Skip to main content
Institute of Arts and Humanities IAH
  1. HOME
  2. Academics
  3. Film Studies

Film Studies

Film Studies provides students an exciting opportunity to examine the many facets of U.S. and international cinema. Students interested in exploring cinema as a multidimensional art medium will engage in the analysis of cinematic works of various forms. Study of film genres, history, theories, directors, cultural perspectives and more, allow students to gain a broad understanding of cinema as a historical and contemporary means of expression.

The Film Studies Minor is a scholarly enterprise rather than a hands-on, art-making endeavor. It does not offer classes in filmmaking, video production, or working with film equipment.

People

Program Director

Hoang Tan Nguyen
Associate Professor, Literature

Program Coordinator and Academic Advisor

Jennifer Dieli
Program Coordinator and Academic Advisor
Ridge Walk Academic Complex - Arts and Humanities Building, 6th Floor

Current UC San Diego undergraduate students, please use the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) for all advising questions.

Faculty

Julie Burelle
Associate Professor, Theatre and Dance

Amy Sara Carroll
Associate Professor, Literature

Lisa Cartwright
Professor, Visual Arts

Alain Cohen
Professor, Literature

Jordan Crandall
Professor, Visual Arts

Zeinabu Davis
Professor, Communication

Ben Dollar
Associate Professor, Literature

Shlomo Dubnov
Professor, Music

Allan Havis
Professor, Theatre and Dance

Todd A. Henry
Associate Professor, History

Jaclyn Jemc
LSOE, Literature

Dayna Kalleres
Associate Professor, Literature

Todd Kontje
Professor, Literature

Curtis Marez
Professor, Ethnic Studies

Luis Martin-Cabrera
Associate Professor, Literature

Daisuke Miyao
Professor, Literature

Hoang Tan Nguyen
Associate Professor, Literature

Victoria Petrovich
Professor, Theatre and Dance

Paul Pickowicz
Professor, History

Babak Rahimi
Professor, Literature

Deborah Stein
Associate Professor, Theatre and Dance

Ameeth Vijay
Assistant Professor, Literature

Alena Williams
Assistant Professor, Visual Arts

Yingjin Zhang
Professor, Literature

Minor

Film Studies Minor

The interdisciplinary nature of the Film Studies minor provides investigation of cinematic art through its connection to related fields such as Communication, Literature, Sociology, and Visual Arts. Students pursuing a minor in Film Studies exhibit a wide range of interests; from those who plan graduate study in film to those who simply wish to understand this powerful and influential medium.

The Film Studies Minor is a scholarly enterprise rather than a hands-on, art-making endeavor. It does not offer classes in filmmaking, video production, or working with film equipment.

Requirements:

  • Completion of seven courses (28 units), at least five (20 units) of which must be upper-division
  • Courses must be chosen from at least two different departments
  • Overlap between GE and minor requirements is permissible where allowed
  • You can overlap a maximum of two courses (8 units) between the minor and your major

Resources:

Course Offerings

2021-2022

Refer to the official UC San Diego General Catalog for a complete list of approved courses that will count toward a minor in Film Studies.

Course offerings are constantly changing. Please refer to the Schedule of Classes for the most up-to-date listing.

(*) Indicates course may be petitioned for credit. Instructions on How to Petition Courses.

Fall 2021

  • COMM 106F: CI: Film Industry
  • COMM 137: Black Women Filmmakers
  • HILD 14: Film & History in Latin America
  • LTEA 120B: Taiwan Films: Coming of Age
  • LTWL 180: Film Studies & Literature: Film History - Bent is Beautiful: Queer Cinema
  • SOCI 105: Ethnographic Film: Media Methods
  • SOC 172: Films and Society
  • TDGE 10: Theatre and Film
  • TDGE 11: Great Performances on Film
  • VIS 156: Latino American Cinema

First Year Seminars

Fall 2021

FILM 87 C00 - America on Film in the 1960s
Instructor: Steven Adler
Day/Time: Wednesdays from 2:00 - 3:50 p.m.
Location: RCLASS
Section ID: 61076
Seminar will meet Weeks 2-6

FILM 87 A00 - Banned Films
Instructor: Babak Rahimi
Day/Time: Wednesdays from 11:00 - 11:50 a.m.
Location: MCC 221
Section ID: 61076
Meeting Dates: TBA

FILM 87 B00 - What Film Can Teach Us About Life
Instructor: Babak Rahimi
Day/Time: Wednesdays from 1:00 - 1:50 p.m.
Location: MCC 221
Section ID: 57912
Meeting Dates: TBA

Winter 2022

FILM 87 A00 - Chinese History Through Film (1 Unit) (Cross-listed with HITO 87)
Instructor: Paul Pickowicz
Day/Time: Wednesdays from 3:00 - 3:50 p.m.
Location: MCC 221
Section ID: TBD 

Attention Students: If you have accrued 45 or more units, use the steps below to request registration in a First Year Seminar. All others may simply register.

  • Use the Enrollment Authorization System (EASy) to request enrollment
  • It can take several business days for the department to process your request
  • Due to the limited size of 20 for seminars, approval is not always guaranteed. Please plan accordingly to make sure you are submiting your request well in advance of any specific deadlines.