Requirements for the Film and Media Studies Major
In addition to satisfying the general college requirements, students majoring in film and media studies must complete 48 semester-hours of course work in the TFMS department. Following is a list of required and elective courses that satisfy the film and media studies major. Courses are four semester-hours, unless otherwise noted; those courses marked with an asterisk should be completed by the end of the sophomore year.
1. All of the following:
*TFMS 130: Introduction to Performance
*TFMS 171: Elements of Theatrical Design
*TFMS 200: Theater in History or ARTH 100: Introduction to Art History
*TFMS 220: Introduction to Film and Media Studies
TFMS 320: Film History
TFMS 371: Production Lab (1 semester-hour): Majors must complete a minimum of four semester-hours
2. Two of the following:
ANTH 304: Anthropology of Media
HIST 447: History of Russian and Soviet Cinema
IDIS 316: Black Film
ILAS 350: Latin American Cinema
ILCS 367: Literature and Postmodern Culture
TFMS 315: Japanese Film
TFMS 420: Mediated Bodies: Gender, Race, and Class on Stage and Screen
Any topics or experimental course numbered 300 or higher and cross-listed in TFMS
3. Two of the following:
ART 214: Introduction to Digital Imaging
ART 314: Digital and Time-based Art Studio
TFMS 230: Acting I
TFMS 340: Directing
TFMS 345: Writing for Stage and Screen
TFMS 374: Lighting Design
TFMS 375: Costume Design
TFMS 376: Scene Design
4. One of the following:
ARTH 410: After Modern Art, 1945 to the Present
ENGL 390: Topics in Literature: Film Genre
ENGL 390: Topics in Literature: American Film
TFMS 225: Topics in Film and Media
TFMS 325: Documentary Practices
TFMS 425: Advanced Topics in Film and Media
5. Senior Experience. This requirement may be satisfied in one of two ways:
a) Four additional semester-hours of course work taken from the 400-level course offerings in theater, film, and media studies; or
b) TFMS 493/494: St. Mary's Project: With the approval of the department chair, this requirement may be satisfied by completing eight semester-hours of the St. Mary's Project in any discipline or cross-disciplinary study area.
6. Theater productions. Satisfactory work on at least two major productions
7. St. Mary's Project (SMP):
A St. Mary's Project (SMP) in film and media studies is a two-semester, eight-credit independent, original course of study in film and media studies. The project may be scholarly (e.g. a written thesis or research paper) or artistic (e.g. screenwriting, film/video making) in nature, but all projects must address reciprocity between theory and praxis and should encompass an appropriate range of liberal arts disciplines. Projects must receive the prior approval of a faculty member in TFMS. All projects will lead to some form of public presentation. Students undertaking an SMP in film and media studies must submit a formal proposal that will fulfill the College and department guidelines for an SMP to their mentor no later than the eighth week of the semester preceding the academic year during which the work will begin. In other words, this deadline will occur during your junior year.
Click here for the guidelines and application procedures for proposing a St. Mary's Project in TFMS.
8. Theater productions and practicum credit:
Film and media studies majors must complete satisfactory work on at least two major productions for which they may receive one to two practicum credits (TFMS 290/490) on each production. (Note: TFMS 290/490 may not be counted toward satisfying requirements for the major.)
Practicum credit: Practicum credit can be earned through participation in all facets of production, from performing to technical work (scenic, lighting, costume, and properties design, film/video making for production, stage management, crew, directing, choreography). A minimum of 50 hours of work is required for one practicum credit. A maximum of two practicum credits may be earned on any one production. A maximum of 12 practicum credits may be applied toward graduation and be figured into a student's GPA. (Note: TFMS 290/490 do not satisfy the Arts component of the General Education Requirement.)
Students may not receive practicum credit for work on non-main stage (e.g. White Room) productions, unless directed by a faculty member or guest artist. Students may receive credit for such work by proposing and satisfactorily completing an SMP or an Independent Study in TFMS.
9. TFMS 371: Production Lab (Required Majors Shop Hours):
Film and media studies majors must complete 30 shop hours per semester as assigned by the technical director in consultation with the resident designer in the following areas: technical theater, stage management, production crews, house management, maintenance (facilities and equipment), inventory, or others as specified. In order to receive credit for their shop hours, students must enroll in Production Lab (TFMS 371) each semester. This course will accrue one credit per semester, and students will be graded for their work. Film and media studies majors must complete a minimum of four semester-hours. In addition to the 30 shop hours, all film and media studies majors must participate fully in two light-hangs before any credit will be awarded.
Shop hours and assigned positions will be established by the end of the second week of each semester, and the work schedule posted on the scene shop door (MH 166) and on the bulletin board outside the Box Office.
Prospective film and media studies majors are encouraged to participate on production crews and to log their shop hours on the appropriate forms. Upon declaration of the major, these hours will be converted to required shop hours, not to exceed 30 per semester.
10. Participation on run crew:
Students are required to participate on at least one run crew in order to satisfy the requirements for the film and media studies major. Students may elect to satisfy this requirement as part of the required shop hours or as practicum credit.
Click here for a recommended framework for completing the requirements of the film and media studies major in TFMS.
