University of Colorado Denver College of Liberal Arts and SciencesUniversity of Colorado Denver

Film Studies Option of the English Major

The film studies option within the English major is designed to prepare students for a range of professional careers in areas such as screenwriting, film criticism, video production, and the teaching of film, as well as those students who plan to pursue graduate programs in film studies.

Apply NowRequired courses give students a strong grounding in film history, verbal and visual narrative, and the critical terms and techniques used in both film and literary analysis. Electives give students the option of emphasizing either the creative approach or the critical approach to moving-image media, or a combination of the two.

The film studies option also affords students the opportunity to create video productions using state-of-theart digital video and editing equipment and the possibility of airing their productions on cable TV. Offered in cooperation with the College of Arts & Media, the film studies option can be completed entirely on the Auraria campus.

GENERAL Requirements: 39 credit hours

Students majoring in English must complete a total of 39 hours in English. 27 hours must be earned in upper-division courses.  None of the required 39 hours may be taken Pass/Fail.  Only courses completed with a grade of C (2.0) or better may be counted toward the major.  A minimum of 15 upper-division hours of work in the English Major must be taken with the CU-Denver English faculty.  Core composition courses (ENGL 1010, 1020, and 2030) do not count toward the English Major.  NOTE:  While students need only 39 hours to complete the major, they may not count more than 48 hours in the department toward graduation.  Double majors in English & English Writing are exempt from the 48-hour rule and must complete 63 hours total for both majors.  Students can only do 1 option (literature, film, or creative writing) within the English major.  Students may double major in English and English Writing.

Advanced Standing:  CLEP and AP credit will not count toward the English Major or the English Writing Major.  Such credit is awarded at the 1000 level and may apply toward the College writing requirement (ENGL 1020) or counted as general electives.  Check with CLAS Advising for details

Minors:  The English Department also offers a minor in Literature, Writing, Creative Writing and Film Studies.  Courses counted in a minor cannot be counted toward the major. 

Honors Program:  Latin Honors may be earned by participating in the Department’s Honors Program.  You are encouraged to begin the program in your junior year.  The program requires additional coursework and affords you the opportunity to work individually with the professor of your choice.  Handouts are available in the English office.

Internships: Internships are also available to students who have completed over 60 credit hours; for information, contact The Career Center at 556-2250 in the Tivoli, Suite 260.  Internships count as upper-division electives.

Teaching Certification: Students interested in teaching in secondary schools may complete their teaching certification along with completing the IPTE English major for teachers.  Students must be advised by the IPTE advisor. 

FILM STUDIES OPTION (FLM)

I. Option-Specific Requirements (12 credit hours = 4 courses)

  • ENGL 2250. Introduction to Film — 3 credit hrs
  • ENGL 3070. History of Silent Film — 3 credit hrs
  • ENGL 3080. History of Sound Film — 3 credit hrs
  • ENGL 4420. Film Theory and Criticism — 3 credit hrs
    (Prerequisites: ENGL 2250 and ENGL 3070/3080)

II. Required Area Electives (27 credit hours = 9 courses)

Students may take courses in all areas. 18 of the 27 hour minimum must be at the 3000/4000 level.

A. Critical Studies

  • ENGL 1400. Introduction to Literary Studies
  • ENGL 1601. Telling Tales: Narrative Art in Literature and Film
  • ENGL 3001. Critical Writing (Prerequisites: ENGL 2250 Introduction to Film and two literature or film courses)
  • ENGL 3075. Film Genres* — 3 credit hrs
  • ENGL 3085. Film Directors* — 3 credit hrs
  • ENGL 3200. From Literature to Film — 3 credit hrs
  • ENGL 3300-3324. Topics in Film* — 3 credit hrs
  • ENGL 4190. Special Topics in Rhetoric and Writing* — 3 credit hrs (film and media-focused only; e.g., Film and Rhetoric)
  • ENGL 4701. Multimedia in the Community — 3 credit hrs
  • ENGL 4770. Topics in English: Film and Literature* — 3 credit hrs (film and media-focused only; e.g., Film and Rhetoric)
  • ENGL ____ Any single approved film course offered through another department (e.g., ENGL/RUSS 2970)
  • ENGL ____ Any single 3000/4000 leveral literature course
  • ENGL 4990. Senior Writing Project in Creative Writing or Film Studies (can also be taken under B or C) — 3 credit hrs

*Repeatable if a different genre/director/topic.

B. Screenwriting

  • ENGL 2390. Writing the Short Script — 3 credit hrs
  • ENGL 2415. Introduction to Movie Writing — 3 credit hrs
  • ENGL 3415. Screenwriting Workshop (may repeat once) — 3 credit hrs

C. Production

  • FILM 1051. Introduction to Video Production & Postproduction — 4 credit hrs
  • FILM 2000. Film and Video Production II — 3 credit hrs
  • FILM 2150. Film and Video Postproduction II — 3 credit hrs

 

College Core Courses for English Majors:

Students must complete the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences core curriculum requirements, including composition courses which do not apply toward major requirements.

 

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