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Certificate in Film Studies (undergraduate)

UMass Certificate in Film Studies - On-Campus and Online

The Certificate Program in Film Studies offers undergraduates a comprehensive course of study in the history, criticism, theory, aesthetics, and production of the moving image in the unique context of an interdepartmental and interdisciplinary program. Film Studies faculty and courses come from departments and colleges across the University, including Afro-American Studies, Anthropology, Art and Art History, Asian Languages and Literatures, Communication, Comparative Literature, French & Italian, Germanic Languages and Literatures, Music, Political Science, Spanish & Portuguese, Theater, the Commonwealth College, and the School of Management.

Enroll in the Certificate Program

Complete the Certificate in Film Studies Form

University undergraduates make an initial enrollment appointment with an advisor in the Film Studies office and are expected to update their files in the office every semester thereafter.

 

Requirements

A student who wishes to obtain the Certificate in Film Studies must fulfill the following requirements: complete a minimum of 6 approved courses (3 credits or more per course) in film and/or video and television from at least three different departments/programs or exclusively FILM-ST courses. These 18 credits are drawn from five categories of courses, including an introductory course in film language; one course in theory or history of film; one in genre or national cinema; one upper‑level seminar (400 or higher); and one elective, preferably a production course. Certificate students must maintain a Grade Point Average of 2.5 or higher within the Certificate Program; no courses with a grade lower than C will count toward the Certificate; no pass/fail courses may be counted towards the minimum requirements. In order to be awarded the Certificate, students must fulfill all criteria.

Core Courses

Minimum course requirements to obtain the Certificate: 6 courses (of 3 credits or more). 
The following list by category constitutes the core from which these courses will be selected. Please note that in any semester, additional courses are offered in all, or nearly all, categories, but only a few courses are offered every semester. Please see the Undergraduate Advisor if you have any questions.
Please check also our ONLINE course offerings.