Critical Studies

The Division of Critical Studies of the School of Cinema-Television offers programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. This comprehensive curriculum includes courses which analyze the power and responsibility of American and international film from the formal/aesthetic, historical, economic and ideological perspectives. The division is committed to understanding film and television texts in relation to the world they represent; it studies not only the meanings of these texts but also the processes by which these meanings are constructed.

Applicants for the B.A. or M.A. or Ph.D. degrees must submit supplemental application materials to the Critical Studies Program. For specific instructions, contact the Cinema-Television Office of Student Affairs, University Park, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2211, (213) 740-2911.

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Arts, Cinema-Television: Critical Studies

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Cinema-Television with a track in Critical Studies is granted by the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences in conjunction with the School of Cinema-Television. Undergraduate students take their pre-professional courses in Letters, Arts and Sciences, including the general education requirements. Major courses are selected from the curriculum of the School of Cinema-Television. The degree requires 128 units, including 22 lower division and at least 24, but not more than 40, upper division units in cinema-television.

General Education Requirements

Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree must complete the general education requirements of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Division of Humanities.

Diversity Requirement

All students must pass one course from the list of courses approved to meet the standard diversity requirement. These courses carry the designation "m" for multiculturalism. CNTV 192m fulfills this requirement.

Required Production Courses

Undergraduates admitted to the Critical Studies Program are required to take CNTV 241 Fundamentals of Film and CNTV 290 Visual Communication. These are introductory production courses which must be taken concurrently during the junior year (see description).

CNTV 241 is a lecture course dealing with the technical and aesthetic principles of directing, cinematography, editing, sound and the development of ideas through a cinematic vocabulary.

In CNTV 290 students are introduced to the principles of filmmaking through lectures and hands-on production. Each student makes five Super 8mm non-dialogue films using his or her own equipment. At minimum, a Super 8 camera, projector, tripod, viewer and splicer will be needed, plus substantial funds for film and processing (approximately $500). A tape recorder is recommended.

Required Courses

The following courses are required:		Units
CNTV 190	Introduction to Cinema	4
CNTV 191	Introduction to Television and Video	4
CNTV 192	Race, Class and Gender in American Film	4
CNTV 200	History of the International Cinema I	2
CNTV 201	History of the International Cinema II	2
CNTV 241	Fundamentals of Film, taken concurrently with CNTV 290	2
CNTV 290	Visual Communication, taken concurrently with CNTV 241	4
CNTV 473	Film Theories	4

One course from the following:

CNTV 392 History of the American Film, 1925-1950, or

CNTV 393 History of the American Film since 1950 4

Three different courses from the following:

CNTV 367 Film and the Other Arts 4

CNTV 400 Non-Fiction Film 4

CNTV 407 African-American Cinema 4

CNTV 409 Censorship in Cinema 4

CNTV 464 Film Genres 4

CNTV 469 Film Style Analysis 4

One course from the following:

CNTV 402 Practicum in Film/Television Criticism 4

CNTV 404 Television Criticism 4

CNTV 408 Contemporary Political Film and Video 4

CNTV 499* Special Topics 4

____

Total Required Units: 46

*Major credit with departmental approval.

Grade Point Average Requirements

A minimum grade of C (2.0) must be earned in all required and prerequisite courses. A grade of C- or lower will not satisfy a CNTV requirement.

Limitations on Enrollment

No more than 40 upper division units can be taken within the major without approval of the Dean of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

Registration in graduate level courses (numbered 500) for undergraduate credit requires prior approval of the School of Cinema-Television.

Curriculum Review

CNTV majors are required to appear before the Cinema-Television Undergraduate Committee one year prior to graduation for a curriculum review. Contact the Student Affairs Office, George Lucas Instructional Building 208, (213) 740-2911, for further information.

Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995
univpub@stuaff.usc.edu

One course from the following:
CNTV 392	History of the American Film, 1925-1950, or
CNTV 393	History of the American Film since 1950	4

Three different courses from the following:
CNTV 367	Film and the Other Arts	4
CNTV 400	Non-Fiction Film	4
CNTV 407	African-American Cinema	4
CNTV 409	Censorship in Cinema	4
CNTV 464	Film Genres	4
CNTV 469	Film Style Analysis	4

One course from the following:
CNTV 402	Practicum in Film/Television Criticism	4
CNTV 404	Television Criticism	4
CNTV 408	Contemporary Political Film and Video	4
CNTV 499*	Special Topics	4
		____
Total Required Units:		46