The Film and Visual Studies concentration engages students in the history, criticism, and theory of film and other visual media spanning a broad range of disciplines and fields in visual and material studies, literature and culture, adaptation, and performance studies. Coursework covers the history of American cinema, film genre and authorship studies, contemporary global cinemas, literary and rhetorical studies, affect and embodiment theory, and minoritarian aesthetics, among other topics and approaches. As an interdisciplinary concentration, Film and Visual Studies also enables students to take applicable classes in the School of Language, Culture, and Society. Collaborations beyond the classroom include partnerships with the downtown, independent Darkside Cinema for screenings and events, including the annual Oregon State International Film Festival. The Film and Visual Studies track prepares students for professions and professional programs involving visuality and visual arts. The MA faculty in Film and Visual Studies publish widely with major trade and scholarly presses and in top professional journals.
MA students complete a thesis during their second year of study. Many of these projects result in excellent, thoughtful research that becomes integrated into classroom practice, results in published articles, or evolves into dissertation projects. These are just a few recent thesis projects:
Andrea Schuster (MA, 2021) was accepted to the PhD Program in Film at the University of Iowa
Kate Dawson (MA, 2020) was accepted to the PhD Program in Film at Temple University
Jess Silbaugh-Cowdin (MA, 2018) was accepted to the PhD Program in Literature at the University of California San Diego