Undergraduate Degrees in Film & Media Studies
FMS students can choose between a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Bachelor of General Studies (BGS). Students earning a BA will take courses in a foreign language and a laboratory science. BA students often continue their education in a graduate program, while BGS students often pursue a career in film or media production upon graduation.
For both bachelor’s degrees, students will choose an emphasis:
- Production focuses on film and video production and will prepare you for a career in the film industry. Film theory/analysis courses will also be required.
- Culture and Studies focuses on the impact of film in various cultures and societies and the future development of new forms of media. Both film production and film theory/analysis courses will be required.
Join the FMS Department at KU!
Curriculum Requirements
See which courses are required to fulfill your degree. The KU Core website has a list of courses that can fulfill each KU Core goal.
Graduation Requirements
120 credit hours (45 at JR/SR level)
2.0 KU GPA
2.0 KU JR/SR Major GPA
KU CORE General Education Requirements 30 hours
Goal 1.1 Critical Thinking (Filled with FMS 100, FMS 177)
Goal 1.2 Quantitative Literacy
Goal 2.1 Written Communication (1)
Goal 2.1 Written Communication (2)
Goal 2.2 Oral Communication
Goal 3H Arts & Humanities (Filled with FMS 200, FMS 380)
Goal 3S Social Sciences
Goal 3N Natural Sciences
Goal 4.1 U.S. Diversity (Filled with FMS 314, FMS 410)
Goal 4.2 Global Diversity (Filled with FMS 315, FMS 316, FMS 323, FMS 541, FMS 543)
Goal 5 Social Responsibility & Ethics (Filled with FMS 425)
Goal 6 Analyzing & Combining Ideas (Filled with FMS 498, FMS 499, FMS 585)
FMS Major Requirements 40 Hours
Core Knowledge & Skills 13 Hours
FMS 100 Introduction to Film 3 hours
FMS 200 Aesthetics / Goal 3H 3 hours
FMS 380 Pop Culture of ______ 3 hours
FMS 301 UG Professional Development Seminar 1 hour
FMS 530 Classic Film/Media Theory 3 hours
Production 21 hours
FMS 275 Basic Video Production 3 hours
Media: FMS 345, 350 or 355 3 hours
Film History: FMS 310, 311, 312, 313 or 314 3 hours
Documentary or Experimental Film: FMS 592 or FMS 593 3 hours
Production (6 hrs. required): FMS 273, 303, 373, 374, 375, 376, 377, 474, 475, 477, 478, 479, or 480
Capstone Experience / Goal 6: FMS 585 Capstone in Film & Media 3 hours
Film & Media Studies Electives 6 hours
Choose 6 hours of elective courses to fulfill FMS major requirements.
BA-Specific Requirements 15-25 hours
Quantitative Reasoning (Must have MATH 101 as a pre-requisite) 3 hours
World Language (4th semester proficiency or 3 semesters of 1 language and 1 semester of another language) 11-20 hours
Laboratory Science 1-2 hours
Writing Requirement
ENGL 101 (or 102/105)
ENGL 102 (or 203, 205, 211)
Elective Hours 28-38 hours
Elective hours depend on course overlap with degree requirements.
Graduation Requirements
120 credit hours (45 at JR/SR level)
2.0 KU GPA
2.0 KU JR/SR Major GPA
KU CORE General Education Requirements 30 hours
Goal 1.1 Critical Thinking (Filled with FMS 100, FMS 177)
Goal 1.2 Quantitative Literacy
Goal 2.1 Written Communication (1)
Goal 2.1 Written Communication (2)
Goal 2.2 Oral Communication
Goal 3H Arts & Humanities (Filled with FMS 200, FMS 380)
Goal 3S Social Sciences
Goal 3N Natural Sciences
Goal 4.1 U.S. Diversity (Filled with FMS 314, FMS 410)
Goal 4.2 Global Diversity (Filled with FMS 315, FMS 316, FMS 323, FMS 541, FMS 543)
Goal 5 Social Responsibility & Ethics (Filled with FMS 425)
Goal 6 Analyzing & Combining Ideas (Filled with FMS 498, FMS 499, FMS 585)
FMS Major Requirements 40 Hours
Core Knowledge & Skills 13 Hours
FMS 100 Introduction to Film 3 hours
FMS 200 Aesthetics / Goal 3H 3 hours
FMS 380 Pop Culture of ______ 3 hours
FMS 301 UG Professional Development Seminar 1 hour
FMS 530 Classic Film/Media Theory 3 hours
Culture & Studies 21 hours
Cultural Studies: FMS 315, 316, 318, 350 or 620 3 hours
Media: FMS 345, 355, or 474 3 hours
Documentary or Experimental Film: FMS 592 or FMS 593 3 hours
Production: FMS 273, 275, or 374 3 hours
Film History (6 hrs. required): FMS 310, 311, 312, 313, or 314
Capstone Experience / Goal 6: FMS 585 Capstone in Film & Media 3 hours
Film & Media Studies Electives 6 hours
Choose 6 hours of elective courses to fulfill FMS major requirements.
BA-Specific Requirements 15-25 hours
Quantitative Reasoning (Must have MATH 101 as a pre-requisite) 3 hours
World Language (4th semester proficiency or 3 semesters of 1 language and 1 semester of another language) 11-20 hours
Laboratory Science 1-2 hours
Writing Requirement
ENGL 101 (or 102/105)
ENGL 102 (or 203, 205, 211)
Elective Hours 28-38 hours
Elective hours depend on course overlap with degree requirements.
Graduation Requirements
120 credit hours (45 at JR/SR level)
2.0 KU GPA
2.0 KU JR/SR Major GPA
KU CORE General Education Requirements 30 hours
Goal 1.1 Critical Thinking (Filled with FMS 100, FMS 177)
Goal 1.2 Quantitative Literacy
Goal 2.1 Written Communication (1)
Goal 2.1 Written Communication (2)
Goal 2.2 Oral Communication
Goal 3H Arts & Humanities (Filled with FMS 200, FMS 380)
Goal 3S Social Sciences
Goal 3N Natural Sciences
Goal 4.1 U.S. Diversity (Filled with FMS 314, FMS 410)
Goal 4.2 Global Diversity (Filled with FMS 315, FMS 316, FMS 323, FMS 541, FMS 543)
Goal 5 Social Responsibility & Ethics (Filled with FMS 425)
Goal 6 Analyzing & Combining Ideas (Filled with FMS 498, FMS 499, FMS 585)
FMS Major Requirements 40 Hours
Core Knowledge & Skills 13 Hours
FMS 100 Introduction to Film 3 hours
FMS 200 Aesthetics / Goal 3H 3 hours
FMS 380 Pop Culture of ______ 3 hours
FMS 301 UG Professional Development Seminar 1 hour
FMS 530 Classic Film/Media Theory 3 hours
Production 21 hours
FMS 275 Basic Video Production 3 hours
Media: FMS 345, 350, or 355 3 hours
Film History: FMS 310, 311, 312, 313, or 314 3 hours
Documentary or Experimental Film: FMS 592 or FMS 593 3 hours
Production (6 hrs. required): FMS 273, 303, 373, 374, 375, 376, 377, 474, 475, 477, 478, 479, or 480
Capstone Experience / Goal 6: FMS 585 Capstone in Film & Media 3 hours
Film & Media Studies Electives 6 hours
Choose 6 hours of elective courses to fulfill FMS major requirements.
BGS-Specific Requirements 21 hours
Choose a Minor or Second Major 18 hours
Career Preparation Course 3 hours
Writing Requirement
ENGL 101 (or 102/105) - Fulfills KU Core Goal 2.1
ENGL 102 (or 203, 205, 211) - Fulfills KU Core Goal 2.1
Elective Hours 32 hours
Elective hours depend on course overlap with degree requirements.
Graduation Requirements
120 credit hours (45 at JR/SR level)
2.0 KU GPA
2.0 KU JR/SR Major GPA
KU CORE General Education Requirements 30 hours
Goal 1.1 Critical Thinking (Filled with FMS 100, FMS 177)
Goal 1.2 Quantitative Literacy
Goal 2.1 Written Communication (1)
Goal 2.1 Written Communication (2)
Goal 2.2 Oral Communication
Goal 3H Arts & Humanities (Filled with FMS 200, FMS 380)
Goal 3S Social Sciences
Goal 3N Natural Sciences
Goal 4.1 U.S. Diversity (Filled with FMS 314, FMS 410)
Goal 4.2 Global Diversity (Filled with FMS 315, FMS 316, FMS 323, FMS 541, FMS 543)
Goal 5 Social Responsibility & Ethics (Filled with FMS 425)
Goal 6 Analyzing & Combining Ideas (Filled with FMS 498, FMS 499, FMS 585)
FMS Major Requirements 40 Hours
Core Knowledge & Skills 13 Hours
FMS 100 Introduction to Film / Goal 1.1 3 hours
FMS 200 Aesthetics / Goal 3H 3 hours
FMS 380 Pop Culture of ______ 3 hours
FMS 301 UG Professional Development Seminar 1 hour
FMS 530 Classic Film/Media Theory 3 hours
Film & Media Studies: Culture & Studies 21 hours
Cultural Studies: FMS 315, 316, 318, 350 or 620 3 hours
Media: FMS 345, 355, or 474 3 hours
Documentary or Experimental Film: FMS 592 or FMS 593 3 hours
Production: FMS 273, 275, or 374 3 hours
Film History (6 hrs. required): FMS 310, 311, 312, 313, or 314
Capstone Experience / Goal 6: FMS 585 Capstone in Film & Media 3 hours
Film & Media Studies Electives 6 hours
Choose 6 hours of elective courses to fulfill FMS major requirements.
BGS-Specific Requirements 21 hours
Choose a Minor or Second Major 18 hours
Career Preparation Course 3 hours
Writing Requirement
ENGL 101 (or 102/105) - Fulfills KU Core Goal 2.1
ENGL 102 (or 203, 205, 211) - Fulfills KU Core Goal 2.1
Elective Hours 32 hours
Elective hours depend on course overlap with degree requirements.
Requirements for the FMS Minor
Students selecting this minor must complete the following:
FMS 100 Introduction to Film and Media 3 hours
FMS 200 Film and Media Aesthetics 3 hours
Select 12 hours from the following courses:
FMS 302 Undergraduate Studies Seminar in: _____ 1-3 hours
FMS 304 Study Abroad Topics in: _____ 1-6 hours
FMS 310 History of the Silent Film 3 hours
FMS 311 History of the American Sound Film 3 hours
FMS 312 History of the International Sound Film to 1950 3 hours
FMS 313 History of the International Sound Film Post 1950 3 hours
FMS 314 History of African-American Images in Film 3 hours
FMS 315 Survey of Japanese Film 3 hours
FMS 316 Cinemas of the Southern Cone: Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay 3 hours
FMS 318 Anti-war Film 3 hours
FMS 322 Soviet and Post-Soviet Russian Cinema 3 hours
FMS 323 War and Memory in Asian Film 3 hours
FMS 345 New Media and Society 3 hours
FMS 355 Storytelling with Digital Media 3 hours
FMS 380 American Popular Culture of: _____ 3 hours
FMS 410 US Diversity in Visual Culture 3 hours
FMS 411 Television Studies 3 hours
FMS 413 Asian Media Studies 3 hours
FMS 425 Ethics in Storytelling 3 hours
FMS 530 Film and Media Theory 3 hours
FMS 531 Contemporary Concepts in Media Studies 3 hours
FMS 540 Cuban Cinema 3 hours
FMS 541 Asian Film 3 hours
FMS 543 Contemporary Japanese Film 3 hours
FMS 544 African Film 3 hours
FMS 592 Documentary Film and Video 3 hours
FMS 593 Experimental Film and Video 3 hours
FMS 620 International Women Filmmakers 3 hours
*Majors take priority over Minors when enrolling in production courses.
Minor Hours & Minor GPA
While completing all required courses, minors must also meet each of the following hour and GPA minimum standards:
Minor Hours
Satisfied by 18 hours of minor courses.
Minor Hours in Residence
Satisfied by a minimum of 9 hours of KU resident credit in the minor.
Minor Junior/Senior Hours
Satisfied by a minimum of 12 hours from junior/senior courses (300+) in the minor.
