The Department of Film Studies' BA program focuses on the history, theory and criticism of film and television. Students learn how to critically analyze analyze the impact of film and television on individuals and society; make connections between media, historical themes and cultural change; and compare different formats. Film and media cross time periods and locations, languages and cultures. The courses that a well-rounded Film Studies student will take are equally as diverse. The major blends courses in Film Studies with classes from English, Art History, Comparative Literature, History, Religious Studies, French, Italian, Japanese, and other languages. UWM students have the advantage of being in the heart of the largest city in Wisconsin, home to a lively art house movie scene, a growing independent film industry, and a thriving cinematic culture.
Students who are more interested in film and video production process and who are looking to become a filmmaker or videographer may wish to also explore the majors offered through UWM's Peck School of the Arts.
Additional courses that count toward the major are offered by the following departments in the College of Letters and Science:
- Art History
- English
- Foreign Languages and Linguistics
- French, Italian, and Comparative Literature
- Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies
Lower division film production courses are offered by the Peck School of the Arts' Film Department, and may count towards a student's elective course requirements.
Course of Study – Bachelor of Arts Degree
Complete 120 credits including 75 credits in the College of Letters & Science and with 36 of the 75 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered above 300) courses.
The College requires that students must complete in residence at UWM at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major. The College also requires that students complete at least 30 credits overall in residence at UWM. For additional residency and transfer credit limitations, see L&S Undergraduate Policies and Regulations.
Students are also required to complete University-wide General Education Requirements and the specific L&S requirements listed below.
To complete a major, students must satisfy all the requirements of the major as stated in this catalog. Students who declare their majors within five years of entering the UW System as a degree candidate may satisfy the requirements outlined in any catalog issued since the time they entered. Credits used to satisfy the major also may be used to satisfy other degree requirements.
University General Education Requirements (GER)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Oral and Written Communication | ||
| Part A | ||
| Achieve a grade of C or better in the following course: | ||
| ENGLISH 102 | College Writing and Research (or equivalent) | |
| Part B | ||
| Course designated as OWC-B; may be completed through a major-specific course requirement | ||
| Quantitative Literacy | ||
| Part A | ||
| Earn at least 3 credits with a grade of C or higher in one of the following courses or an equivalent course, or achieve a placement code of at least 30 on the mathematics placement test (or other appropriate test, as determined by the Mathematical Sciences Department) | ||
| Mathematical Literacy for College Students II | ||
| Contemporary Applications of Mathematics | ||
| Introduction to College Algebra | ||
| Algebraic Literacy II | ||
| Introduction to Logic - Critical Reasoning 1 | ||
or PHILOS 111 | Introduction to Logic - Critical Reasoning | |
| College Algebra | ||
Or equivalent course | ||
| Part B | ||
| Course designated as QL-B; may be completed through a major-specific course requirement | ||
| Arts | ||
| Select 3 credits | 3 | |
| Humanities | ||
| Select 6 credits | 6 | |
| Social Sciences | ||
| Select 6 credits | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences | ||
| Select 6 credits (at least two courses including one lab) | 6 | |
| UWM Foreign Language Requirement | ||
| Complete Foreign Language Requirement through: | ||
Two years (high school) of a single foreign language | ||
Two semesters (college) of a single foreign language | ||
Or equivalent | ||
| UWM Cultural Diversity Requirement | ||
| One course from the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences must also satisfy UWM's Cultural Diversity requirement | ||
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Math 111 and Philosophy 111 are jointly offered and count as repeats of one another. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.
College of Letters & Science Requirements
The degree requirements in the College of Letters and Science build on the University General Education Requirements to provide a broad base of knowledge as well as an array of skills cited by employers as critical to professional success: critical thinking, problem solving, oral and written communication, ability to work well with others, and adaptability to change.
For the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), you must complete the UWM General Education Requirements as well as these L&S requirements: the International requirement, the Breadth requirement, and the Research requirement. The International requirement develops your potential for cross-cultural understanding in a globalizing world. The Breadth requirement ensures that you take classes in a wide variety of subjects, across humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. The Research requirement calls for you to build your critical thinking and oral and written communication skills through conducting an independent research project, usually in your major.
For the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) you will also complete the Language other than English requirement, to further develop your understanding of cultures through language.
I. Total Credits and Upper-Division Courses Requirement
Students must complete 120 credits including 75 credits in the College of Letters & Science and with 36 of the 75 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered above 300) courses.
II. Language other than English Requirement
Students doing the BA must fulfill the language other than English requirement by either successfully completing the fourth semester of university work or equivalent in one language other than English, or by successfully completing the second semester of university work or equivalent in two languages other than English (including all world languages and American Sign Language).
Language courses (including American Sign Language) other than English taken in high school may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement. One year of high school language equates to one semester of college work. Proficiency tests approved by the Languages faculty may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement.
Completion of the L&S Language Requirement also satisfies the university-wide Language other than English GER, but not vice versa.
III. International Requirement
To meet the International Requirement, students must successfully complete some three course (minimum 9 credits) combination of
- language other than English (not including American Sign Language) at 3rd semester level or above, and/or
- non-language courses with L&S approved international content (see Courses Approved for the L&S International Requirement for course options).
IV. Breadth Requirement
In addition to completing the University General Education Requirements, L&S students must complete the Breadth requirement.
The L&S Breadth requirement calls for 6 credits each in L&S courses designated L&S Humanities, L&S Natural Sciences, and L&S Social Sciences breadth. One of the L&S Natural Science breadth courses must be a laboratory or fieldwork course. These courses must be beyond and in addition to courses in those areas used to satisfy General Education Requirements.
Please refer to the list of Courses Approved for the L&S Breadth Requirement.
V. The Major
The College of Letters and Science requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA in all credits in the major attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all major credits attempted, including any transfer work. Individual departments or programs may require higher GPAs for graduation. Some departmental majors require courses from other departments. Contact your major department for information on whether those credits will count as part of the major GPA. The College requires that students must complete in residence at UWM at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major.
Research Requirement
Within their majors, students must complete a research experience approved by the L&S faculty. A list of courses satisfying the research requirement in each major can be found here.
VI. The Minor
Students are encouraged to consider completing a minor, but it is not required. To complete a minor, the College of Letters and Science requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA in all credits in the minor attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all minor credits attempted, including any transfer work. The minor must contain at least 9 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 and above) courses.
Film Studies Major Requirements
A total of 36 credits is required for the major, at least 18 in upper-level courses (numbered 300 or above), with at least 15 of them taken in residence at UWM. Students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all UWM credits attempted for the major. In addition, the College requires that students attain a 2.0 GPA on all major credits attempted, including any transfer work. Students must complete the requirements specified below.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| ARTHIST/FILMSTD 205 | History of Film I: Development of an Art | 3 |
| ENGLISH/FILMSTD 290 | Introduction to Film Studies | 3 |
| or ENGLISH/FILMSTD 291 | Introduction to Television Studies | |
| ENGLISH/FILMSTD 390 | Classical Film Criticism and Theory (offered fall semester only) | 3 |
| or ENGLISH/FILMSTD 391 | Television Criticism and Theory | |
| FILMSTD 690 | Seminar in Contemporary Cinema and Media: (satisfies L&S research requirement; offered spring semester only) | 3 |
| Intermediate-Level Requirement | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Entertainment Arts: Film, Television, and the Internet | ||
| History of Film II: Development of an Art | ||
| Literature and Film: | ||
| Writing about Film and Television | ||
| Introduction to Television Studies (if not selected above) | ||
| Game Culture | ||
| Women and Film | ||
| Introduction to Experimental Media Arts 1 | ||
| Media Workshop: 1 | ||
| 16mm Filmmaking 1 | ||
| Digital Filmmaking 1 | ||
| Intermediate Topics in Film and Television Studies: | ||
| Ad Hoc: | ||
| Italian Cinema | ||
| Advanced-Level (300 and above) Electives | ||
| Select 6 credits from the following (focusing on world/global/international cinema): | 6 | |
| World Cinema: | ||
| Feminist Media Criticism and Theory: | ||
| Global Cinema and Media: | ||
Or other appropriate courses approved by the Director | ||
| Select 12 additional credits (see below) | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
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A maximum of 3 credits in Film Department courses (FILM) may count toward the intermediate-level course requirement.
Advanced-Level Electives
The following is a partial list. Other variable content courses with appropriate subtitles may be approved on a semester-by-semester basis to count toward the major. See the list published in the Schedule of Classes under affiliated Film Studies courses, the Film Studies website, or the program advisor.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ARTHIST/FILMSTD 308 | Film Styles: | 3 |
| COMPLIT 360 | Seminar in Literature and Cultural Experience: (New Chinese Cinemas) | 3 |
| COMPLIT 461 | Film-Fiction Interaction: | 3 |
| ENGLISH/FILMSTD 312 | Topics in Film, Television and Digital Studies: | 3 |
| ENGLISH/FILMSTD 316 | World Cinema: | 3 |
| ENGLISH/FILMSTD 320 | Studies in Film and Television Authorship: | 3 |
| ENGLISH/FILMSTD 329 | Film and Literature | 3 |
| ENGLISH/FILMSTD 380 | Media and Society: | 3 |
| ENGLISH/FILMSTD 383 | Cinema, Television, and Genre: | 3 |
| ENGLISH/FILMSTD 391 | Television Criticism and Theory | 3 |
| ENGLISH/FILMSTD 393 | Entertainment Industries: | 3 |
| ENGLISH/FILMSTD 394 | Theories of Digital Culture: | 3 |
| FILMSTD/JEWISH 350 | Global Jewish Film and Television: | 3 |
| FILMSTD 412 | Global Cinema and Media: | 3 |
| FILMSTD 489 | Internship in Film Studies, Upper Division | 1-6 |
| FILMSTD 499 | Ad Hoc: | 1-6 |
| FILMSTD 669 | Screening Sexuality: | 3 |
| FILMSTD 699 | Independent Work | 1-3 |
| FRENCH 451 | Cinema of the French-Speaking World: | 3 |
| JAMS 562 | Media Studies and Culture 1 | 3 |
| JAMS 620 | Seminar in Global Media 1 | 3 |
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A maximum of 3 credits in JAMS courses may count toward the advanced-level course requirement.
Film Studies BA Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from the Film Studies, BA program will be able to:
- Read closely and interpret a variety of complex literary and visual texts.
- Distinguish between and compare narrative descriptions of global visual cultures and their interrelatedness.
- Analyze texts in relation to historical contexts and cultural difference (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender).
- Compose a clear, evidence-based analytic argument about text(s).
- Deploy knowledge of academic written conventions through clear expository prose.
- Demonstrate knowledge of vocabulary, methods, and conventions of the discipline.
- Develop and master academic written conventions through clear expository prose.
- Develop an original, evidence-based analytic argument about a text or topic.
- Develop and apply the knowledge of vocabulary, methods, and conventions of the discipline.
Letters & Science Advising
During your time at UWM, you may have multiple members of your success team, including advisors, peer mentors and success coaches. Letters & Science students typically work with at least two different types of advisors as they pursue their degrees: professional college advisors and faculty advisors. L&S college advisors advise across your entire degree program while departmental faculty advisors focus on the major.
College advisors are located in Holton Hall (or virtually for online students) and serve as your primary advisor. They are your point person for your questions about navigating college and completing your degree. College advisors will:
- Assist you in defining your academic and life goals.
- Help you create an educational plan that is consistent with those goals.
- Assist you in understanding curriculum, major and degree requirements for graduation, as well as university policies and procedures.
- Provide you with information about campus and community resources and refer you to those resources as appropriate.
- Monitor your progress toward graduation and completion of requirements.
Faculty advisors mentor students in the major and assist them in maximizing their development in the program. You will begin working with a faculty advisor when you declare your major. Faculty advisors are an important partner and will:
- Help you understand major requirements and course offerings in the department.
- Explain opportunities for internships and undergraduate research and guide you in obtaining those experiences.
- Serve as an excellent resource as you consider potential graduate programs and career paths in your field.
Students are encouraged to meet with both their college advisor and faculty advisor at least once each semester. Appointments are available in-person, by phone or by video.
Currently enrolled students should use the Navigate360 website to make an appointment with your assigned advisor or call (414) 229-4654 if you do not currently have an assigned Letters & Science advisor. Prospective students who haven't enrolled in classes yet should call (414) 229-7711 or email let-sci@uwm.edu.
Honors in the Major
Film Studies majors who have maintained at least a 3.500 GPA in courses for the major, a 3.500 GPA on all advanced (300-level and above) courses in the major, and a 3.000 GPA overall on all UWM courses attempted may apply to the Film Studies undergraduate advisor to graduate with "Honors in the Major."
College of Letters and Science Dean's Honor List
GPA of 3.750 or above, earned on a full-time student's GPA on 12 or more graded credits in a given semester.
Honors College Degree and Honors College Degree with Distinction
Granted to graduating seniors who complete Honors College requirements, as listed in the Honors College section of this site.
Commencement Honors
Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester, will receive all-university commencement honors and be awarded the traditional gold cord at the December or May Honors Convocation. Please note that for honors calculation, the GPA is not rounded and is truncated at the third decimal (e.g., 3.499).
Final Honors
Earned on a minimum of 60 graded UWM credits: Cum Laude - 3.500 or above; Magna Cum Laude - 3.650 or above; Summa Cum Laude - 3.800 or above.