Catalogue 2023-2024 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Media Studies Program
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Director: Dara N. Greenwood;
Steering Committee: Sole Anatrone (Italian), John Andrews (Sociology), Giovanna Borradori (Philosophy), Anne Branckyab (French and Francophone Studies), Paulina Bren (International Studies), Hiromi Tsuchiya Dollase (Chinese and Japanese), Wenwei Duab (Chinese and Japanese), Thomas Ellman (Computer Science), Dara N. Greenwood (Psychology), Maria Hantzopoulosab (Education), Sophia Harvey (Film), Thomas E. Hill (Library), Molly Nesbita (Art), Justin Patch (Music), Ronald Patkus (Library), Louis Römer (Anthropology); Shane Slattery-Quintanilla (Film), Eva Woods Peiróa (Hispanic Studies);
Participating Faculty: Lisa Brawley (Urban Studies and Associate Dean of the Faculty), Colleen Ballerino Cohen (Anthropology), Robert DeMaria (English), Tracey Holland (Latin American and Latinx Studies), William Hoynes (Sociology and Dean of the Faculty), Amitava Kumarab (English), Alexander Kupfer (Film), Mia Maskb (Film), Anna Mayer (German Studies), Thomas Porcello (Anthropology and Dean of Studies), Elliott Schreiber (German Studies), Kathleen Susman (Biology), David Taváreza (Anthropology).
a On leave 2023/24, first semester
b On leave 2023/24, second semester
ab On leave 2023/24
The Media Studies Program encourages the understanding and critical evaluation of new and old media technologies, the centrality of media in global and local culture, social life, politics and economics, and the contemporary and historical impact of media on individuals and societies. As defined by the Program, “media” includes all forms of representational media (oral/aural, written, visual), mass media (print, television, radio, film), new media (digital multimedia, the Internet, networked media), their associated technologies, and the social and cultural institutions that enable them and are defined by them.
The Program emphasizes several interrelated approaches to the study of media: multidisciplinary perspectives derived from the arts, humanities, social and natural sciences; the historical study of various forms of communication and the representation of knowledge; theoretical and critical investigation of how media shape our understandings of reality, and the dynamic interrelationship of media industries, cultural texts, communication technologies, policies, and publics; examination of global, as well as non-Western, indigenous, and oppositional media forms and practices; and practical work in media production and the use of media technologies.
Because the Media Studies concentration incorporates courses originating within the Program as well as a wide range of courses from other Programs and Departments, students wishing to concentrate in Media Studies should consult with the Program Director as early as possible to design their course of study. Prospective majors will submit a “Focus Statement” outlining their interests, objectives, the proposed course of study, and a tentative plan for a Senior Project. The proposed course of study should be rigorous, well-integrated, and feasible in the context of the College curriculum. Focus Statements should identify specific courses and provide a narrative explaining the linkages across Departments/Programs and curricular levels among the proposed courses, as well as their relevance for the proposed Senior Project. Focus Statements will be evaluated by the Program Director who, in consultation with the Program Steering Committee, will grant the prospective major admission to the Program.
As the Steering Committee occasionally requests revisions of Focus Statements in consultation with the Focus Statement Adviser and the Program Director, students who plan to spend one or both semesters of their Junior year abroad should submit their Focus Statement no later than the Friday following October break of their sophomore year. Students who intend to take courses at another domestic institution during their junior year should submit their Focus Statements no later than the Friday of the first week of classes of the spring semester of their sophomore year. All other students should submit their Focus Statements no later than March 1 of their sophomore year.
Advisers: Students will consult with the Program Director to select an Adviser from the Steering Committee or participating faculty.
Major
Media Studies: I. Introductory
Media Studies: II. Intermediate
Media Studies: III. Advanced
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