the second core requirement by junior year, if possible. Both are taught alternating spring semesters - typically Television History (FMS-0006) is offered in the even years and Global History (FMS-0002) in the odd years.

Elective Courses (Eight Courses)


Students must take eight elective courses (or six, if undertaking a Senior Honors Thesis) within the following elective requirement categories: 

Courses fulfilling each of these elective requirements can be viewed on the FMS course list. 

Production Sequence Recommendations

  • Fulfill all the major requirements posted above.
  • Take the production foundation course, Film and Media Production I (FMS-0010). 
  • Take three production courses from the lists of intermediate and advanced production courses or screenwriting courses below. It’s strongly recommended that at least one should be an advanced course. Please note: a maximum of four courses in the practice elective category can be counted towards the Film and Media Studies major.
     

Production "Foundation" Course

  • FMS-0010 Film and Media Production I

    FMS-0010 counts towards the major practice course category. This course is the also a pre-enrollment requirement for intermediate and advanced production courses and must be taken before enrolling in those courses. Please note: Art of the Moving Image (FMS-0001) is a pre-enrollment requirement for FMS-0010. 

Intermediate Production Courses

Pre-enrollment requirements for intermediate production courses are Art of the Moving Image (FMS-0001) and Film and Media Production I (FMS-0010).

  • Producing for Film (FMS-0012)
  • Documentary Film History and Practice (FMS-0013)
  • From Script To Screen (FMS-0014)
  • Crafting Your Vision (FMS-0015)
  • Storytelling and Film Editing (FMS-0094)
  • Experimental Film: From Concept to Practice (FMS-0094)
  • The Business and Art of Media (FMS-0094)

Advanced Production Courses

Pre-enrollment requirements for advanced production courses are Art of the Moving Image (FMS-0001) and Film and Media Production I (FMS-0010). These courses may also have additional pre-enrollment requisites and/or require instructor permission.

  • Directing for Film (FMS-0136) FMS upper-level course category
  • Advanced Documentary Production (FMS-0137) FMS upper-level course category
  • Independent Filmmaking (FMS-0139) does not fulfill FMS upper-level course requirement
  • Independent Filmmaking Post-Production (FMS-0140) does not fulfill FMS upper-level course requirement

Screenwriting Courses

These courses may also have pre-enrollment requisites and/or require instructor permission.

  • Screenwriting I (FMS-0020)
  • Screenwriting II (FMS-0021). This course may be taken twice with instruction permission.
  • Television Storytelling (FMS-0094)
  • Screenwriting III (FMS-0134) FMS upper-level course category

 

Two-Semester Production Senior Honors Thesis (Optional)

Students wishing to make a film or write a screenplay for the Senior Honors Thesis must have taken at least three filmmaking and/or screenwriting courses (or their equivalent) prior to the senior year, including Film and Media Production I (FMS 0010). If the proposal is approved, students must take the FMS production-based Senior Honors Thesis I course in the fall of their senior year (FMS 0198) and the Senior Honors Thesis course (FMS 0199) in the spring. 

  • FMS 0198 Senior Honors Thesis I
  • FMS 0199 Senior Honors Thesis II