The Film and Television Studies program is dedicated to producing critical media thinkers and producers who are capable of working and contributing to our increasingly diverse and technologically sophisticated society.

Welcome From the Director of the Film and Television Studies Program

Welcome From the Director of the Film and Television Studies Program

Film and television surround us constantly. No one goes through the day without contact with the hypnotic power of the screen. The aim of the Film and Television Studies program at the University of Vermont is to make sense of the mediatized world we inhabit and to equip students with the tools to contribute thoughtfully to it. We offer courses that cover topics ranging from Italian Neorealism and Akira Kurosawa to Pixar films and Breaking Bad. These courses not only introduce students to the formal aesthetics of media but also to the history and theory that provide context, including psychoanalysis, critical race theory, cultural studies, and feminism. Our creative courses include screenwriting, animation, cinematography, and all major aspects of media production. Film and Television Studies program students participate in organizations such as the UVM Film Club, engage in vibrant extracurricular activities for producing media, screen films, work on internships, and connect with others who share their interests. All our research faculty members are actively publishing scholars, while our creative faculty produces significant film and video works. Above all, we are here to help students actualize their passion, whether through critical thinking, theorizing, writing, or creating film and video pieces.

Todd McGowan
Todd.McGowan@uvm.edu

The Film and Television Studies program emphasizes a broad understanding of the media industry from historical and theoretical perspectives, preparing students for a wide range of career and advanced degree opportunities.

By the end of our program, students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate a nuanced knowledge of film history, national cinemas, and theoretical principles, and apply this knowledge through the creation of motion media and/or the composition of cogent and persuasive scholarly writing.
  • Identify and explain the perspectives and practices embedded in media products across various time periods and cultures.
  • Recognize and evaluate the formal elements through which film, television, and other motion media produce meaning.
  • Implement critical thinking skills in media studies by conducting independent research and analysis.