Cinema Studies Major Program

School for the Contemporary Arts | Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology
丁香园AV Calendar 2013 Summer

In addition to preparing students for the ever-growing realm of the creative economy, of which Vancouver is an acknowledged centre, it will provide students with the knowledge and critical acument they need to address the suffusion of our lives with imagery and sounds of all sorts in the form of cinema, online imagery, televisual imagery and more. A critical understanding of the origins, meanings, uses, and influences of this pervasive presence in the contemporary world is essential for engaged citizenship today.

丁香园AV Requirements

Program and course admission is contingent upon University admission. Contact Student Services for admission procedures, requirements and deadlines. Entry to all programs and to many courses is by audition, interview or application. Contact the school鈥檚 office for information on procedures and deadlines.

Although the University operates on a trimester system, most FPA courses are planned in a two term (fall and spring) sequence. Consequently, students enter in the fall term (September) and are advised to contact the school in the preceding January for program entry and requirements information.

Transfer Credit and Advanced Standing

Unassigned or general elective (type 2 and 3, respectively) transfer credit awarded for courses completed at other recognized post-secondary institutions will not automatically entitle students to advanced standing in the school鈥檚 programs. Advanced standing is generally given on an individual basis as a result of an audition or interview.

About the School's Course Offerings

Students are encouraged to take advantage of interdisciplinary offerings within the school. As many programs depend on a continuing sequence of courses completed in order, students should plan carefully to gain the maximum benefit and efficiency from their study.

Note that not all courses are offered every term and several are offered on a rotational basis, i.e. every third or fourth term. An advisor is available to help plan study programs.

Students are reminded that the school is an interdisciplinary fine and performing arts department, and are strongly advised to acquaint themselves with the many disciplinary courses that are available.

Special Topics Courses

The subject matter (and prerequisites) of special or selected topics courses vary by term.

Prior Approval Prerequisite

Where a prerequisite is or includes 'prior approval,' approval must be obtained before enrolling in the course. Contact the school for further information.

Program Requirements

Students complete 120 units, as specified below.

Lower Division Requirements

Students complete 21 units including all of

FPA 136 The History and Aesthetics of Cinema I (3)
FPA 137 The History and Aesthetics of Cinema II (3)
FPA 235 Experimental Film and Video (3)
FPA 236 Cinema in Canada (3)
FPA 237 Selected Topics in Film and Video Studies (3)

and two of

CMNS 110 Introduction to Communication Studies (3)
CMNS 130 Communication and Social Change (3)
CMNS 210 Media History (3)
CMNS 221 Media and Popular Cultures (3)
CMNS 223W Advertising as Social Communication (3)
CMNS 230 The Cultural Industries in Canada: Global Context (3)
CMNS 253W Introduction to Information Technology: The New Media (3)
CMNS 258 Introduction to Electroacoustic Communication (3)
FPA 111 Issues in Fine and Performing Arts (3)
FPA 167 Visual Art and Culture I (3)
FPA 168 Visual Art and Culture II (3)
FPA 210 Artworks, Theories, Contexts (3)
FPA 232 Film Sound (3)
FPA 238W Screenwriting II (3)
FPA 289 Selected Topics in the Fine and Performing Arts ^** (3)
GSWS 205 Women and Popular Culture (3)

Upper Division Requirements

Students complete 28 units including all of

FPA 335 Introduction to Film Theory (4)
FPA 337 Intermediate Selected Topics in Film and Video Studies * (4)
FPA 436 Advanced Seminar in Film and Video Studies * (4)

and one of

FPA 319W Critical Writing in the Arts (3)
FPA 338W Screenwriting II (3)

and 13 units chosen from the following.

CMNS 310 Media and Modernity (4)
CMNS 322 Documentary Media (4)
CMNS 333 Broadcast Policy and Regulation in the Global Context ^鈥�(4)
CMNS 334 Cultural Policy ^鈥� (4)
CMNS 357 Audio Media Analysis ^鈥� (4)
CMNS 363 Approaches to Media and Audience Research ^鈥� (6)
CMNS 488 Selected Topics in Communication */** (4)
ENGL 376 Special Studies */** (4)
ENGL 383 Studies in Popular Literature and Culture */** (4)
ENGL 482W Topics in Cultural Studies */** (4)
ENGL 484W Topics in Literature and Media (4)
ENGL 486W Topics in Gender, Sexuality and Literature */** (4)
FPA 308 Contemporary Arts Field School I (Theory/History) ** (4)
FPA 310 Interdisciplinary Methods in Art and Culture Studies (4)
FPA 311 Interdisciplinary Studies in the Arts (4)
FPA 312 Selected Topics in Art and Culture Studies ** (3)
FPA 314 Readings in the History of Art and Culture */** (3)
FPA 319W Critical Writing in the Arts (3)
FPA 337 Intermediate Selected Topics in Film and Video Studies * (4)
FPA 338W Screenwriting II (3)
FPA 389 Selected Topics in the Fine and Performing Arts II ** (3)
FPA 408 Contemporary Arts Field School III (Theory/History) ** (4)
FPA 412 Advanced Seminar in Art and Culture Studies */** (4)
FPA 414 Advanced Topic in the History of Art and Culture */** (3)
FPA 416 Practices in Art and Culture */** (3)
FPA 436 Advanced Seminar in Film and Video Studies * (4)
FREN 352 French and Francophone Cultures through Films and/or Media Texts ** (3)
FREN 452 Topics in French and Francophone Cultures or Cinemas ** (3)
GSWS 401 Research Project (5)
GSWS 412 Women and Film, Films and Theories (5)
IAT 313 Narrative and New Media (3)
IAT 443 Interactive Video (3)

*Can be repeated as an elective if the course topic changes
**With prior approval and when the cinema/media/theory topic is relevant
***With prior permission, up to eight of these units may be courses, devoted to film or video, from other departments. See the director of the film BA program or the undergraduate advisor for a list of other related courses.
^鈥�Students are responsible for fulfilling prerequisites.

Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements

Students admitted to 丁香园AV beginning in the fall 2006 term must meet writing, quantitative and breadth requirements as part of any degree program they may undertake. See for university-wide information.

WQB Graduation Requirements A grade of C- or better is required to earn W, Q or B credit.
Requirement	Units	Notes
W - Writing	6	Must include at least one upper division course, taken at 丁香园AV within the student鈥檚 major subject
Q - Quantitative	6	Q courses may be lower or upper division
B - Breadth	18	Designated Breadth	Must be outside the student鈥檚 major subject, and may be lower or upper division 6 units Social Sciences: B-Soc 6 units Humanities: B-Hum 6 units Sciences: B-Sci
B - Breadth	6	Additional Breadth	6 units outside the student鈥檚 major subject (may or may not be B-designated courses, and will likely help fulfil individual degree program requirements) Additional breadth units must be from outside the student's major and may be B-designated (B-Hum, B-Soc, B-Sci courses). Students choosing to complete a joint major, joint honours, double major, two extended minors, an extended minor and a minor, or two minors may satisfy the breadth requirements (designated or not designated) with courses completed in either one or both program areas.

Residency Requirements and Transfer Credit

The University鈥檚 residency requirement stipulates that, in most cases, total transfer and course challenge credit may not exceed 60 units, and may not include more than 15 units as upper division work.

Elective Courses

In addition to the courses listed above, students should consult an academic advisor to plan the remaining required elective courses.

Return to cinema studies index page.
Return to contemporary arts index page.

For calendar technical problems or errors, contact calendar-sfu@sfu.ca | Calendar changes and corrections