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The Media School

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Cinematic Arts

Students on Summer 2023, Fall 2023, or Spring 2024 requirements CINEARTBFA

Requirements

The major requires at least 60 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
  1. Media School Core.
    1. Introduction to Media. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-C 101 Media
    2. Managing Media. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-C 207 Introduction to Media Industry and Management
    3. Thinking Media. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-C 223 Introduction to Filmmaking
    4. Making Media. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-C 229 Introduction to Single-Camera Production
  2. Production Skills.
    1. Scriptwriting. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-P 331 Introduction to Screenwriting
    2. Production as Criticism. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-P 335 Production as Criticism
    3. Editing for Cinema. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-P 352 Editing for Cinema
    4. Motion Picture Production. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-P 361 Intermediate Motion Picture Production
      • MSCH-P 460 Advanced Motion Picture Production
    5. Directing. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-P 440 Directing the Cinematic Story
  3. Studies Skills.
    1. Watching Film. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-C 241 Watching Film
    2. Authorship in Media. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-F 326 Authorship in the Media
    3. Hollywood. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-F 380 Hollywood I: The First Fifty Years, 1895-1945
      • MSCH-F 381 Hollywood II: 1945 to the Present
    4. Film Genre. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-F 392 Media Genres
    5. Contemporary Filmmakers. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-F 415 Contemporary Filmmakers
  4. Studies Electives. One (1) course:
    • MSCH-F 370 Women Directors
    • MSCH-F 377 Cinemas of the Black Diaspora
    • MSCH-F 382 American Independent Cinema
    • MSCH-F 391 Media Audiences
    • MSCH-F 395 Horror Cinema
    • MSCH-F 398 National and Transnational Cinemas
    • MSCH-F 420 Topics in Media History
    • MSCH-H 310 Honors Media Topics (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
  5. Production Electives. Three (3) courses and/or a maximum of nine (9) credit hours:
    • MSCH-C 260 Media Boot Camp (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
    • MSCH-C 270 Media Skills Workshop (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
    • MSCH-G 340 Animation for Digital Media
    • MSCH-G 390 Topics in Game Design and Development
    • MSCH-G 434 Technical Game Art and Visual Effects
    • MSCH-H 451 Media Scholar Capstone
    • MSCH-M 330 Production Management
    • MSCH-M 332 Media Law for Producers
    • MSCH-M 411 Media Industries and Cultural Production
    • MSCH-M 453 Media Industry Topics
    • MSCH-P 344 Introduction to Documentary Filmmaking: Theory & Practice
    • MSCH-P 351 Advanced Video Field and Post Production
    • MSCH-P 353 Production Audio
    • MSCH-P 354 Program Graphics and Animation
    • MSCH-P 360 Motion Picture Production
    • MSCH-P 362 Cinematography
    • MSCH-P 369 Sound Design
    • MSCH-P 416 Program Analysis and Criticism
    • MSCH-P 422 Color Correction & Finishing
    • MSCH-P 430 Writer's Room
    • MSCH-P 431 Feature Film Screenwriting
    • MSCH-P 432 TV Series Writing
    • MSCH-P 434 Advanced Documentary Filmmaking: Theory & Practice
    • MSCH-P 435 Advanced Documentary Workshop
    • MSCH-P 436 Advanced Production Workshop
    • MSCH-P 438 Experiments with the Film Camera
    • MSCH-P 441 Directing Actors for Cinema
    • MSCH-P 452 Topics in Design and Production
    • MSCH-P 453 Postproduction
    • MSCH-P 455 Topics in Music Scoring for Visual Media
    • MSCH-P 460 Advanced Motion Picture Production
    • MSCH-P 467 Short Film
    • MSCH-P 468 Double Exposure: Advanced Collaborative Workshop
    • MSCH-P 470 LA Production
    • MSCH-X 360 The Media School in Los Angeles
    • MSCH-X 472 Media Internship
    • MSCH-X 373
    • SOAD-S 311 Video Art
    • SOAD-S 411 Digital Video
  6. Thesis Sequence. Courses must be taken in the order listed.
    1. Thesis Production. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-P 461 BFA Cinema Thesis: Production
    2. Thesis Postproduction. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-P 462 BFA Cinema Thesis: Postproduction
  7. Major GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. Major GPA. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the major—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
    2. Major Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the major.
    3. Major Upper Division Credit Hours. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed at the 300–499 level.
    4. Major Residency. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.

Major Area Courses
  • Unless otherwise noted below, the following courses are considered in the academic program and will count toward academic program requirements as appropriate:

    • Any course at the 100–499 level with the MSCH-C or MSCH-P subject area prefix—as well as any other subject areas that are deemed functionally equivalent
    • Any course contained on the course lists for the academic program requirements at the time the course is taken—as well as any other courses that are deemed functionally equivalent—except for those listed only under Addenda Requirements
    • Any course directed to a non-Addenda requirement through an approved exception

This program of study cannot be combined with the following:

  • Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (JOURBAJ)
  • Bachelor of Arts in Media (MEDIABA)
  • Bachelor of Science in Game Design (GAMEDSGNBS)
  • Minor in Black Cinema and Media Studies (BLKCNMDMIN)
  • Minor in Cinema and Media Studies (CNMDASTMIN)
  • Minor in Fashion Media (FAMEDIAMIN)
  • Minor in Film Production (FILMPRDMIN)
  • Minor in Game Design (GAMEDSNMIN)
  • Minor in Global Media (GLVMDIAMIN)
  • Minor in Media and Creative Advertising (MDCRADMIN)
  • Minor in Media and Diversity (MDIADIVMIN)
  • Minor in Media Law and Ethics (MDLWETMIN)
  • Minor in Media Persuasion (MDIAPRSMIN)
  • Minor in Media, Sex and Gender (MDGNDRMIN)
  • Minor in Public Relations (PBLCRELMIN)
  • Minor in Sports Media (SPORTMDMIN)
  • [Name unavailable] (NMISTACRT)

Exceptions to and substitutions for major requirements may be made with the approval of the unit's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.