Academic Programs
Our department offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film and Electronic Arts (FEA) and provides students two distinct options of study: Narrative Production or Theory and Practice of Cinema.
There is no portfolio requirement for the Option in Theory & Practice of Cinema.
Program Learning Outcomes:
- Demonstrate proficiency in an area of the cinematic arts (critical studies, media writing, production, and/or post-production);
- Analyze and evaluate the ethical, historical, cultural, and economic impacts of cinema and its production and distribution worldwide;
- Apply aesthetic and textual analysis when creating or analyzing works of cinematic art;
- Utilize cinematic language to communicate themes, emotions, and points of view to an audience;
- Work collaboratively and ethically across alldisciplines of the cinematic arts, synthesizing the valuable contributions of others in the resulting creative or scholarly work;
- Be prepared with conceptual, practical, and technical skills to successfully enter the workforce or to pursue advanced study.
CSULB FEA University Catalog – Narrative Production
***Please Note: beginning in Fall 2024, the Film & Electronic Arts Degree will follow a new curriculum pattern. Because of this, students who begin their first year in Fall 2023 will be directed by academic advisors to take courses under the new curriculum pattern. The curriculum listed below ends in Spring 2024 and is only accurate for Fall 2023 transfer students and students in their third or fourth year in Fall 2023. Please contact academic advising or the department staff if you have any questions.***
Students in this option receive intensive instruction in narrative cinema production and choose one of two specialized tracks for their senior year:
- Production and Directing - Focus on writing, producing, and directing short narrative films, including collaborative work on advanced projects.
- Cinematography - Focus on the art and craft of cinematography, including lighting, shooting, and crewing on advanced narrative projects.
Enrollment in this degree option is limited. For admission to this option, applicants must submit a portfolio that is approved by a department faculty review committee. There is no Spring admission for the Narrative Production Option.
CSULB FEA University Catalog – Theory & Practice of Cinema
***Please Note: beginning in Fall 2024, the Film & Electronic Arts Degree will follow a new curriculum pattern. Because of this, students who begin their first year in Fall 2023 will be directed by academic advisors to take courses under the new curriculum pattern. The curriculum listed below ends in Spring 2024 and is only accurate for Fall 2023 transfer students and students in their third or fourth year in Fall 2023. Please contact academic advising or the department staff if you have any questions.***
Students in this option attain a foundational education in the history and theory of media, and choose one of the following five tracks to acquire specialized training:
- Creative Nonfiction Production - Acquire hands-on experience in documentary research, development, producing, directing, cinematography, sound recording, editing, and sound design by completing several films and studying the history and theory of creative nonfiction.
- Screenwriting - Writing narratives for film, television, and transmedia, as well as writing adaptations from other media.
- Broadcast Production - Producing broadcast media including three-camera studio shows, commercials, public service announcements, and live events.
- Production Management - Learning the producer's role in feature-length film projects, from development and pre-production to post-production and distribution.
- Post Production- Creative, aesthetic, and technical principles of editing, sound and visual effects for films, with the opportunity to earn professional industry credentials.
There is no portfolio requirement for the Option in Theory & Practice of Cinema.
CSULB FEA University Catalog – Film & Electronic Arts Minor
***Please note: the Film and Electronic Arts Minor will no longer be accepting applicants in Fall 2023.***
The minor is a semi-structured program designed to enrich students' understanding of the history and practice of moving images. Students should consult a department advisor regarding ways by which approved courses for the minor can be grouped into specialized tracks.
