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 and television 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, web page:
http://cinema-tv.usc.edu.

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 the College of 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 upper division units in cinema-television. A maximum of 40 CNTV upper division units will apply to the B.A. degree.

General Education Requirements

The university’s general education program provides a coherent, integrated introduction to the breadth of knowledge you will need to consider yourself (and to be considered by other people) a generally well-educated person. This new program requires six courses in different categories, plus writing and diversity requirements, which are described in detail here. In addition, students pursuing the B.A. must meet
foreign language requirements described in detail here.

All students who (1) enter the School of Cinema-Television as freshmen in the summer of 1997 or later; or (2) begin college elsewhere in the summer of 1997 or later; or
(3) began college earlier but transfer to USC in the summer of 2000 or later, must satisfy the requirements of the new general education program. Other students whose schedules permit are encouraged to follow the new program as well. However, continuing and transfer students who began college full-time before summer 1997 and enter USC before summer 2000 may elect to satisfy a “transitional" plan instead.

Required Production Courses

Required Courses
The following courses are required:		Units
CTCS 190	Introduction to Cinema	4
CTCS 191	Introduction to Television and Video	4
CTCS 192	Race, Class and Gender in American Film	4
CTCS 200	History of the Interna-tional Cinema I	2
CTCS 201	History of the Interna-tional Cinema II	2
CTPR 241	Fundamentals of Film, taken concurrently with CTPR 290	2
CTPR 290	Visual Communication, taken concurrently with CTPR 241	4
CTCS 473	Film Theories	4
One course from the following:
CTCS 392	History of the American Film, 1925-1950	4
CTCS 393	History of the American Film, 1946-1975	4
CTCS 394	History of the American Film, 1976-present	4
Four different courses from the following:
CTCS 367	Global Television and Media	4
CTCS 400	Non-Fiction Film and Television	4
CTCS 403	Studies in National and Regional Media	4
CTCS 404	Television Criticism and Theory	4
CTCS 406	History of American Television	4
CTCS 407	African-American Cinema	4
CTCS 409	Censorship in Cinema	4
CTCS 411	Film, Television and Cultural Studies	4
CTCS 464	Film and/or Television Genres	4
CTCS 469	Film and/or Television Style Analysis	4
CTCS 478	Culture, Technology and Communications	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 major 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

Cinema-Television 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, Carson Television Center, Garden Level 106, (213) 740-8358, for further information.

Master of Arts

The Master of Arts degree in Cinema-Television with a track in Critical Studies is administered through the Graduate School. Candidates for the degree are subject to the general requirements of the Graduate School. Thirty-two units are required at the 400 level or higher, including a comprehensive examination. At least two-thirds of these units must be at the 500 level or higher.

Graduate Preparation Production Courses

Incoming graduate students without prior production experience are required to take CTPR 507x (six units) during their second semester in the program. This course provides a basic primer in production considered necessary for graduate studies in critical studies. A minimum grade of C (2.0) must be earned in CTPR 507x. This course does not count toward the total requirements for the M.A.

Required Courses
The following courses are required:		Units
CTCS 500	Seminar in Theory and Textual Analysis	4
CTCS 501	History of the International Cinema: Silent Film	2
CTCS 502	History of the International Cinema: Sound Film	2
CTCS 503	Survey History of the American Sound Film	2
CTCS 510	Case Studies in National Media	4
CTCS 511	Seminar: Non-Fiction Film/Video, or
CTCS 518	Seminar: Avant-garde Film/Video	4
CTCS 587	Graduate Television Seminar	4
CTCS 588	Bibliography	2

In addition, eight units of cinema-television electives are required.

Comprehensive Examination

As the final requirement for the M.A. degree, the comprehensive examination, normally taken near the end of course work, will consist of six hours of questions in three fields. The exam is given once a year in the spring semester. The field of theory and criticism is required for all students who hope to continue their studies toward a Ph.D. at USC. In consultation with their faculty advisor, students will choose three of the following fields:

(1) Theory and Criticism
(2) American Sound Film
(3) International Silent Film
(4) International Sound Film
(5) Documentary and Avant-Garde Film and Video
(6) Television

If the student has completed all course work and is only taking the comprehensive examination, he or she must register in GRSC 810 Studies for Master’s Examination. Note: A GPA of 3.0 is required to take the comprehensive examination.

Grade Point Average Requirements

A grade point average of 3.0 must be maintained in all graduate level course work. Courses in which a grade of C- (1.7) or lower is earned will not apply toward a graduate degree.

Time Limit

Although students are normally expected to complete the degree in two years, the degree must be completed within five years of the beginning of graduate work at USC.

Curriculum Review

At the beginning of their matriculation, and each semester thereafter, each M.A. candidate will confer with a designated faculty advisor who will monitor the student’s progress.

Doctor of Philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy in Cinema-Television (Critical Studies)

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy with an emphasis in Critical Studies is administered through the Graduate School. The Ph.D. program is tailored to the individual student’s particular needs and interests. The overall course of study will be designed by the student, the student’s designated advisor and, following the screening procedure, the student’s guidance committee chair (see Screening Procedure under Graduate Preparation Production Courses).

Admission

A master’s degree in cinema-television, or a closely related field, is required for admission to the Ph.D. program. Applicants without such a degree may be admitted, but will be required to pass a comprehensive examination to the faculty’s satisfaction as part of the screening procedure (see Screening Procedure).

Course Requirements

Each Ph.D. candidate must complete 64 units (exclusive of the prerequisite — see Graduate Preparation Production Course — and dissertation units) beyond the bachelor’s degree, 43 of which must be at the 500 level or higher. (Up to 30 units may be transferred from graduate work completed at other institutions.) The required units will include seven to 12 courses in cinema-television and eight to 16 units in the minor area. The minor will be chosen by the student in close consultation with the advisor and will be in an academic field which: (1) offers a Ph.D. at USC, and (2) supports the student’s dissertation topic. Each student must complete the following course work toward the 64 unit total:

(1) CTCS 500, 510 and 587 These courses should be taken before the screening
procedure.

(2) Two of the following: CTCS 677, 678, 688. These courses should be taken before the qualifying examination.

Graduate Preparation Production Course

Each candidate for the Ph.D. must complete CTPR 507x with a minimum grade of C. This course is equal to six units of undergraduate work and does not count toward the total unit requirement for the Ph.D. If the student enters the program with a master’s degree in cinema-television and possesses production experience, the student may request a waiver of this requirement. The waiver requires passing a written examination and submission of films/videos to the production faculty for review.

CTPR 507x Production I is designed to introduce the fundamental principles of motion picture production. The course includes instructional units in directing, cinematography, editing, sound design and production management, which are linked closely to the assigned projects and readings. Each student is required to provide his or her own Super 8mm equipment which includes a Super 8 camera, projector, viewer and splicer. A tripod and tape recorder are recommended. In addition, $800 should be budgeted for film and processing.

Screening Procedure

The Graduate School requires that programs administer an examination or other procedure at a predetermined point in the student’s studies as a prerequisite to continuation in the doctoral program (see page 348). This procedure is designed to review the student’s suitability for continuing in the chosen Ph.D. program. The School of Cinema-Television has determined that this procedure will occur no later than the end of the student’s third semester of graduate course work at USC beyond the master’s degree. The screening procedure process will include the following steps:

(1) If the faculty has determined during the admissions process that a comprehensive examination will be required as part of the screening procedure, an examination will be administered as appropriate. If the examination is passed to the faculty’s satisfaction, the student may proceed to the next step in the screening procedure process. If the student fails to pass the examination, the faculty will determine if the student will be allowed to retake the examination the following semester before proceeding to the next step in the screening procedure process.

(2) The student will be interviewed and his or her progress in the program will be reviewed by the faculty to determine if the student will be approved for additional course work. If approved to continue, a guidance committee chair will be selected by the student, with the approval of the faculty, who will serve as the student’s advisor. It is strongly recommended that full-time study be pursued following the successful completion of the screening procedure.

Guidance Committee

Following a successful screening procedure, the student, in consultation with the guidance committee chair and the Critical Studies faculty, will formally establish a five-member guidance committee. The composition of the guidance committee will be as specified by the Graduate School. For the Ph.D. in Cinema-Television (Critical Studies), the committee is ordinarily composed of four Critical Studies faculty members and an outside member from the candidate’s minor area.

Foreign Language Requirement

The Critical Studies faculty will advise each student as to whether or not a foreign language is required. This requirement is determined by the student’s dissertation topic. The requirement must be met at least 60 days before the qualifying examination.

Dissertation Proposal Presentation

Working closely with the guidance committee chair, the student will prepare to present his or her dissertation proposal to the full faculty. This will be a formal written proposal which will include a statement of the proposed topic, four fields for examination derived from the general dissertation topic area (including a field from the minor area), a detailed bibliography, and an appropriate and comprehensive screening list of film/television titles. Formal presentation of the dissertation proposal will occur no later than the end of the semester prior to taking the qualifying examinations. The guidance committee must approve the dissertation topic. Once the dissertation topic has been approved, the student will complete the Request to Take the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination form available from the Student Services Office of the Graduate School.

Qualifying Examinations

Written and oral examinations for the Ph.D. are given twice a year, in November and April. Questions for the written portion of the examination will be drafted by members of the guidance committee who will also grade the examination. The qualifying examination comprises four examinations administered one each day for four days during a five-day period.

The oral examination will be scheduled within 30 days after the written examination. All guidance committee members must be present for the oral portion of the qualifying examination.

Admission to Candidacy

A student is eligible for admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree after: (1) passing the screening procedure; (2) presenting the dissertation proposal and having it approved; (3) satisfying the language requirement, if applicable; (4) completing at least 24 units in residence; and (5) passing the written and oral portions of the qualifying examination. Admission to candidacy is by action of the Dean of the Graduate School.

Dissertation Committee

The dissertation committee is composed as specified by regulations of the Graduate School. A dissertation based on original investigation and showing technical mastery of a special field, capacity for research and scholarly ability must be submitted.

CTCS 794
Registration for dissertation units, CTCS 794
(a and b), in the two semesters following admission to candidacy is the minimum requirement. These units cannot be applied toward the required 64 unit total. The student must register for CTCS 794 each semester after admission to candidacy until the degree requirements are completed. No more than eight units of credit can be earned in CTCS 794.

Defense of Dissertation
An oral defense of the dissertation is required of each Ph.D. candidate. The dissertation committee will decide whether the examination is to take place after completion of the preliminary draft or the final draft of the dissertation. The oral defense must be passed at least one week before graduation.

Policies

The following policies apply to each student admitted to the Ph.D. program.

Residency Requirements

At least one year of full-time graduate study (24 units excluding registration for CTCS 794) must be done in residence on the main USC campus. The residency requirement may not be interrupted by study elsewhere. Residency must be completed prior to the qualifying examination.

Grade Point Average

An overall GPA of 3.0 is required for all graduate work. Courses in which a grade of C- (1.7) or lower is earned will not apply toward a graduate degree.

Leaves of Absence

A leave of absence may be granted under exceptional circumstances by petitioning the Graduate School the semester before the leave is to be taken.

Changes of Committee

Changes in either the guidance or dissertation committee must be requested on a form available from the Graduate School.

Completion of All Requirements

Everything involved in approving the dissertation must be completed at least one week before graduation. Approval by the dissertation committee, the Office of Academic Records and Registrar, and the thesis editor must be reported on the triple card and submitted to the Graduate School by the date of graduation.

Time Limits

The maximum time limit for completing all requirements for the Ph.D. degree is eight years from the first course at USC applied toward the degree. Students who have completed an applicable master’s degree at USC or elsewhere within five years from the proposed enrollment in a Ph.D. program must complete the Ph.D. in six years. Extension of these time limits will be made only for compelling reasons upon petition by the student. When petitions are granted, students will be required to make additional CTCS 794 registrations. Course work more than 10 years old is automatically invalidated and cannot be applied toward the degree.