About
The world may watch Hollywood productions, but Hollywood draws inspiration from international cinema. Want to further your knowledge of cinema that exists beyond Hollywood? Interested in the history and theory of international film and filmmaking? The World Film Studies minor offers coursework in film history, theory, and aesthetics in order to introduce students to influential cinematic traditions from around the world. Courses for the minor are offered by individual language programs within WLC (Chinese, French, German, Russian, and Spanish) and by other units on the ISU campus (such as the department of English and the Greenlee School of Journalism).
For more information, please contact wfs@iastate.edu.
Outcomes
The student learning outcomes linked below are based on the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century (National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project). This page outlines the standards of a collaborative effort of nine national foreign language organizations. These outcomes establish a context that defines the central role of foreign language in the learning of every student. The standards, as well as our program outcomes and individual course objectives, suggest a paradigm shift in foreign language education that focuses on students’ ability to use the language in authentic situations.
Degrees
The World Film Studies minor complements a wide range of majors and provides a foundation for further studies in film, media, and visual culture at the undergraduate and graduate levels. As part of the minor program, students gain a solid knowledge of the vocabulary, theoretical concepts, analytical methodologies, and research trends of cinema studies. Students become familiar with different periods in the history of world film industry and study international auteurs whose artistic visions continue to transform filmmaking. Students learn how cinema has shaped and has been shaped by societies and cultures; and how globalization and transnationalism have affected contemporary film industries. Above all, the World Film Studies minor exposes students to the art of cinema through viewing, analyzing, reading about, and discussing important films, past and present, from around the globe. Check out all of the requirements for a minor in World Film Studies below!