Public Policy and Social Science (Double Degree)

The curriculum in Screen Arts and Cultures provides an integrated program of courses in the history, aesthetics, theory, and techniques of film and moving image electronic media (television, single-camera video, digital). Emphasis is placed on a liberal arts sequence that provides students with a solid foundation for understanding how film and electronic-based visual media arise out of varied cultural, historical, social, and technological circumstances. Two prerequisite courses prepare them for advanced study in the history and aesthetics of moving image media and for production courses. An introductory course in production gives students hands-on experience in film, video, and television. Courses in film history prepare students for electives in the films of specific cultures, nations, and time periods, as well as in the study of film style illuminated by the work of individual artists and in various genres. Television history allows them to assess trends in the social, technological, and formal development of the most influential medium of the second half of the twentieth century. Required courses in theory and criticism examine the methods that have been used to study film, television, and digital media.

Production core courses are designed to help majors work creatively in film and moving image electronic media (television, single-camera video, digital) as they become familiar, through electives, with interdisciplinary, humanistic perspectives on how moving image technology has been used in different cultures as a medium of communication and artistic expression, and how various kinds of institutional practice have characterized its use. The film-video curriculum is designed to prepare students for more advanced work in film writing and criticism, in creative film, video-making, and studio television work, and for advanced study in graduate programs in moving image media.

Prerequisites to the Major

SAC / RCHUMS 236 - The Art of the Film, and SAC 272 - Classical Film Theory, each completed with a minimum grade of C-. Prerequisites for the SAC major may be taken for a grade or may be taken P/F. 

Students will apply for entry to the major after having completed the prerequisites with a minimum grade point average of 2.0. In accord with LSA policies, students who do not meet the minimum grade requirement but still hope to declare the Screen Arts and Cultures major may retake one prerequisite course. If they meet the criteria above with the new grade they earn in the re-taken course, they may declare Screen Arts and Cultures as their major.

Requirements for the Major (30 credits). 

A grade of C– or better must be achieved in any course taken to satisfy the requirements for the major.

1. Core Required Courses (21 credits).
   1. Two history courses:
      SAC 352 - Film History: Origins to the French New Wave, and one additional history course selected from among the following: SAC 353 - Film History: Post New Wave, SAC 354 - New Media History, or SAC 355 - Television History.
   2. One theory course beyond the prerequisite selected from among the following:
      SAC 372 - Contemporary Film Theory, SAC 375 - Television Theory and Criticism, SAC 376 - New Media Theory, or SAC 461 - Explorations in Feminist Film Theory.
   3.  Introduction to production course:
      SAC 290 - Introduction to Media Production.
   4. Two production or writing courses selected from the following:
      • SAC 300 - Dramatic Narrative I
      • SAC 301 - Documentary I
      • SAC 302 - Television I
      • SAC 304 - Topics in Media Production I
      • SAC 305 - The Experimental Screen
      • SAC 306 - New Media Practices I
      • SAC 307 - Film Analysis for Filmmakers
      • SAC 310 - Screenwriting I:  The Feature Script
      • SAC 311 - Writing for Television I:  The Spec Script 
      • SAC 315 - The Experimental Screen
   5. One studies course selected from among the following in national, regional, or transnational cinema:
      • SAC 250 / JUDAIC 250 / NEAREAST 280 - Jewish Film: Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality
      • SAC / SLAVIC / RCHUMS 313 - Russian and Ukrainian Cinema
      • SAC / POLISH 314 - Polish Cinema
      • SAC / CZECH 315 - The Czech New Wave and Its Legacy
      • SAC / ITALIAN 316 - Screening Italian-Americans
      • SAC 332 / GERMAN 330 - German Cinema
      • SAC / GERMAN 333 - Fascist Cinema
      • SAC / AMCULT / COMM 334 - Race, Gender, Sexuality and U.S. Culture in Video Games
      • SAC / ASIAN 341 - Bollywood and Beyond:  An Introduction to Popular Indian Cinema
      • SAC / GERMAN / AMCULT 346 - Media Matter: From Print to Screen Culture
      • SAC 358 - Italian Film: History, Art, Entertainment
      • SAC 365 - Race and Ethnicity in Contemporary American Television
      • SAC 368 - Topics in Digital Media Studies
      • SAC / AMCULT / LATINOAM 380 - Studies in Transnational Media
      • SAC / AMCULT / LATINOAM 381 - Latinas/Latinos and the Media
      • SAC / AAS 440 - African Cinema
      • SAC 441 - National Screens
      • SAC / AAS 442 - Third World Cinema
      • SAC / ASIAN 458 - Film Culture in Korea
      • SAC / AAS 470 - Cultural Cinema
      • SAC 485 - The Global Screen
      • ITALIAN 358 - Italian Cinema
      • or a similar course pre-approved by the advisor.
2. Required Electives (9 credits; 3 courses): Three SAC courses at the 300 or 400 level, with no more than two courses in production
   
   Production Courses

• SAC 300 - Dramatic Narrative I
• SAC 301 - Documentary I
• SAC 302 - Television I 
• SAC 304 - Topics in Media Production I
• SAC 305 - The Experimental Screen
• SAC 306 - New Media Practices I
• SAC 307 - Film Analysis for Filmmakers
• SAC 310 - Screenwriting I:  The Feature Script
• SAC 311 - Writing for Television I:  The Spec Script  
• SAC 400 - Dramatic Narrative II
• SAC 401 - Documentary  II 
• SAC 402 - Television II
• SAC 403 - Television Sketch Comedy
• SAC 404 - Topics in Media Production II 
• SAC 405 - Screendance
• SAC 406 - New Media Practices II
• SAC 410 - Screenwriting II: The Rewrite
• SAC 411 - Writing for Television II: Pilots 
• SAC 423 - Practicum for the Screenwriter 
• SAC 427 - Screenwriting III

Screenwriting Submajor (optional)

Honors

The Honors plan in the Department of Screen Arts and Cultures offers qualified Screen Arts and Cultures majors a special opportunity. Upper-level students with strong academic records and a demonstrated ability to carry out the independent work required to complete an Honors thesis, screenplay, film, video or digital production are encouraged to apply. The Screen Arts and Cultures Honors major is not restricted to students who have been in the College Honors Program in their freshman and sophomore years.

Upon successful completion of the Honors plan, students may graduate with Honors, High Honors, or Highest Honors in Screen Arts and Cultures, depending on the evaluation of their thesis, screenplay, or project. These Honors designations appear on their diploma along with any College Honors designations they earn from their overall grade point.

Students accepted into the Honors plan also become members of the Honors Program of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. As members of the LSA Honors Program, they gain access to a variety of special services such as possible financial support for their Honors work. In addition, students may also apply for competitive scholarships administered by the Department of Screen Arts and Cultures to help with costs associated with Honors projects.

Admission. To be considered for the Honors major, students must have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in the Screen Arts and Cultures major. Students must also identify a Screen Arts and Cultures faculty sponsor and file an application for admission to the Honors plan no later than three terms prior to the intended graduation date. 

1. You must apply via The Common Application, and submit the University of Michigan Questions. International students are not eligible for application fee waivers.
2. All undergraduate first-year applicants are required to submit test results from either the SAT with writing or the ACT with writing.
3. Submit the School Report.
4. Submit one Teacher Evaluation (academic teacher).
5. Submit a Counselor Recommendation (encouraged, but not required).
6. Submit your high school transcript. An official English translation is required to accompany the transcript if the transcript is not issued in English by the school. (Students who have already completed high school, including university transfer applicants, should be sure to have final high school transcript submitted showing the graduation date. Also provide a detailed explanation of any educational gaps.)
7. If you are a speaker of English as a second language, you will need to submit your MELAB, TOEFL, or IELTS scores.
8. Please note that international students on temporary visas are not eligible for financial aid, and should expect to pay the full cost of attendance. Scholarships are generally not available.   

Do not submit any extra documents unless specifically requested, as this may only delay your decision.