Cinema and Media Studies

The study of the screen

The influence of film extends far beyond what you see in the theater. In the cinema and media studies concentration, you'll explore the critical, cultural, historical and aesthetic sides of film, television and other media forms.

The concentration takes a broad and inclusive view of the field, addressing noncommercial and commercial media, examining works in and out of the cultural mainstream and studying media across a broad range of national, transnational and global frameworks. You'll also take foundational production courses to gain a hands-on understanding of media creation.

What you’ll learn

to analyze cinema, television, digital and aural media by applying a variety of theoretical and historical concepts
to interpret and evaluate information from a critical perspective
to consider the impacts and influence of various media forms on society

Curriculum

This program will equip you to critically examine film and other media.

See concentration requirements

Specializations

Tailor your cinema and media studies concentration with a nine-credit specialization.

Courses

You’ll take a mix of hands-on production courses and film theory classes. Here are a few experiences to look forward to.

A student kneels on a rock ledge looking over the city of Los Angeles.

Semester in Los Angeles

Internship program

Intern and take Media School classes in the heart of the entertainment industry. Students in the Semester in Los Angeles program live in shared apartments adjacent to the Warner Brothers and Universal Studios lots, take hands-on classes in the historic Raleigh Studios and intern at companies including NBCUniversal, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and FOX Sports.

Learn about Semester in L.A.

Hollywood I and Hollywood II

Learn about the history of Hollywood. Hollywood I looks at the first 50 years of American cinema, from 1895 to 1945. Explore history from the premiere of moving pictures to the introduction of the feature film, the star system and movie theaters. Hollywood II picks up in 1945 and goes through the present, focusing on both film and cultural history.

Contemporary Filmmakers

Examine contemporary film authorship in collaboration with the IU Cinema. Attend lectures by visiting filmmakers and screenings of their films, and discuss film criticism and review.

Faculty

Your professors will include film industry veterans and internationally ranked cinema researchers with backgrounds in independent, experimental and documentary filmmaking; Black cinema; and multipurpose media.

Meet Media School faculty

Extracurricular opportunities

IU Cinema

Affiliate

The IU Cinema presents a variety of films across genres and provides opportunities for attendees to hear from directors, actors, writers, producers and others who create cinema. A Media School affiliate, students have the chance to take full advantage of all the IU Cinema has to offer. With more than 300 events each year, there's programming for everyone, from screenings of rarely shown films to talks by the filmmakers behind popular movies. The IU Cinema also screens some student films, and you can become a volunteer.

Visit the IU Cinema's website

Black Film Center/Archive

Center

The Black Film Center/Archive is a resource for scholars, students and researchers studying films and related materials by and about African-Americans. Included are films that have substantial participation by African-Americans as writers, actors, producers, directors, musicians and consultants, as well as those that depict some aspect of Black experience.

Visit the BFC/A’s website

Center for Documentary Research and Practice

Center

The Center for Documentary Research and Practice supports faculty and students who make documentaries; serves as a research hub for historical, theoretical and critical research on nonfiction film and video; and hosts visiting artists and scholars who are working on projects with nonfiction media components. The center provides direct assistance in the form of technological and creative support for projects, and it also serves as a forum for faculty and students to present completed and in-process work.

Visit the CDRP’s website

Careers

This concentration will prepare you for graduate-level study in media and other fields of critical study, or for careers in the industry. Potential careers include media critic, film studies professor, media consultant and communications director, to name a few options.

The flexibility of the program allowed me to explore all of my interests. Be open to the journey, and your passion will reveal itself along the way.
Ireland Meacham (they/them), BA’19, production coordinator for Audiation Inc.

Cinema and Media Studies

The study of the screen

What you’ll learn

Curriculum

Specializations

Courses

Semester in Los Angeles

Hollywood I and Hollywood II

Contemporary Filmmakers

Faculty

Extracurricular opportunities

IU Cinema

Black Film Center/Archive

Center for Documentary Research and Practice

Careers

The Media School resources and social media channels