The College of Communication, located at the Loop Campus, offers a variety of courses leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media and Cinema Studies. The BA in Media and Cinema Studies strategically combines faculty expertise, cutting-edge facilities, and a variety of course offerings within Communication, the School of Cinema and Interactive Media (CIM) (e.g., Digital Cinema), and other University units to provide students with the critical frameworks, creative opportunities, and technological expertise to become socially responsible leaders in the growing and converging areas of media studies. The major combines a rich course selection in four areas of study: film, radio, TV, and new media. Coursework combines theory and critical analysis with production courses taught at both the Lincoln Park (e.g., radio) and Loop campuses (e.g., television/video and cinema studies).
| College Core Requirements |
12 hours |
| Liberal Studies Requirements |
84 hours |
| Major Requirements |
40 hours |
| Open Electives |
56 hours |
HAA 277
HISTORY OF CINEMA I, 1890 - 1945 (CROSS-LISTED WITH MCS 207 & DC 207)
This course examines the history of cinema as one of the most influential cultural forms of the 20th Century. We will study the aesthetic and technological developments of cinema during its first 50 years, as well as examine the social and economic factors shaping its history. Initially influenced by other art forms (theater, literature, painting) filmmaking quickly acquired its own formal system, language, and traditions. We will trace the changing styles, techniques, content, and methods of filmmaking as an art form, as popular culture, and as an industry. We will consider how cinema is bound to its social context via audience relations, economics, technology, and ideology. The limited scope of this course will cover primarily feature-length, narratives films as the dominant mode of filmmaking, although we will also look at the development of documentary and experimental filmmaking. The class will consist of lectures, screenings, and discussions. Cross-listed with MCS 207 & DC 207.