Director: Jon Cowans
The Film Studies minor draws on a range of disciplines to allow students to examine a vital modern form of cultural expression. The 18-credit minor examines film as an art form, a form of entertainment, a business, and a political and social practice, tracing its evolution over time and its variants in different cultures. The minor primarily aims to develop students’ abilities to think critically about a central and highly influential facet of modern life, but it also seeks to help prepare students who are majoring in other fields such as business to work in the entertainment industry. All courses in the minor require and teach writing skills.
Students completing the minor will have learned about the historical evolution of film as an art form and a business in multiple countries; this knowledge should include an awareness of major styles, genres, directors, films, and controversies involving films; and major approaches to censorship used in various times and places, as well as arguments for and against censorship. They should be capable of thinking critically about films, identifying and analyzing many of the techniques they use (directing, casting, editing, etc.) to convey messages and images. Classes will also train students in writing about film, from reviews of individual films to essays of broader scope.
In order to declare the minor, complete a declaration of minor form (OAS Version, Updated March 2021) and submit it for signature to the History Department via email (history@newark.rutgers.edu) or in person (323 Conklin Hall). Forms will be submitted to the Office of the Registrar and the minor should be reflected on student records in approximately one week.
Below is a list of courses that qualify. To inquire about a specific course, consult with Professor Cowans.
AFRICAN AMERICAN AND AFRICAN STUDIES
014:255 Race and Gender in American Film
ANTHROPOLOGY
070:319 Anthropology Through Film
ART HISTORY
082:305 Problems: Middle Eastern Cinema
ENGLISH
350:227 Race and Gender in American Film
350:245 Reading Film
350:305 Fiction into Film
350:363 Special Topics in Film: Hitchcock
350:363 Special Topics in Film: Gangster Films
350:363 Special Topics in Film: Film Noir
350:364 Special Topics in Film: Shakespeare and Film
350:364 Special Topics in Film: Westerns and Gangsters
352:368 Special Topics in American Literature: Street Stories: HBO Series The Wire
HISTORY
510:301 Film and History
510:313 Cinema and Society in the 20th Century
510:314 Film and Colonialism
510:405 Ancient History and the Cinema
512:313 Visions of the City in American Cinema
512:394 New Viewpoints in American History: HBO's Westworld
28:510:300 (NJIT) Historical Problems of the 20th Century Through Film
PORTUGUESE
810:348 Portuguese Film & Literature
810:349 Brazilian Film & Literature
810:350 Literature & Film of Portuguese-Speaking Africa
810:440 Topics in Portuguese, Brazilian Literature: Gangs in Brazilian Film and Literature
SOCIOLOGY
920:394 Topical Issues in Sociology: Human Rights on Film
SPANISH
940:348 Hispanic Film & Literature
VIDEO PRODUCTION
089:256 Art and History of Film
089:445 Screenwriting
WOMEN'S AND GENDER STUDIES
988:389 Topics in Women’s Studies: LGBT Images in Literature and Film