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Film Studies

School for Studies in Art and Culture
423 St. Patrick’s Building
613-520-2342
http://carleton.ca/filmstudies

  • M.A. Film Studies
  • M.A. Film Studies with Specialization in African Studies

  • M.A. Film Studies with Specialization in Digital Humanities

M.A. Film Studies

About the Program

The School for Studies in Art and Culture offers a program of study and research leading to the degree of Master of Arts in Film Studies. Priority is given to critical and historical concepts and methods pertaining to the study of media technology and aesthetics; national and transnational cinemas in their global contexts; Canadian and Quebec cinema; animation and new media; and film's relationship to literature, theatre, music and the visual arts.

Academic Regulations

See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

A standing of B- or better must be obtained in each course counted towards the master's degree.

Admission Requirements

The minimum requirement for admission to the Master's program in either a full-time or part-time capacity is a B.A. (Honours) or the equivalent in film studies or a related discipline with high honours standing. Related disciplines might include mass communication, art history, literature, Canadian studies, women's studies, and history. Applicants without a background in film studies may be required to take a maximum of two full credits from designated courses in the undergraduate Film Studies program in addition to their normal M.A. program requirements.

Applicants who lack an Honours degree, but who have a three-year degree in film studies or a related discipline with a minimum standing of B+, may be admitted to a qualifying-year program. Students who complete the qualifying-year requirements with high honours standing or better will be considered for admission to the master's program. The regulations governing the qualifying-year are outlined in the General Regulations section of this calendar.

Program Requirements

Students enrolled in the Film Studies M.A. must select one of the following two program streams:

Thesis stream: 2.5 credits plus a 1.5 credit Thesis
Intensive stream: 4.0 credits of course work

  

M.A. Film Studies - Thesis stream (4.0 credits)
1.  1.0 credit in:1.0
FILM 5000 [1.0]
Directions in Film Theory and Film History (core seminar)
2. 1.5 additional credits (see Note, below)1.5
3.  1.5 credits in:1.5
FILM 5909 [1.5]
M.A. Thesis
Total Credits4.0

Note: In choosing the 1.5 additional credits beyond the core seminars, students may take 0.5 credits of coursework outside the Film Studies program subject to the approval of the Graduate Supervisor. 

M.A. Film Studies - Intensive Stream (4.0 credits)
1.  1.0 credit in:1.0
FILM 5000 [1.0]
Directions in Film Theory and Film History (core seminar)
2.  2.0 credits in additional course work, 0.5 credit of which can include one of:2.0
FILM 5801 [0.5]
Graduate Internship
(see Note, below)
3.  1.0 credit in:1.0
FILM 5908 [1.0]
Research Essay
Total Credits4.0

Note: In choosing the two additional credits beyond the core seminars, students may take 0.5 credits of coursework outside the Film Studies program subject to the approval of the Graduate Supervisor.

Guidelines for Completion of M.A. Film Studies

  • Full-time students in the thesis stream are expected to finish all requirements for the degree, with the exception of FILM 5909, during their first two terms of study, and part-time students by the end of the fifth term. The thesis requirement is designed to take two or three additional terms.
  • Full-time students in the intensive stream are expected to finish all requirements for the degree, with the exception of FILM 5908 during their first two terms of study, and part-time students by the end of the fifth term. Full-time students are expected to complete the research essay by the end of the third term and part time students during the sixth term. Full-time students are expected to write the comprehensive exam during the third term and part-time students during the sixth term.

Thesis/Research Essay Proposal

  • Students in the thesis stream will submit a detailed thesis proposal to the Film Studies Graduate committee no later than mid-May of the first year of registration for students enrolled full time and no later than the middle of the fifth term of registration for students enrolled part time.
  • Students in the intensive stream will submit a research proposal that has been accepted by their research essay supervisor for approval no later than mid-May. The topic should concern research undertaken after admission into the program.

Language Requirements

A reading knowledge of French (or another language approved by the Film Studies Graduate Supervisor) is required.

M.A. Film Studies with Specialization in African Studies - Thesis Stream (4.0 credits)
1.  0.5 credit in:0.5
AFRI 5000 [0.5]
African Studies as a Discipline: Historical and Current Perspectives
2.  0.0 credit in:0.0
AFRI 5800 [0.0]
Scholarly Preparation in African Studies
3.  1.0 credit in:1.0
FILM 5000 [1.0]
Directions in Film Theory and Film History
4. 1.0 additional credit1.0
5.  1.5 credits in:1.5
FILM 5909 [1.5]
M.A. Thesis
Total Credits4.0
M.A. Film Studies with Specialization in African Studies - Intensive Stream (4.0 credits)
1.  0.5 credit in:0.5
AFRI 5000 [0.5]
African Studies as a Discipline: Historical and Current Perspectives
2.  0.0 credit in:
AFRI 5800 [0.0]
Scholarly Preparation in African Studies
3.  1.0 credit in:1.0
FILM 5000 [1.0]
Directions in Film Theory and Film History
4.  1.5 credits in additional course work, 0.5 credit of which can include one of:1.5
FILM 5801 [0.5]
Graduate Internship
5.  1.0 credit in:1.0
FILM 5908 [1.0]
Research Essay
Total Credits4.0

Selection of Courses - African Studies

The courses listed below (all are worth 0.5 credit) are relevant to students of African Studies and could, with the approval of the specific requirements of the units involved, be used as courses to help fulfill degree requirements. There are also often graduate courses and 4000-level courses in a number of units at Carleton that are offered on an ad hoc basis that have significant content appropriate to African Studies. To have any such course count towards their degree requires approval of the Director of the Institute of African Studies when it is being offered.

Note: the number of spaces in graduate courses offered by other departments may be limited, and registration may be conditional upon obtaining the prior approval of the department concerned. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that permission is obtained from the appropriate department prior to registering in any of the following courses.

African Studies
AFRI 5000 [0.5]African Studies as a Discipline: Historical and Current Perspectives
AFRI 5050 [0.5]Selected Topics in African Studies
AFRI 5100 [0.5]African Studies Abroad
AFRI 5700 [0.5]Directed Readings in African Studies
AFRI 5900 [0.5]Placement
AFRI 5800 [0.0]Scholarly Preparation in African Studies
Anthropology
ANTH 5109 [0.5]Development, Dependency and Gender
ANTH 5202 [0.5]The Anthropology of Underdevelopment
ANTH 5209 [0.5]Special Topics in the Anthropology of Africa
ANTH 5809 [0.5]Selected Topics in the Anthropology of Development and Underdevelopment
English
ENGL 5008 [0.5]Studies in African Literature
ENGL 5010 [0.5]Studies in Caribbean Literature
French
FREN 5600 [0.5]Littératures du monde francophone
International Affairs
INAF 5603 [0.5]Issues in Development in Africa
Law
LAWS 5007 [0.5]Race, Ethnicity and the Law
LAWS 5603 [0.5]International Law: Theory and Practice
Political Science
PSCI 5107 [0.5]Globalization, Adjustment and Democracy in Africa
PSCI 5202 [0.5]Development Theory and Issues
PSCI 5203 [0.5]Southern Africa After Apartheid
PSCI 5801 [0.5]Foreign Policies of African States
Sociology
SOCI 5404 [0.5]Race, Ethnicity and Class in Contemporary Societies
Women’s and Gender Studies
WGST 5902 [0.5]Advanced Topics in Women's and Gender Studies II
M.A. Film Studies with Specialization in Digital Humanities - Thesis stream (5.0 credits)
1.  1.0 credit in:1.0
FILM 5000 [1.0]
Directions in Film Theory and Film History
2. 1.5 additional credit1.5
3.  1.5 credits in:1.5
FILM 5909 [1.5]
M.A. Thesis
4.  0.5 credit in:0.5
DIGH 5000 [0.5]
Issues in the Digital Humanities
5.  0.5 credit in DIGH (DIGH 5011, DIGH 5012, or annually-listed DIGH course)0.5
6.  0.0 credit in DIGH 58000.0
Total Credits5.0

 

M.A. Film Studies with Specialization in Digital Humanities - Intensive stream (5.0 credits)
1.  1.0 credit in:1.0
FILM 5000 [1.0]
Directions in Film Theory and Film History
2.  2.0 credits in additional course work, 0.5 credit of which can include one of:2.0
FILM 5801 [0.5]
Graduate Internship (see note, below)
3.  1.0 credit in:1.0
FILM 5908 [1.0]
Research Essay
4.  0.5 credit in:0.5
DIGH 5000 [0.5]
Issues in the Digital Humanities
5.  0.5 credit in DIGH (DIGH 5011, DIGH 5012, or annually listed DIGH course)0.5
6.  0.0 credit in:0.0
DIGH 5800 [0.0]
Digital Humanities: Professional Development
Total Credits5.0

 Note:  In choosing the two additional credits beyond the core seminars, students may take 0.5 credits of coursework outside the Film Studies program subject to the approval of the Graduate Supervisor.

FILM 5000 [1.0 credit]
Directions in Film Theory and Film History

Recent developments in film theory and history, with emphasis on the themes and concepts informing the development of the discipline of film studies.

FILM 5001 [0.5 credit]
Directed Readings and Research

Tutorials designed to permit students to pursue research on topics in film studies which have been chosen in consultation with members of faculty.

FILM 5002 [0.5 credit]
Special Topics

Selected topics in film studies not available in the regular course program.

FILM 5106 [0.5 credit]
Cinema and Technology

Selected aspects of the technological development of cinema, with emphasis on the impact of technological advances on film historiography and critical analysis.

FILM 5107 [0.5 credit]
Topics in Film History

Aspects of the history of cinema, with emphasis on periods, film movements, styles, genres and comparative approaches to national, regional and/or world-wide trends.

FILM 5203 [0.5 credit]
Issues in World Cinema

Study of the theoretical and methodological issues raised by the concept of world cinema. Topics may include nationalism, transnationalism, translation, cosmopolitanism, local and regional vernaculars, co-productions, film festivals, multinational corporations and other phenomena associated to globalization.

FILM 5205 [0.5 credit]
Topics in Hollywood Cinema

Examination of Hollywood cinema relative to recent research into Hollywood's impact on film aesthetics, technology, economics and culture.

FILM 5209 [0.5 credit]
Critical Perspectives on Canadian Cinema

Current critical and historical approaches to Canadian film, with emphasis on institutions, aesthetic traditions and cultural practices.

FILM 5401 [0.5 credit]
Studies in Authorship

Examination of the work of one or two filmmakers, with a concern for recent ideas about the concept of authorship and the formation of artistic and critical reputations.

FILM 5500 [0.5 credit]
Advanced Film Analysis

Issues and approaches to the detailed analysis of particular film texts. Work in narratology, hermeneutics, discourse analysis, psychoanalysis, deconstruction and semiotics will provide the methodological background to the study of individual films.

FILM 5506 [0.5 credit]
Topics in Culture, Identity and Representation

Current critical approaches to the study of identity in cinema. Topics will vary from year to year, and may include race, ethnicity and sexuality, and the geopolitical implications of colonialism and post-colonialism.

FILM 5601 [0.5 credit]
Studies in Genre

The theory and practice of film genres will be the object of study in this course.

FILM 5701 [0.5 credit]
Topics in Animation

Institutional histories, the work of individual animators, modes of production, and the social function of animation represent topics to be covered by this course.

FILM 5801 [0.5 credit]
Graduate Internship

This course provides students with the opportunity to gain practical experience by working on film-related projects under the supervision of staff at a museum, gallery, archive, exhibition venue or government agency. Graded SAT/UNS.

FILM 5908 [1.0 credit]
Research Essay

Individual project on a topic of the student's choice involving research undertaken after admission into the program and supervised by a faculty member.

FILM 5909 [1.5 credit]
M.A. Thesis


Summer session: some of the courses listed in this Calendar are offered during the summer. Hours and scheduling for summer session courses will differ significantly from those reported in the fall/winter Calendar. To determine the scheduling and hours for summer session classes, consult the class schedule at central.carleton.ca

Not all courses listed are offered in a given year. For an up-to-date statement of course offerings for the current session and to determine the term of offering, consult the class schedule at central.carleton.ca

May 24, 2016 11:50 AM