undergraduate requirements
The Bachelor of Arts degree may be conferred upon a student majoring in Film and Media Arts by recommendation of the faculty and upon satisfactory completion the following requirements:
1. Completion of a total of 126 credit hours of course work;
2. Completion of the Temple
University Core Curriculum;
3. A minimum of 2.0 GPA, both cumulative and in the major;
4. Completion of the FMA Foundation Courses,
typically 14 credit hours with a grade of C or better;
5. Completion of an FMA Sequence (the
Production Thesis, the Media
Culture Thesis, or the General Track ) for
a total of 28 hours.
6. Completion of at least 42 credits and no more than 58 credits of Film
and Media Arts courses.
7.
Completion of a maximum of 71 credits within the
School of Communications and Theater and a minimum of 55 credits outside
of the school.
Students should plan their curriculum under the close guidance of a Faculty Advisor to unsure eligibility for graduation. Students who are planning to graduate must schedule an official graduation review with an SCT Academic Advisor one semester prior to the anticipated graduation date.
Maintaining Program Performance
Prerequisites to entrance and graduation from the Production and Media Culture Thesis tracks requires students to maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 GPA calculated in all courses taken. Students who have earned at least a 2.0 GPA and at least a C in all FMA Foundation courses may enter and graduate in the General Track. Students with an average under 2.0 may not begin the program. Students may take up to four credits in the FMA Internship Program.
FMA Foundation Courses
Film and Media Arts students will complete the following courses by the end of the sophomore year:
| Dept. | Course # | Course Name | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
FMA |
1141 |
Media Arts I |
4 |
FMA |
1142 |
Media Arts II |
4 |
FMA |
1171 |
Media & Culture |
3 |
FMA |
1172 |
Intro to Film and Video Analysis |
3 |
for total credit hours: |
14 |
Transfer students and Honors students may petition to take FMA 1143 in lieu of FMA 1141 and 1142.
Eligibility to enroll in 2000 level or above FMA Courses requires completion of the four FMA Foundation courses with a grade of C or better. At the completion of the Foundation courses, students will choose middle level courses that prepare them for the Production Thesis, the Media Culture Thesis, or the General Track.
Production Thesis Track
Eran Preis, Sequence Director
215-204-6991
epreis@temple.edu
This sequence educates prospective film/video/media makers, media writers, and new technology practitioners to take creative control of their media. It emphasizes students’ initiative in creating individual or collaborative projects that serve as an expression of their personal vision and voice. Students can enter this sequence to work on their own project as writer/director or as a collaborator with equal creative responsibility on a colleague’s project.
The Production Thesis sequence builds to a two-semester senior capstone course in which each student, working with close faculty guidance, will finish a year-long project and production book. Media work must be presented publicly at the end of the year program screenings.
Students may enter this sequence if they earn a 3.0 or higher in the FMA Foundation courses and in all of their other FMA classes. This sequence requires completion of Senior Projects I and II and is based on the grade requirements listed above, along with faculty acceptance of a Senior Project proposal and portfolio (which includes a proposal or script for the final project and a work sample) submitted in March of the student’s junior year.
Dept |
Course # |
Course Name |
Hours |
FMA |
2241 |
Filmmaking, or |
4 |
FMA |
2361 |
Writing for Media |
4 |
FMA |
2000 level (or above) |
FMA Production Elective |
4 |
FMA |
2000 level (or above) |
FMA Studies Elective |
3 or 4 |
FMA |
4241 |
Senior Projects I |
4 |
FMA |
4242 |
Senior Projects II |
4 |
FMA |
Advanced Writing Intensive Elective |
4 |
|
for total credit hours: |
28 |
Media Culture Thesis Track
Paul Swann, Sequence Director
215-204-1735
pswann@temple.edu
This sequence explores and explains the role of media in American or world culture. The critical exploration of aesthetic, technological, economic and legal factors, as well as social history, and institutions, highlights the processes through which media culture affects identity construction and social change. Students who choose this sequence develop critical, analytical, and organizational skills in linking media culture to such arenas as community-based organizations and museums, schools, media resource centers, and the multicultural community of independent film and video producers.
The Media Culture Thesis sequence builds to a two-semester capstone course in which each student will complete a written research-based thesis on media culture criticism and/or history or a producible script for reality-based media programming. Students may enter this sequence if they earn at least a 3.0 GPA in the FMA oundation courses.
Students who do not meet the above requirement may petition to enter this sequence based on a review of their written work. The petition must be received by the Media Culture sequence director no later than the third week of the semester prior to the semester when the student would be taking the senior thesis course.
Dept |
Course # |
Course Name |
Hours |
FMA |
2241 |
Filmmaking, or |
4 |
FMA |
2000 level (or above) |
FMA studies elective |
3 or 4 |
FMA |
2000 level (or above) |
FMA Production or Studies Electives (with advisor's approval) |
4 |
FMA |
2000 level (or above) |
FMA Production or Studies Elective (with advisor's approval) |
4 |
FMA |
3000 level (or above) |
FMA Studies Elective (with advisor's approval) |
4 |
FMA |
4671 |
Senior Media Culture Thesis I (serves as required advanced writing intensive course) |
4 |
FMA |
4672 |
Senior Media Culture Thesis II |
4 |
for total credit hours: |
28 |
General Track
Michael Kuetemeyer, Sequence Director
215-204-3922
mku@temple.edu
This sequence is designed for students who wish to have a more general approach to the major and the opportunity to design their own program. Working closely with their advisors, students will choose from a range of FMA courses that complete a balanced, liberal arts approach to media study. On the middle level, students take filmmaking, videography, screenwriting or experimental video; one studies elective; and two additional production or studies electives. On the advanced level (3000 or higher) they take a production, screenwriting or studies elective for which they have completed the prerequisite, one studies elective, and one Advanced Writing course. Students may progress through the non-thesis sequence if they have a 2.0 cumulative GPA and grades of C or better in the FMA Foundation courses.
Dept |
Course # |
Course Name |
Hours |
FMA |
2241 |
Filmmaking, or |
4 |
FMA |
2000 level (or above) |
FMA Studies elective |
4 |
FMA |
2000 level (or above) |
FMA Studies or production electives |
6 to 8 |
FMA |
3000 level (or above) |
Advanced Writing Intensive Studies Elective |
4 |
FMA |
3000 level (or above) |
Studies Elective |
3 or 4 |
FMA |
3000 level (or higher) |
Production or Studies Elective (for which the student has completed the prerequisites) |
3 or 4 |
for total credit hours: |
28 |