Critical Studies Undergraduate Requirements
Undergraduate Requirements
Bachelor of Arts, Cinema-Television: Critical Studies
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Cinema-Television with a track in Critical Studies is granted by the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences in conjunction with the School of Cinematic Arts. Undergraduate students take their pre-professional courses in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, including the general education requirements. Major courses are selected from the curriculum of the School of Cinematic Arts. The degree requires 128 units, including 26 lower division and 24 upper division units in cinema-television. A maximum of 40 CNTV upper division units will apply to the B.A. degree. Before graduating, critical studies majors are encouraged to take at least one small non-lecture class that emphasizes student critical writing or research papers. This category may include (but is not limited to): CTCS 402, sections of CTCS 464 or CTCS 469 that require a D clearance, CTCS 494, CTCS 495 and CTCS 499.
General Education Requirements
The university's general education program provides a coherent, integrated introduction to the breadth of knowledge you will need to consider yourself (and to be considered by other people) a generally well-educated person. This program requires six courses in different categories, plus writing, foreign language and diversity requirements, which are described in the General Education program.
Required Production Courses
Undergraduates admitted to the Critical Studies Program are required to take CTPR 241 Fundamentals of Cinema Technique and CTPR 290 Cinematic Communication. These introductory production courses are taken concurrently during the junior year (see description below).
CTPR 241 is an experiential course dealing with the technical and aesthetic principles of directing, cinematography, editing and the development of ideas through a cinematic vocabulary.
In CTPR 290 students are taught the principles of filmmaking through demonstrations, hands-on production and critical analysis. Each student makes five digital video non-dialogue movies using equipment supplied by the school. A lab fee of $500 and an insurance fee of $300 are required. Students will spend $100 to $200 on production expenses.
Required Courses and Units:
| CTCS 190 | Introduction to Cinema | 4 |
| CTCS 191 | Introduction to Television and Video | 4 |
CTCS 192 |
Race, Class and Gender in American Film | 4 |
| CTCS 200 |
History of the International Cinema I | 4 |
| CTCS 201 | History of the International Cinema II | 4 |
| CTCS 473 | Film Theories |
4 |
| CTPR 241 | Fundamentals of Cinema Technique, taken concurrently with CTPR 290 | 2 |
| CTPR 290 | Cinematic Communication, taken concurrently with CTPR 241 | 4 |
One course from the following:
| CTCS 392 |
History of the American Film, 1925-1950 | 4 |
| CTCS 393 |
History of the American Film, 1946-1975 |
4 |
| CTCS 394 | History of the American Film, 1977-present | 4 |
Four different courses from the following:
| CTCS 367 |
Global Television and Media |
4 |
| CTCS 400 |
Non-Fiction Film and Television |
4 |
| CTCS 402 | Practicum in Film/ Television Criticism | 4 |
| CTCS 403 |
Studies in National and Regional Mediafont | 4 |
| CTCS 404 | Television Criticism and Theory | 4 |
| CTCS 406 | History of American Television | 4 |
| CTCS 407 | African-American Cinema | 4 |
| CTCS 409 |
Censorship in Cinema | 4 |
| CTCS 411 | Film, Television and Cultural Studies | 4 |
| CTCS 412 |
Gender, Sexuality and Media | 4 |
| CTCS 464 | Film and/or Television Genres | 4 |
| CTCS 469 | Film and/or Television Style Analysis | 4 |
| CTCS 478 | Culture, Technology and Communications | 4 |
| CTCS 494 | Senior Seminar | 4 |
| CTCS 495* | Honors Seminar | 4 |
| CTCS 499** | Special Topics | 4 |
*Honors students only.
**Major credit with departmental approval.
Grade Point Average Requirements
A minimum grade of C (2.0) must be earned in all required and prerequisite courses. A grade of C- or lower will not satisfy a major requirement.
Honors Program
Critical Studies offers an honors track for advanced students. Admission to the honors track is made at the end of the junior year and requires a 3.75 GPA for courses in the major (and a 3.5 GPA overall). Completion of the honors track is dependent upon successful completion of a designated honors section of CTCS 495 during the senior year. In this course, students will work with faculty in a seminar environment and produce an advanced term paper based on original research and analysis.
Limitations on Enrollment
No more than 40 upper Division units can be taken within the major without approval of the Dean, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
Registration in graduate level courses (numbered 500) for undergraduate credit requires prior approval of the School of Cinematic Arts.
Curriculum Review
USC School of Cinematic Arts majors are expected to meet with their academic advisors once a semester to review their progress. Contact the Student Affairs Office, Carson Television Center, Garden Level, Room G-130, 213.740.8358, for appointments.
