Cinema Studies, minor

Program Overview

Do you love watching films and delving into this unique and vast form of narrative? Do you relish exploring the complex themes and ideas expressed in a masterfully written script or beautifully shot film? Pursuing a minor in cinema studies allows you to blend your passion for great film with desire for meaningful work. You will gain interpretive, analytical, critical thinking, and reading skills as you delve into the world of film.

The innovative, interdisciplinary minor in cinema studies adds to the breadth of a liberal arts education by combining scriptwriting and production skill sets alongside the sophisticated analysis of filmic texts using film theory and criticism. You will be encouraged to select courses based on your intellectual and professional interests that fall within the Department of Literature, Journalism, Writing, and Languages and the Department of Communication Studies.

The courses unified within the minor, such as Introduction to TV and Film Production, Field Television Production, Studio Television Production and World Cinema, require students to learn how to produce a film, hear and learn from diverse voices, analyze film images and narratives, understand the relationship between film texts and the historical moments from which they emerge, and evaluate cinema in the light of a faith-based perspective.

Course List

For information about the courses required for the Cinema Studies, minor program, view the PLNU Catalog. 

Course Information

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For most students, the transition into college life is one full of adjustments. There is the excitement of newfound freedoms, but also some uncertainty as you begin to make choices and take responsibility for your own future. 

At PLNU, we’re committed to supporting you — academically, professionally, spiritually, personally — so that you may be successful both in your time as a student and beyond. That’s why we offer a holistic support system that focuses on your unique experiences, particular needs, and personal and professional goals — resulting from our deep concern for you, our student.

With a focus on authentic relationships and personalized attention, our goal is to help transform you so you can follow your calling in your own career and life.

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Career Opportunities

As a PLNU graduate with a minor in cinema studies, you will be able to demonstrate skills in the historical, religious, philosophical, theoretical, and aesthetic perspectives of cinema, in addition to scriptwriting and production skills.

A minor in cinema studies can play a supporting role in careers such as:

  • Film or television director
  • Radio, Film, or Television producer
  • Screenwriter
  • Production Designer
  • Stage Manager
  • Lighting and Sound Producer
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