Film and Media Studies

The Film and Media Studies program at Washington University examines a vitally important aspect of 20th- and 21st-century visual culture, namely the development of film, television, radio, and other electronic media as aesthetic and cultural forms. Students will explore the field through the following domains: criticism, history, theory, and practice. The program offers a major and a minor in film and media studies for undergraduates as well as a master’s degree program for graduate students. For doctoral students already at the university, the program also offers a graduate certificate.

The program has access to Washington University’s considerable film archives as well as the campus’s numerous film projectors and theater-sized auditoriums. These amenities have allowed the program to host its own programming and screenings as part of the St. Louis Film Festival.

Although the program does not aim to train students for professional work, it has produced many notable alumni, including: screenwriter and director Harold Ramis (Caddyshack, Groundhog Day, Analyze This), Michael Shamberg (The Big Chill, Pulp Fiction, Erin Brockovich, Along Came Polly), and Jon Feltheimer (CEO of Lionsgate Films).