Film and Television Major

The film and television major takes a critical and practical approach to the study of media in their shared and distinctive artistic and industrial elements. It draws from a broad tradition of historical, theoretical, and creative practices to best prepare students with the skills they need in the rapidly evolving media landscape.

Fordham’s location in New York City and Jesuit mission makes the University uniquely positioned to offer students cultural and career opportunities in film and television as well as a curriculum that trains them in ethical approaches to media studies and practice.

The major offers a concentration in either film or television, with courses designed uniquely for each concentration and with courses that bridge both tracks. It also offers flexibility for those students wishing to focus on film and/or television writing and production, and those wishing to concentrate on critical, historical, and theoretical concerns.

To declare a major in Film and Television, students must either have earned:

Option 1: 2.5 cumulative GPA + 30 earned credits

OR

Option 2: 2.0 cumulative GPA overall + 3.0 GPA in 2 CMS courses + 30 earned credits

  • Qualifying CMS courses can include:
    • COMM 1000 + a major specific course (e.g., FITV 1501: Understanding Film)
    • OR
    • 2 major-specific courses (e.g., JOUR 1702: Introduction to Journalism + JOUR 2711: Intermediate Multimedia Reporting)
View Major Requirements View Minor Requirements
View Course Bulletin

  • Upon graduation from the Film and Television major or minor, students will have achieved the following curricular goals:

    1. Develop a critically-informed understanding of film and television as a set of industries and institutions, forms of aesthetic expression, sites of cultural contestation, modes of representation, spaces of creative production, and evolving political-economic ecosystems.

    2. Be conversant in the multiple histories and theories of cinema and/or television, and be able to connect those histories and theories to current and emerging screen-based media forms.

    3. Be able to frame cinematic and televisual production, distribution and consumption within the context of regulatory, economic and policy parameters, as well as social norms and systemic and institutional exclusions.

    4. Be able to articulate the role that film and television play in the development of identities, cultures, and beliefs on local, national, and global scales.

    5. Cultivate skills necessary to ethically create and engage in varying forms of film and television writing, production, and reception, and thus develop a holistic appreciation of film and television cultures.
    • COMC 3340/ COMM 3103: Freedom of Expression
    • COMC 3370/ COMM 3476: Ethical Issues and the Media
    • COMC 3330/ COMM 3110: Peace, Justice and the Media
    • COMC 3350/ COMM 3112: Media Law
    • COMC 3380/ COMM 3106: International Communication
    • DTEM 4440: Privacy and Surveillance
    • DTEM 4480/ COMM 4005: Digital Media and Public Responsibility
    • FITV 4570/ COMM 4001: Films of Moral Struggle