The Film & Media Studies program offers a one-year (4+1) accelerated BA/MA degree for WashU seniors. The degree prepares students to be competitive in advanced degree admissions (PhDs, MFAs), in moving-image content production, and in positions in secondary and post-secondary teaching and programming for campus film societies, independent movie theaters, and film festivals.
Eligibility
By the end of the senior year at WashU, all applicants must have completed five (5) courses (or 15 credits) at 4000- or -5000 levels during their four years of study, including a minimum of three (3) courses (or 9 credits) in FMS.
These courses will be credited toward the accelerated master’s degree, with students completing remaining coursework in a fifth year at WashU.
Course Requirements
In the fifth (4+1) year, BA/MA students will enroll in six (6) courses (or 12 credits) in FMS. One FMS course is a 3-credit practicum (FILM 5100) completed in the first semester.
Other BA/MA-level course offerings include advanced moving image analysis, film/media history, archives/archiving, film/media theory, digital media (social media, gaming, computing), film/media beyond the US, interactive game design, fiction and nonfiction filmmaking, video postproduction, and writing for the screen.
The first semester BA/MA practicum lays the foundations for a capstone project to be completed in the second semester if the student selects the capstone project option (see below). Capstone projects give students hands-on experience directly related to career paths in research, programming, content creation, and/or teaching.
Capstone Experience
The second semester capstone experience may consist of a comprehensive examination or a project. Capstone projects may include:
- A scholarly article to be submitted for publication at a major journal
- A videographic essay + public screening
- A short fiction or documentary film + public screening
- An archiving project in coordination with WashU’s Film & Media Archive
- A screenplay for a feature-length film + public reading
- A grant proposal for a festival, symposium, or research project
- A program of films at Hi-Pointe Theatre
- A new course proposal (if accepted, to be taught as an online course a WashU summer session)
Teaching Assistantships
During their year of studies, BA/MA candidates will have opportunities for paid teaching assistantships in FMS, for such courses as Introduction to Film Studies, History of World Cinema, History of American Cinema, and History of Television. These opportunities provide experience in teaching discussion/tutorial sessions, curriculum design, pedagogies pertinent to audio-visual literacy, and mentoring undergraduate students in the close study of film and media.
For more information about the accelerated BA/MA program, contact FMS Program Director, Prof. Colin Burnett, or Prof. John Powers, FMS Director of Graduate Studies.
