The Film & Visual Media program offers comprehensive courses in film and visual media, from theoretical framing and historical-cultural contextualization to training skills in creating, analyzing, and developing film. CMU's Department of English is an ideal home for the Film and Visual Media major due to the department’s combination of creative writers, film and media studies scholars, filmmakers, digital humanities instructors, and visual communication researchers.

You can learn more about the ways in which you can study Film & Visual Media at CMU by clicking on the links to the right (Primary Major, Additional Major, and Minor). The primary major in Film & Visual Media is for students wishing to get their B.A. degree in the field. Below, students wishing to complete the primary major can see the recommended curriculum pathway to do so.

Financial Resources for Students

Students enrolled in the Film and Visual Media program have access to funds earmarked for film production and/or the payment of fees for submitting finished work to film festivals. Students pursuing the primary major, additional major, or BHA concentration have access to up to $650 for the purpose of supporting their personal creative work.  Students pursuing the minor have access to up to $500 for the purpose of supporting their personal creative work. Additional funds may be available through other sources which the Department can facilitate.

To submit a funding request, please fill out our Film Student Expense Request form.

For more details, please reach out to the director of the program, Jeff Hinkelman.

Recommended Curriculum Pathway for the B.A. in Film & Visual Media

This plan is the recommended pathway for completing the B.A. in Film & Visual Media in four years. While it is not required for students to follow this pathway precisely, it is highly recommended for students to do so, and we recommend students begin the major’s courses as early as possible. Students in Dietrich College may declare their primary major as early as the middle of their second semester. Students who have not declared their major in the Department of English may still take courses with us.

Students may also view the four-year plan (also known as a Pathway) for the B.A. in Film & Visual Media via the Stellic Degree Audit Application.