Undergraduate Courses in Media Studies

Undergraduate Courses in Media Studies

MEDST 100 - 249

MEDST 100. Media Technologies from Gutenberg to the Internet (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Broad historical survey of media technologies and their social implications.

MEDST 101. Contemporary Media (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Survey of contemporary media institutions and their economic, social, political and cultural implications.

MEDST 103. Interpersonal Communications (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Basic concepts and processes of human communication with special emphasis on the role of individual factors in group interaction. Theoretical and experimental considerations of such topics as communication models, verbal and nonverbal codes, perception, and self-concept.

MEDST 104. The Role of Rhetoric in American Society (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Analysis of the role of rhetoric in creating and resolving public problems through various media.

MEDST 110. Political Communication (3 hr, 3 cr.)
A survey of the major approaches to American, comparative, and international political communication. Covers such topics as the language of politics, communication in political decision-making, the rhetoric of politics, mass communications, and political behavior.

MEDST 143. History of the Cinema I: 1880-1930 (4 hr, 3 cr.)
Survey of the motion picture from the pre-cinematic of origins of the motion picture technology through the rise of the silent film industry and the transition to sound. Significant films are viewed and discussed. Satisfies the PLAS Appreciating and Participating in the Arts (AP) requirement.

MEDST 144. History of the Cinema II: 1930 to 1970 (4 hr, 3 cr.)
Development of the cinema from 1930 to 1970. Covers the institutional changes and aesthetic values of world cinema after the rise of the sound film, through the emergence of the New Waves in European, Japanese and American cinema in the 1960s.  Satisfies the PLAS Appreciating and Participating in the Arts (AP) requirement.

MEDST 145. History of Broadcasting (3 hr, 3 cr.)
The history of radio and television broadcasting from the 1920s to the present. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the course focuses on broadcasting institutions, issues, research trends, and program format analysis.

MEDST 146. History of the Cinema III: 1970 to the Present (4 hr, 3 cr.)
Development of the cinema from 1970 to the present. Covers economic, institutional, and aesthetic changes in cinema from the rise of the blockbuster to the emergence of new national cinemas around the world.

MEDST 151. Public Speaking (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Application of the principles of speech preparation to major types of public address; study of selected speeches to illustrate major types; presentation of speeches; policy forming , professional, social, ceremonial.

MEDST 200. Principles of Sound and Image (4 hr, 3 cr.)
An examination of the formal conventions of media and their critical analysis with examples drawn from television, film and advertisements. Students will be introduced to the basic principles of composition, editing, and camera movement.

MEDST 201W (formerly 300W). Media Criticism (3 hr, 3 cr.) ​
Prereq: MEDST 200 or 220. Survey of a variety of critical approaches to the study of media texts. This is a writing intensive course.

MEDST 220. Television Theory and Criticism (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 145. Explores key concepts in television theory and teaches students strategies in television analysis.

MEDST 222. Introduction to Public Relations (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 101. Introduction to the study of public opinion research, media relations, public communication campaigns, consumer and/or constituent identities, and representational ethics. Students gain practical experience in designing integrated public relations campaigns.

MEDST 225. Ethnicity in American Media (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 100 or 101. Examines ethnic and/or foreign language media in the United States, emphasizing issues of regulation, content, and foreign owner-ship. May also address representation of different ethnic groups in mainstream English language media.

MEDST 240. Styles of Cinema (4 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 143 or 144 or 200. Intensive introduction to film analysis through an exploration of selected cinematic styles such as Realism, Expressionism, and Surrealism. Satisfies the PLAS Appreciating and Participating in the Arts (AP) requirement.

MEDST 241. Multimedia (4 hr, 3 cr.)
Students learn to use and edit a combination of different content forms including video, sound, graphics, and interactivity in the creation of individual multimedia projects. The course covers basic non-linear editing, photo manipulation, rasterizing graphics, compositing to create new images, and building a basic website. Students work with Adobe Premiere, Adobe Photoshop and web development tools such as Adobe Dreamweaver.

MEDST 242. Introduction to Video: Studio (4 hr, 3 cr.)
Creative processes and techniques of studio television production, including the operation of studio and control room equipment.

MEDST 243. Introduction to Video: Field (4 hr, 3 cr.)
A continuation of MEDST 242, including production of television in the field. Differences in techniques and styles between studio and field video production are emphasized.

MEDST 244. Digital Video Production (4 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 143 or 144. Students will storyboard, shoot, and edit a series of 16mm film assignments.

MEDST 245. Screenwriting (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 143 or 144 or 145, or permission of the department. Principles and practices of writing for radio, television and film.

MEDST 247. Introduction to Editing (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: Prereq: MEDST 243. The basic techniques of digital video editing. Emphasis placed upon methods and aesthetics of visual storytelling, both narrative and documentary, through continuity editing principles. Students will learn non-linear editing practices using Adobe Premiere.

MEDST 248. Experimental Media and Drawing (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 243. This course will examine alternative approaches to the visual elements of storytelling by exploring graphic novels and short films that experiment with images and narrative technique. Students will create short films, utilizing stop-motion animation, and documentary-style graphic novels.

MEDST 249. Media Performance (4 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: permission of department. The development of the performer in radio and television.

MEDST 250 - 317

MEDST 250. Freedom of Speech (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 101 or 145 or permission of the department. Regulation and control of communications through legal restriction, censorship and self-regulation.

MEDST 251. Argumentation (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 104 or 110 or permission of the department. Analysis of public propositions, accumulation and testing of evidence, formulation and critical evaluation of reasoning, structuring of argument, processes of attack and defense, and effective communication of argument, with an emphasis upon legal and political communication.

MEDST 254. Communication in Intergroup Conflict and Conflict Resolution (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 103 or 110. Study of the history of conflict and theories of conflict resolution, with emphasis on communication as the significant variable in conflicts among groups.

MEDST 255. New Technologies (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq.: MEDST 100. Detailed examination of the regulation and social impact of emerging technologies.

MEDST 256. Media Censorship (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 100 or 110 or 145 or permission of the department. Overview of film, television, radio, and arts censorship in the United States from World War I to present.

MEDST 259. Cultural Factors in Communication (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 103 and sophomore standing. An examination of cultural factors influencing messages and interpersonal behavior, such as roles, stereotypes, prejudices, verbal and nonverbal languages, use and organization of time and space and social structures.

MEDST 260. Advertising and Marketing (3 hr, 3 cr.)
 Prereq: MEDST 101. Study of the development, production, placement, and evaluation of advertisement as a from of business communication which also reflects and influences consumer and popular culture in the United States.

MEDST 261. National Identity and the Media (3 hr, 3 cr.)
 Prereq.: 100 or MEDST 101.or 110. Examines the role media play in shaping concepts and experiences of nation, nationalism, and national identity.

MEDST 264. Media Management (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq.: MEDST 101. Introduction to management of the broadcast and cable industries. Explores techniques and skills needed to manage modern television organizations.

MEDST 262. Political Economy of Media (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 101 or 110 or 145. Examines the economic underpinnings of the communication industries and their impact on the production, consumption, form and content of cultural goods.

MEDST 263. American Film Industry (4 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 143 or 144 or 146. Surveys the rise and fall of the studio system; the star system; financing and marketing of mainstream films; the economics of independent cinema; and globalization. Also focuses on directors who have worked outside the system or who have straddled the independent and mainstream film worlds.

MEDST 265. Producing Independent Movies (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Producing Independent Movies & Media will allow students to learn how to create independent movies, programs, series, and other media within the current media business environment. They will learn about researching and writing compelling treatments, budgeting, and the actual presentation and “pitching” projects in a professional manner. Additionally, students will study legal issues in filmmaking, resume writing techniques, and the basic practices of fundraising. Students come out of the course with one Project, ready for development, funding, and pre-production.

MEDST 266. Podcasting (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 100, MEDST 101 and MEDST 201W. The popular, emerging and innovative new media form of Podcasting. Analyze critically the technical, narrative and aesthetic aspects of Podcasting. Students will learn sound design, recording and interview techniques, storytelling approaches to production of fictional and documentary audio stories and create their own Podcasts.

MEDST 267. Script Analysis (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 201W and MEDST 245. In-depth analysis of the televisual screenplay’s structure, storylines, characters, dialogue, and themes. Explore a wide range of narrative techniques and storytelling styles, from Hollywood to independent and alternative. Students read screenplays and view films critically to explore how story elements are communicated through visual means, how dramatic momentum is built and how characters are made credible and complex. Students end the term with the ability to analyze film scripts of varying styles and lengths and apply that knowledge to their own screenwriting.

MEDST 281. Intermediate Studies in Media (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: Permission of department. Study in a specialized area in the field. Exams or papers involving research will be assigned. May be repeated once for credit providing there is a change in topic.

MEDST 299.3 Internship (3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST or Film Studies major or minor with upper junior or senior standing and with a minimum of 3.0 grade point average and evidence of sufficient preparation through relevant prior course work. Permission of the department is required. Students with less than a 3.0 grade point average may petition the departmental Undergraduate Studies Committee for the privilege of taking the course. The course will usually involve unpaid off-campus work with a media organization in the New York Area with approximately 135 hours at the internship. Additional requirements: An initial prospectus (includes a description of the student’s duties by a representative of the sponsoring organization); a final research report; and several short essay assignments.

MEDST 299.6 Internship (6 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST or Film Studies major or minor with upper junior or senior standing and with a minimum of 3.0 grade point average and evidence of sufficient preparation through relevant prior course work. Permission of the department is required. Students with less than a 3.0 grade point average may petition the departmental Undergraduate Studies Committee for the privilege of taking the course. The course will usually involve unpaid off-campus work with a media organization in the New York Area with approximately 270 hours at the internship. Additional requirements: An initial prospectus (includes a description of the student’s duties by a representative of the sponsoring organization); a final research report; and several short essay assignments.

For more details on how to find internships, and to get course credit through a Media Studies faculty sponsor click here.

MEDST 310. Advanced Field Production (4 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 243 or permission of the department. Specific principles and techniques of on-location video production including concept and design, elements of television script writing, camera techniques, lighting sound and editing.

MEDST 311. Media Practicum (3 hr, 1 cr.)
Prereq: The student must have production skills appropriate to the selected project. Students applying for the course must have a faculty sponsor. The student must complete a media production project in film, video or sound under faculty supervision and sponsorship. MEDST 311 and 312 may be repeated for up to 3 credits in any combination.

MEDST 312. Media Practicum II (3 hr, 1 cr.)
 Prereq: Upper junior or senior standing, appropriate media skills, permission of instructor. The student will apply media production skills in assisting the teaching of MEDST media production courses. MEDST 311 and 312 may be repeated for up to 3 credits in any combination.

MEDST 313. Creative Sound Production (4 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 200. A study of sound as a creative medium in theory and practice: motion picture soundtracks, sound art works, radio broadcasts, historical recordings, as well as sound recording and editing using new computer technologies.

MEDST 314.. Television Directing (4 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 242 or permission of the department. Theory and practice of television directing.

MEDST 316. Commercial Production (4 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 242 and 234 or permission of the department. The creation of audiovisual messages used in business, social or consumer advertising campaigns. The course includes the study of persuasive techniques, audience research, media writing and the creative use of camera, editing and graphics.

MEDST 317. Advanced Digital Editing (4 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: One course from MEDST 241, 242, 244, 310, 313, 316. Non Linear Editing as a creative discipline using Final Cut Pro HD, LiveType and DVD Studio Pro. The class will cover shot by shot analysis of scenes from feature films, shot construction from story-board to finished film, sound editing as well as special effects. Students will be expected to do some shooting as well as editing.

MEDST 320, 320W - 391, 391W

MEDST 320, 320W. Gender and Media (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 220 or 300W. Focuses on spectatorship and representation of femininity and masculinity in both mainstream and alternative media.

MEDST 321, 321W. News Analysis (3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 101 and 110 or 262. Analysis of information and news transmitted by print and electronic media.

MEDST 322, 322W. Children’s Television (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 200; 145 or 220. Examines history, aesthetics, economics, and ideology of children’s television programming in the United States from the late 1940s to the present. Also addresses regulatory and ethical issues.

MEDST 325, 325W. Radical Critiques of Mass Communication (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 200. Critical examination of radical analyses of mass media, products, and institutions.

MEDST 326, 326W. Activism and Media (3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 101. Critical survey of video art and activism from the early 1970s to the present. Course examines video’s relationship to other ar​tistic practices, social movements, and mass culture.

MEDST 330, 330W. The Music Industry (3 cr.)
Prereq.: MEDST 101. This course will provide an overview of the history of the music industry in the United States. Our approach to evolution of the business of popular music will encompass a number of perspectives: technology, economics, industry structures, marketing, audiences, and artistic innovations and trends. The course will be structured around a loose chronology, looking at the interactions of each of these facets during different time periods, while devoting time each week to listen to musical examples. We will also consider a range of critical approaches to popular music and performance (critical theory, political economy, cultural studies, feminist theory, queer theory), and discuss strategies for writing and thinking about pop music.

MEDST 341, 341W. Theory of Film (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 143 or 144, or permission of department. Explores key concepts in film theory as well as writings of critics and directors.

MEDST 342, 342W*. Genre (4 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 200; and143 or 144 or 145. Historical and theoretical study of selected genres in film and television. Normally, one genre, such as comedy, melodrama, film noir, or the western, will be selected for intensive examination. May be repeated once for credit, provided topic is different.

MEDST 343, 343W*. Non-Fiction Forms (4 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 200; and 143 or 144 or 145. Study of strategies of non-fiction film, television, and video. Includes examination of important theories of documentary production.

MEDST 344, 344W*. National Cinemas (4 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 200; and 143 or 144. Examination of film production in various countries or geographic/linguistic communities, such as Italy, France, Russia, Latin America. The course will usually focus on production in a single country or community. May be repeated once for credit, provided topic is different.

MEDST 345, 345W*. Great Directors (4 hr, 3 cr.)
 Prereq: MEDST 240 (formerly MEDST 340W) or 263. One or more directors, such as Alfred Hitchcock, Chantal Ackerman, John Woo, Abbas Kiarostami, Marta Meszaros, or Martin Scorsese, will be selected for intensive examination. May be repeated once for credit, provided topic is different.

MEDST 346, 346W. African Americans in American Film and Television (4 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 200; and 143 or 144 or 145. An historical and critical consideration of the diverse ways African Americans have participated in American cinema and television. Course will examine prominent actors, directors, and other industry workers as well as critical discourses about the subject.

MEDST 350, 350W. Propaganda (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq.: MEDST 100 and 110. Use of media to influence public opinion in political and social campaigns, Media audiences and theories of attitude change.

MEDST 352, 352W. Discourse of the Classical Period (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 101 or 110.

MEDST 353, 353W. American and British Discourse to 1900 (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 101 or 110.

MEDST 355, 355W. The Aesthetics of Communication (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 200 and 300W. Aesthetic aspects of events in communication visual, aural, written, and gestural are explored.

MEDST 357. Media Law and Ethics (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 250 or 256. This course is an advanced study of issues and problems arising from legal regulations and ethical considerations of media activities. such areas as defamation, informational privacy, reporter’s rights, shield laws, copyright laws, and the covering of terrorist activities will be explored.

MEDST 359, 359W. International Telecommunications Policy (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 262. Examines the history, issues, and institutions which have shaped international telecommunication policy.

MEDST 360, 360W. Global Media (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 262. Comparisons of media industries around the world, with reference to the impact of globalization on print and electronic media in local, regional, and national contexts.

MEDST 361. Interactive Storytelling (3 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 100, MEDST 101 and MEDST 201W. This combined seminar/laboratory class will consider the impact of interactivity and technology on traditional narrative structure and explore new methods for conveying narrative in non-linear and interactive forms of art, entertainment, and communications.

MEDST 362, 362W. Surveillance (3 hr.; 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST 100, MEDST 101 and MEDST 201W. Examination of the variety and scale of commercial and govern- mental surveillance in the United States. The course surveys global data trade, the uses of surveillance for social organization and control, and questions of information ownership, human and civil rights, and public policy concerning privacy and data protection.

MEDST 364, 364W. Advertising, Consumption and Culture (3 hr.; 3 cr.)
Prereq.: MEDST 260 or permission of the department. An overview of the commercialization of American society and culture via the widespread use of advertising and sophisticated marketing techniques. A combination of theories will be used from political economy, sociology, feminist studies, management, and semiotics to analyze commercial messages and develop an understanding of the impact of these messages on different demographic groups particularly children, tweens, teens, and women as well as cultural institutions like family, politics, education, and religion.

MEDST 381, 381W*. Advanced Studies in Media (4 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: Permission of the department. Variable advanced topics in Media Studies

MEDST 391, 391W. Special Problems (1 conf. and 9 hr, 3 cr.)
Prereq: MEDST major, upper junior or senior, minimum 3.0 GPA, permission of instructor, permission of Chair. Credit toward major determined by topic.