Film Studies Minor

Overview

"Film as dream, film as music, no art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down in the dark rooms of our souls" -- Ingmar Bergman

Moving pictures or "movies" have been one of the most distinctive innovations and experiences of the past century.  In today's media-dependent world, developing a critical understanding and a historical knowledge of cinema is vital.  The minor in Film Studies sponsored by the English and Humanities Department at York College of Pennsylvania provides interested students a coherent education in this major art form, one that--along with television--is perhaps the predominant way in which contemporary Western culture represents itself.  The goals of the Film Studies minor are:

1. To develop in students a basic knowledge of the history of cinema, the different techniques used to express meaning in film, and the major critical and theoretical approaches that can be used to make sense of films.

2. To develop in students a familiarity with and appreciation for a wide range of films, including classic, foreign, and independent movies, as well as contemporary Hollywood cinema.

3. To develop in students the habit of actively engaging with films--of analyzing them and critiquing them--rather than passively "consuming" them.

4. To develop in students the ability to construct an argument about a film in speech and in writing: to organize their thoughts about a film and present them--in discussion or on paper--in a coherent and compelling manner.

In order to graduate from York College of Pennsylvania with a minor in  Film Studies, students must complete the following program of study, consisting of eighteen (18) credit hours:

Two required courses totaling six (6) credits:

1. FLM 216 Introduction to Film (3 credits)

2. FLM 220 Film History (3 credits)

An additional twelve (12) credits selected from the courses below, at least six (6) of which must be at the 300 level:

1. FLM 260-69 Special Topics in Film Genre (3 credits)*

2. FLM 280-89 Special Topics in Film Directors (3 credits)*

3. FLM 320-29 Special Topics in Film Period (3 credits)*

4. FLM 340-49 Special Topics in National Cinemas (3 credits)*

5. FLM 360-69 Special Topics in Film History and Analysis (3 credits)*

6. FLM 380 Film Theory and Criticism (3 credits)

7. FLM 498/499 Independent Study in Film (3/3 credits)

8. LIT 393 Literature and Film (3 credits)

9. WRT 377 Screenwriting (3 credits)

10. PHL 395 Philosophy and Film (3 credits)

11. H 486 Holocaust in Film (3 credits)

12. MUS 245 Exploring Music and Film (3 credits)

*Course may be repeated for different topics

For brief descriptions of the Film Studies minor courses listed above, visit the Course Descriptions page.  Information about current and recent Film Studies minor course offerings can be found on the Course Offerings page.  To learn more about internships and career opportunities for students pursuing a minor in Film Studies, visit the Internships and Career Opportunities page.  If you have further questions about the Film Studies minor at York College of Pennsylvania, please contact Dr. Ian Olney at iolney@ycp.edu or visit his web page at http://goose.ycp.edu/~iolney.

Also, take a moment to visit the homepage of the York College Film Society, a student-run organization at York College devoted to the appreciation and discussion of movies—particularly classic films, independent films, documentaries, and foreign films.