Information for Majors

• Major Requirements: To successfully complete the major you need to have 10 credits in Film. This is how it breaks down:

• Also note that the university’s oversubscription rules limit the number of courses you can take in any one department that will be applied to your Wesleyan degree. In Film Studies, you are limited to SIXTEEN total courses, two of which may be your thesis option if you undertake a two-semester senior thesis.  Courses cross-listed with Film Studies count in both Film and the cross-listed department.
• To clarify, you are allowed to apply the following to your Wesleyan degree:

• As the number of students majoring in Film Studies increases, course access can be challenging. Film Studies has fewer faculty members than other departments/programs with an equal number of majors, and enrollment in productions classes is further restricted by equipment limits. You should not assume that you will be able to enroll in every course you desire in the semester you desire it without advance planning. We recommend you meet with professors to request classes in person and well in advance of the offering. 
  
  Please consult Wesmaps regarding the process of enrollment in each course. For those courses that are POI, please contact faculty directly regarding enrollment ASAP. Enrollment lists for many of these courses will be filled even before pre-registration begins.   
                                   
• We support study abroad, but in order to complete the major requirements it is imperative that you keep us informed of your plans and that you make arrangements early. If you are considering a semester abroad, please meet with Professor Higgins during his office hours as soon as possible. We recommend a MAXIMUM of ONE SEMESTER abroad, preferably taken the spring of your sophomore year or the summer between sophomore and junior year. Though studying abroad in the junior year is an option, it is advantageous to be on campus the final four semesters of your undergraduate degree in order to maximize your access to courses. You may be able to count one History/Theory course taken abroad toward the electives required for the major. However, we make these decisions on a case-by-case basis, and we will need to review syllabi and coursework to determine if credit will be granted. Please meet with Prof. Higgins PRIOR to going abroad to discuss the specific classes you are considering and receive preliminary approval for transfer credit.  After your return, provide Prof. Higgins with a syllabus and the work you did in the course in order to confirm approval for transfer credit. This same process applies to transfer of any credit from institutions other than Wesleyan. No production credits from other universities can be applied to the major.
  
  
• The Film Department does not grant Major Credit for Teaching Apprenticeships for Student Forum.

• You may find information about summer internships in the Career Resources Center. Film Studies does NOT grant credit for internships. If you are interested in applying for an internship that appears to require the department to grant credit, a faculty member can write a letter on your behalf explaining our policy—this is usually all a company needs to confirm your status as an enrolled student.
  
  
• If you need to ask a faculty member for a letter of recommendation, please contact him or her a minimum of ten days prior to the due date. Any faculty member receiving a request for a recommendation that is due more quickly may decline the request.
  
  
• Finally, we want to stress that a Senior Thesis is NOT required for completion of the Film Major. The Senior Thesis Application process takes place at the end of second-semester Junior year. The Senior Thesis options are: a Screenplay; a Television Pilot; a History/Theory written thesis; a 16mm Fiction Film; a Digital Fiction Film; a Digital Documentary; an Archival Project; a Film Criticism Project. We NEVER allow combined theses for two different majors. All senior thesis projects are completed from fall to spring semester. If you are a December grad, you will need either to graduate a semester early, take a semester off, or add an additional semester to complete a thesis. We recommend considering a senior thesis only if you have completed a minimum of 7 of the 10 required major courses and 24 of the required 32 Wesleyan credits prior to entering your senior year.

We hope this clarifies the requirements that you will face in the next two years. If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask.