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Film and Digital Media Minor

The minor in film and digital media offers a foundation in visual culture and contributes important scholarly techniques of value to other disciplines.  Students earn a minor in film and digital media by completing eight courses: FILM 20A and either FILM 20B or FILM 20C, and six upper-division courses, including three from the core curriculum of the general major and three electives. There is no production component in the minor, nor is there a senior comprehensive requirement.  

Declaring the Film and Digital Media Minor

Click here to download: 2023-24 FDM Minor Checklist (PDF Download)

Students who pass FILM 20A, and either FILM 20B or FILM 20C are eligible to declare the film and digital media minor. To enroll in these classes, students contact the instructor and request a permission code.   Once the prerequisite has been met, the next step is to submit a Petition to declare the Film and Digital Media minor through your student portal.  Please note, you must be currently declared or in the process of declaring a major in order to add a minor.  

Course Requirements

Lower-Division Courses

Complete the following course:

  • ​FILM 20A Introduction to Film Studies

Plus one of the following courses:

  • FILM 20B Introduction to Television Studies
  • FILM 20C Introduction to Digital Media

Upper-Division Courses

Students in the minor must complete the following upper-division core curriculum; One course from each of the following three groups

Group 1:

  • FILM 130 Silent Cinema
  • FILM 132A International Cinema to 1960
  • FILM 132B International Cinema, 1960 to Present

Group 2:

  • FILM 134A American Film, 1930-1960
  • FILM 134B American Film, 1960-Present

Group 3:

  • FILM 136A Experimental Film and Video
  • FILM 136B History of Television
  • FILM 136C Visual Culture and Technology: History of New Media
  • FILM 136D Documentary Film and Video

And three upper-division elective courses to be chosen from the following:

Any three upper-division film and digital media critical studies courses other than production studio courses (150 and 170 series) that have not been used to satisfy the upper-division core curriculum.  One of the electives may be substituted from another department or institution.  Course substitutions must be approved by the Film and Digital Media Department. Please refer to the UCSC General Catalog for complete requirements about the minor and for a list of eligible elective courses.