Middle Tennessee State University | Middle Tennessee State University

Mailing Address:
Department of English
Middle Tennessee State University
Box 70
1301 East Main Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37132

Main Office: Peck Hall 302
Department Chair: Dr. Tom Strawman
Telephone: (615) 898-5644
Fax: (615) 898-5098

Dr. Robert Holtzclaw, Advisor
PH 332, 898-2651

Students will choose from the following list eighteen (18) hours (six courses), with the provision that no more than nine (9) hours (three courses) should be taken in any single department and that the students should take courses from at least three (3) of the participating departments. These courses are offered in a rotating basis; not every course is offered every semester. For a listing of the specific offerings in a particular semester, contact the Film Minor Advisor around registration time.

ANTHROPOLOGY 3640	Visual Anthropology
COMMUNICATION 3300	Communication Theory, Culture, and Films
COMMUNICATION 3570	Communication in the Middle East
ENGLISH 3080	Women in Film
ENGLISH 3850	Literature and Film
ENGLISH 3860	Film Genre
ENGLISH 3870	Film History
ENGLISH 4855	Film Theory and Criticism
ENGLISH 4860	Special Topics in Film Studies(topic varies; may be repeated)
HISTORY 3170	History of the American South in Film
HISTORY 3180	History of Modern War in Film
HUMANITIES 3500	Latino Images in U.S. Film
HUMANITIES 4550	The Grail Legend in Film and Literature
JOURNALISM/EMC 3000	Introduction to Motion Pictures
PHILOSOPHY 3600	Philosophy and Film
POLITICAL SCIENCE 3100	Politics and Film
POLITICAL SCIENCE 3200	British Government and Film
RECORDING INDUSTRY 4570	The Art of Soundtrack Design

Note: Other film-realated courses are sometimes offered which can be counted as part of the Film Studies Minor, with prior approval. Among the topics covered in these additional classes (and/or Special Topics classes) are: International Cinema; Documentary Film; Horror Film; Gender and Film; Films of the 1960s; Science Fiction Film; and others. Consult the Film Studies Advisor to determine if such courses are available for a particular semester.

Top of Page

Program Description
The interdisciplinary minor in Film Studies has been created to enhance the educational opportunities available to students interested in learning about, and through, film. As a narrative art form, film shares a strong link with both novels and drama; elements of literary study such as characterization, plot, conflict and setting can be explored through movies in ways that increase student understanding of the terminology and processes of narrative. Thematic issues--both the great, timeless themes and those unique to a particular period or culture--are also available for examination and contemplation through the world of cinema, providing varied perspectives and prompting more student thought on complex issues. An appreciation for the artistic/stylistic elements of movies, and the language used to discuss them, is another benefit of film study, developed through observation and analysis of mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, and sound. And finally, movies take students to other places and other times, encouraging them to consider issues and viewpoints outside their own circumstances and ideas. In the process, students involved in film study often develop a greater appreciation of cultural diversity and a stronger knowledge of human history, in addition to learning about the history and artistry of the cinema itself. These features--narrative, thematic, stylistic, and cultural--combine to make the Film Studies minor a challenging, enlightening, and enjoyable field of study for interested students.

Top of Page

For more information, contact Dr. Robert Holtzclaw or Dr. David Lavery.

Top of Page