BA in Film and Media Studies

In keeping with Tufts' rich liberal arts tradition, Film and Media Studies majors take core courses in film and media analysis, history, theory, and production supplemented by electives in a variety of departments that foster an interdisciplinary approach. By learning about the theory and practice of filmmaking and other forms of mass communication on a global scale, students become more discerning and active users of media, able to understand and employ them as powerful art forms that can change society for the better.

Program Requirements and Policies

  • To earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film and Media Studies, a total of ten courses is required.

  • Each elective course cannot be used to fulfill more than one Film and Media Studies elective requirement.

  • For student pursuing a double major, up to five approved courses can overlap between your double major and your Film and Media Studies major.

  • A maximum of four practice electives can be counted towards your Film and Media Studies major.

  • The FMS 0099 internship course counts as a practice elective but doesn't satisfy the film and media practice elective requirement. Additionally, only one Internship course (FMS 0099) can be applied to your Film and Media Studies major.

  • Only one FMS Directed Study (FMS 0195) can be applied to your Film and Media Studies major.

  • Up to five courses taken abroad or at other universities can be counted toward the FMS major at the discretion of the program director. To request course credit for a course taken at another institution, please follow the instructions on the Tufts Transfer Credit page.

  • To request FMS credit for a Tufts course not currently listed as an FMS course, please complete the FMS Course Credit Petition.

  • A grade of a C- or higher is required to count a course toward the major. No major course may be taken Pass/Fail except the FMS 0099 internship course.

  • The following forms are required to complete the major:

Course Requirements

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. The two required core courses are:

  • FMS 0001 Art of the Moving Image
  • FMS 0002 Global History of Cinema OR FMS 0006 20th Century U.S. Television History

We strongly encourage students to take the two required core courses early in their program of study.

Elective Courses (Eight Courses)

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

Electives fulfilling each of these requirements are listed on FMS courses.

Senior Honors Thesis (Two Courses)

In the senior year, FMS students may undertake a two-course Senior Honors Thesis under the guidance of a committee consisting of at least two faculty members, which allows students to do in-depth, self-directed work as scholars and/or artists. Students undertaking a two-course Senior Honors Thesis need only take six elective courses along with the two required core courses.

Film and Media Production Sequence

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

Academic questions about the FMS degree program can be directed to Denise Cummings, FMS Director of Undergraduate Studies.