2023-2024 BSC Catalog Updated_UG ONLY_FINAL[82]

214 ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
MFS 250 GP History of Documentary Film (1)
An introductory survey of documentary film. The course will focus on some of the
major developments in documentary practice, while also considering a number of
theoretical issues in the documentary tradition, including the problem of objectivity, the
relationship between the documentary image and reality, and the mixing of fiction and
nonfiction modes. The goals of this course are to introduce important historical trends
and concepts and to help develop the critical and analytical skills needed to understand
the structure, style, and rhetorical strategies of documentary film. A Global
Perspectives and Leadership Studies designated course. (Also listed as HON 250.)
MFS 260 African American Cinema (1)
A survey of the history of cinema produced by or featuring African Americans from the
birth of filmmaking to the present day. In examining movies over time, the course will
explore persistent problems of racism, exploitation, stereotypes, and image debates
within the black community. A Black Studies designated course.
MFS 293, 393, 493 Independent Study in Media and Film Studies (½ or 1)
Directed study for advanced students in the major. Specific guidelines concerning
independent study projects appear in the “Exploration Term and Contract Learning”
section of this catalog.
MFS 298, 398, 498 Teaching Experience in Media and Film Studies (½ or 1)
A contracted teaching experience that requires instructor approval. Specific guidelines
concerning teaching experiences appear in the “Teaching Experiences” section of this
catalog.
MFS 300 CI Media and Society (1)
An exploration of the interactive relationship between media and society from political,
psychological, economic, and sociological perspectives. This course will focus on how
media sources, such as television, film, and the Internet, influence society at group and
individual levels and how society, in turn, influences the creation and production of
media. A Community Interests designated course. (Also listed as PS 300.)
MFS 310 WR Film and Media Theory (1)
A survey of film and media theory from the silent era to the present. The course focuses
on several key theorists and their ideas about the nature and function of cinema/media,
as well as the relationship between texts, spectatorship, and culture. These theories will
be situated in their historical context, and their influence on subsequent theorists and
practitioners will be examined. Laboratory required. A Writing Reinforcement
designated course. Prerequisites: MFS 100 and MFS 210.
MFS 320 Advanced Film Production (1)
An advanced production course designed to build on skills learned in MFS 220. Students
further enhance technical skills while engaging in diverse film exercises and assignments,
Birmingham-Southern College Catalog 2023-2024