Film Studies
About the major
Studying film draws on both our intellect and our imagination. As an accessible and even ubiquitous transnational cultural form, film opens us to other worlds, other lives, and other ways of seeing.
People have been making, watching and writing about movies since the late 19th century. In a culture arguably defined by visual information, an understanding of the moving image is essential to understanding the societies we live in. The major in Film Studies is a vibrant interdisciplinary program that develops this critical visual literacy. It equips you with a range of skills for understanding and analysing cinema as a vital and yet everyday part of modern life. Through close familiarity with a range of case studies, you will come to understand the social, cultural, aesthetic and political dimensions of cinema in different contexts and at different times.
In Film Studies you will learn scholarly terms that will enable you to describe what you see on screen in relation to, for instance, camera movements and editing techniques or traditions of screen performance. You will develop rich understandings of concepts such as national cinema, genre and spectatorship through a diverse range of case studies. And you will study the historical development of film as a cultural and technological form and analyse its transformations across the 20th century to the present day.
Requirements for completion
The Film Studies major and minor requirements are listed in the Film Studies unit of study table.
Advanced coursework
Requirements and units of study for advanced coursework can be found on the advanced coursework units of study page.
Honours
Honours in Film Studies is not available to students commencing their degrees or majors from 2024. Students interested in alternative pathways to Higher Degree Research in Film Studies are advised to contact the Chair of Discipline
Contacts and further information
