THE MINOR

In the course of the 20th century film in all its applications - as story-telling, as documentary, as propaganda, as popular entertainment - became a powerful social and cultural force on an international scale. The importance of film is reflected in the number of faculty at UCSD whose scholarship and teaching involves film and in the number of courses regularly offered which focus on some aspect of film studies and which use film as an essential component of the course material. The Film Studies minor is designed to give students a flexible introduction to the full range of courses on film available here. As noted, the only constraints are that five of the seven courses must be in the upper division and that the seven courses must come from at least two different departments. This latter requirement is designed to insure some level of breadth in the minor. The minor should be of interest to students with a wide range of interests from those who plan graduate study in film to those who simply wish to understand better this powerful and influential medium.

Film Studies at UCSD focuses on the analytical, historical, and academic assessment of cinema.  Cinema from various periods, or respective nations, or an array of genres help direct the topic of study.  Film Studies brings in gifted faculty from many departments on campus to cover a rich tapestry of cultural interests.

Unlike film specialization within the Visual Arts Department, Film Studies at this time does not include courses in film or video production, in editing, or any other film workshop capacity.  In short, Film Studies at UCSD is a scholarly enterprise rather than a hands-on, art-making endeavor.