Nov 23, 2024  
2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Film Studies


Minimum number of credits required to graduate:  124

Minimum Cumulative GPA required to graduate:  2.0

Minimum number of credits to complete the minor: 18

Film Studies Minor

Interdisciplinary Program Housed in the School of Liberal Arts

The Film Studies Minor provides a unique perspective on film from a constellation of fields and disciplines within the School of Liberal Arts, including Communication and Media, English, Philosophy, Women’s and Gender Studies, World Languages and Cultural Studies, and Visual and Performing Arts. This minor will equip students with tools to analyze the formal aspects of cinema, as well as its broader social, cultural, and historical significance. Students will also have the opportunity to learn film and video production techniques.

The minor is intended for students who wish to deepen their understanding of film history, analysis, video production, and editing. The Film Studies Minor can lead to opportunities in filmmaking, directing, editing, film criticism, and provide the background necessary to pursue graduate studies.

Faculty Director: Nancy Wynn, Associate Professor and Chair of Visual and Performing Arts wynn@merrimack.edu

Administrative Staff: Mary Jane Wheeler

Faculty Advisory Committee Members: Cinzia DiGiulio, Associate Professor of World Languages & Cultural Studies; Debra Michals, Assistant Professor and Director of Women’s and Gender Studies; Jacob Turner, Associate Professor of Communication and Media; Nancy Wynn, Associate Professor and Chair of Visual and Performing Arts.

Affiliated Faculty: Bryan Bannon, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Environmental Studies; Laura Pruett, Associate Professor Visual and Performing Arts; Luis Saenz de Viguera Erkiaga, Associate Professor and Director of Social Justice Program; Kevin Salemme, Media Center Director; and Kathleen Sills, Associate Professor of Visual and Performing Arts.

Minor Requirements


The minor requires the completion of a minimum of 18 credits, with a minimum of five courses (including 2 foundational courses and 3 elective courses) chosen from the list below and distributed so that no more than two elective courses can be taken from the same department. Additionally, no more than two courses, or 8 credits, from another major or minor may count towards completion of this minor.

Foundational Courses (choose two)


  • Credits: 4
  • Credits: 4
  • GCS 2100 - History of Film  Credits: 4
  • Or, one course in World Cinema from the course list below:

    World Cinema Courses

    FRE 1400       Francophone Film  Credits: 4

    FRE 2200       French Culture through Film  Credits: 4

    GCS 1700      The Global Zombie  Credits: 4

    ITA 1700         Italian-Americans and Film  Credits: 4

    ITA 2560         The Italian Southern Question in Literature and Film  Credits 4

    SPA 1520       Latin American and Spanish Contemporary Film  Credits: 4

    SPA 2600W   Issues in Film and Literature of the Spanish-speaking World  Credits: 4

Elective Courses (choose 3)


No more than two elective courses can be taken from the same department. Completed foundational courses cannot be counted as an elective.