The 120 credit Film BA (Cinema) degree can be completed in three years of full-time study. Students are able to use the equipment and begin shooting films as early as Freshman year. Note that the second and third years of the curriculum consist of a year-round program of Fall, Spring, and Summer terms. Several weeks of vacation are available in those years at the end of each of the three terms. Students may also pursue the Film major over a more traditional four-year period, but two Summer terms of Production Intensives are still required.
Students accepted to the Film BA (Cinema) degree are required to take a second major or double minor in the College of Humanities and Science. A carefully selected College of Humanities and Science second major can be helpful for students who wish to become competitive applicants for graduate programs in film, law, business, or advanced study in other fields. Students who have studied a foreign language in high school are strongly encouraged to continue developing those skills while pursuing the Film major.
VCU offers many fields from which a second major can be selected. Most second majors can be completed along with the Film major in three years of full-time study. Second Majors within the School of the Arts are limited to Art History, Music and some non-performing majors offered by Theatre. Each student will need to discuss the feasibility of his/her desired second major with an academic advisor.
Basic Curriculum for the Film BA (Cinema) Degree
Note that the School’s Art Foundation Program is not part of the requirements for the Film BA (Cinema) degree.
Year 1
| Fall semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| CINE 100 Visual Storytelling: mise en scene | 2 |
| ARTH 270 History of Motion Picture I | 3 |
| UNIV 111 Focused Inquiry I | 3 |
| [[CORE: Math] | 3 |
| [CORE: Humanities/FineArts] | 3 |
| Spring semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| CINE 101 Visual Storytelling: montage | 2 |
| ARTH 271 History of Motion Picture II | 3 |
| UNIV 112 Focused Inquiry II | 3 |
| [CORE: Natural and Physical Science] | 3 |
| Second Major Class | 3 |
Year 2
| Fall semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| CINE 200 Cinema Form and Concept I | 2 |
| ENGL 200 Writing & Rhetoric II | 3 |
| [CORE: Social/Behavioral Science] | 3 |
| [CORE Class] | 3 |
| Second Major Class | 3 |
| Spring semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| CINE 201 Cinema Form and Concept II | 2 |
| [CORE Classes] | 6 |
| Second Major Classes | 9 |
| Summer Studio (8 weeks) | Credits |
|---|---|
| CINE 390 Digital Cinema Prod Intensive I | 15 |
Year 3
| Fall semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| CINE 300 Cinema Form and Concept III | 2 |
| CINE 493 Film Internship (optional elective) | 3 |
| Second Major Classes | 9 |
| Spring Semester | Credits |
|---|---|
| CINE 301 Cinema Form and Concept IV | 2 |
| Second Major Classes | 15 |
| Summer Studio (8 weeks) | Credits |
|---|---|
| CINE 490 Digital Cinema Prod Intensive II | 15 |
Total: 120 credits
At least 45 credit hours must be taken at the 300-400 level.
Course content and requirements are subject to change by the faculty.
CORE = General Education requirement.
BA degree approval voted by SCHEV on March 13, 2007.
