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• Proposed Film Studies Major
  

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) may be taken in any single department and that the students must take courses from at least three (3) of the five (5) participating departments.

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.

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Dr. Linda Badley, English (Ph.D., University of Louisville) 
Dr. David P. Badger, Journalism (Ph.D., University of Tennessee) 
Dr. William Brantley, English (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin) 
Dr. Gaylord Brewer, English (Ph.D., Ohio State University) 
Dr. Mark E. Byrnes, Political Science (Ph.D., Vanderbilt University) 
Cosette Collier, Recording Industry (M.A., University of Memphis)
Dr. Michael Dunne, English (Ph.D., Louisiana State University) 
Tom Harris (M.A.T. Vanderbilt University) 
Dr. Robert Holtzclaw, English (Ph.D., University of Tennessee) 
Dr. David Lavery, English (Ph.D., University of Florida) 
Dr. June H. McCash, Foreign Languages and Literatures (Ph.D., Emory University) 
Dr. Melodie Phillips, Management and Marketing (Ph.D., L.S.U.)
Dr. Jack A. Purcell, Philosophy (Ph.D., Purdue University) 
Robert L. Rucker, Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work (MSW, Washington University)

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Fall 2001 Courses in Film

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

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