Film and Media Studies

Courses

Required Courses for a FAMS Minor
Two introductory courses are required for the Film and Media Studies minor (6 credits). They provide an introduction to the languages of film and popular media and to modes of analysis appropriate to each. These courses are prerequisites for all advanced work in the minor.

ENGL 332 Introduction to Film
Introduction to film medium as an art form. (Offered every semester.)
COMM 380 Media Criticism
Examination of the practical criticism of a wide variety of media texts including television programs, newspapers, articles, films, photographs, and advertisements. Introduction to the principles of major contemporary modes of analysis for systematically interpreting both visual and verbal forms of communication. (Offered every semester, including summer.)

Elective Courses for FAMS Minor
After completing the two required courses students select four additional courses (12 credits) from those listed in the following links. Communication majors must choose at least 6 hours outside of Communication for their FAMS elective courses. These courses are designed to introduce students to a more specialized level of study. Students may decide to focus on film, television, or other specific areas of visual media culture. Or, they may choose some mixture of the courses that suits their own intellectual interests.

COMM 302 Foundations of Mass Communication

COMM 350 Mass Communication and Public Policy

COMM 355 Video I: Principles and Practices

COMM 358 Video II: Producing and Directing (prerequisite: COMM 355)

COMM 360 Video II: Video Editing (prerequisite: COMM 355)

COMM 365 Women and Media

COMM 366 Visual Communication

COMM 452 Media Production Practicum (prerequisite: COMM 355)

COMM 456 Comparative Mass Media

*ENGL 327 Intro to Cultural Studies

*ENGL 334 Literary Approaches to Popular Culture

*ENGL 338 Cultural Constructions of Sexuality

**ENGL 421 Film History

**ENGL 422 Film Theory

**ENGL 490 Special Topics in Film

*ENGL 493 Special Topics in Popular Literature

*ENGL 499 Independent Study

**FREN 470 Topics in French Cinema

JAPA 320 Japanese Cinema

RUSS 470 Topics in (Post) Soviet Film

*May only be taken with approval of the coordinator, who will review the
course to determine relevance to the FAMS minor.
**May be repeated for credit if the topic is different.

For communication majors, no more than two FAMS electives can be
communication courses.

Additional Information
For further information about the Film and Media Studies program, contact the FAMS department at the following address:

Prof. Cynthia Fuchs, Department of English, A458 Robinson
Phone: (703) 993-2768 Email: cfuchs@gmu.edu

Disclaimer
In the event of a discrepancy between this listing and the George Mason University Catalog, the catalog listing is the definitive listing.