The major in cinema and photography provides undergraduate students with experience and background in the history, theory, and practice of analog and digital photographic and cinematic communication and expression. The program is structured to make available a foundation for fine arts, professional, and education careers in cinema and photography and their digital media extensions; to explore the social, critical, and ideological implications of still and motion pictures; and to provide opportunities for study of and experimentation with both still and motion pictures as media for communication and personal expression.

Creation and exploration are stressed in programs of study that are founded in analog techniques and approaches, on the rising trajectory of digital techniques and approaches. The major has three specializations, a Cinema Specialization, a Photography Specialization, and a Digital Communication Specialization. Within these specializations, through carefully advised selection of courses, students achieve integrated areas of emphasis under one of the following general headings: cinema production, cinema studies, fine arts photography, professional (applied) photography, or digital communication. See suggested curricular guides and course descriptions below and under the heading Mass Communication and Media Arts (MCMA).

Students are urged to declare the major and select the specialization as soon as possible. A number of individual course prerequisites specify overall grade point averages above the minimum C (2.00) required to be in good standing at the University. In all cases, grades below C in any Cinema and Photography (CP) courses will not be accepted as fulfilling requirements in the major. Without exception, Cinema and Photography (CP) courses in which students have received grades of D, F, AU, or INC cannot be used to satisfy prerequisite requirements for other Cinema and Photography (CP) courses. A grade of B (3.00) or better is required in some courses to fulfill prerequisite credit for subsequent courses. See course descriptions for prerequisite requirements.

Courses in Cinema and Photography (CP) may have limited enrollments, especially advanced courses. Not all courses are offered each semester. Admission to certain Cinema and Photography (CP) courses is restricted, and consent of department or permission of instructor must be obtained prior to registration.

Consent of department to register for some courses may be based upon grade point average, performance in the program, and submission of creative portfolio, scholarly papers, and/or written proposals for work to be accomplished. Students are encouraged to plan well in advance to ensure meeting course pre-requisites and to fulfill all requirements of the major. Student enrollment in Cinema and Photography (CP) courses may be cancelled for those who do not at-tend all class meetings during the first week of classes.

Students may design their own programs of study within the requirements for any of the three specializations. The Department recommends that students choose an area of emphasis within their specialization to give a sense of direction to their studies. For an emphasis in cinema production, students will enroll in: Cinema and Photography (CP) 101, 352, 355, 360, 368, 376; six credits from Cinema and Photography (CP) 449, 461, 462, 463, 466, 467 or 470A; nine to twelve credit hours of CP 400 level cinema production or screenwriting courses; and 496a/496b or 499p, or 499w. For cinema studies, students will enroll in: Cinema and Photography (CP) 101, 352, 355, 360, 368, 376; up to eighteen credit hours from Cinema and Photography (CP) 449, 461, 462, 463, 466, 467, or 470A; and 499s.

For fine arts photography, students will enroll in: Cinema and Photography (CP) 220, 310, 320, 322, 324; three credits from Cinema and Photography (CP) 401, 402, 410, 415; and twelve credit hours from Cinema and Photography (CP) 421, 425, 426, 427, 470c; six additional credit hours of CP 400 level photography courses; and 498. For applied photography, students will enroll in: Cinema and Photography (CP) 220, 310, 320, 322, 324; three to nine credits from Cinema and Photography (CP) 401, 402, 404; and twelve to eighteen credit hours from Cinema and Photography (CP) 427, 431, 432, 436, 470c; six credit hours of CP 400 level photography courses; and 498 (or 431 and 432 and a public exhibition). For digital communication, students will enroll in: Mass Communication and Media Arts (MCMA) 300 and 301; six credit hours from Mass Communication and Media Arts (MCMA) 397, 497, Journalism (JRNL) 335, 435, and Radio-Television (RT) 461, 469; twelve credit hours, Cinema and Photography (CP) 310, 320, 322, 324; nine credit hours from Cinema and Photography (CP) 401, 402, 404, 410, 415, 421, 426, 427, 431, 432, 436, 470c, 470d; and Mass Communication and Media Arts (MCMA) 495. Please note that students selecting the Digital Communication Spe-cialization in the Cinema and Photography major cannot apply Cinema and Photography (CP) 344 to the Bachelor of Arts degree. Please look under the School of Journalism for the course of study for the photojournalism specialization.

All Cinema and Photography majors are required to produce a senior thesis project during the senior year. For the Cinema Specialization, the choice is either Cinema and Photography (CP) 496a/496b or 499. For the Photography Specialization, the choice is either Cinema and Photography (CP) 431/432 or 498 and a public exhibition. For the Digital Communication Specialization, the requirement is Mass Communication and Media Arts (MCMA) 495. This senior thesis will consist of a film, video, screenplay, research or critical paper, or an exhibition portfolio, completed under the supervision of a cinema and photography faculty member or other appropriate faculty member to be approved by the Chairperson. The Department requires a copy of the thesis, usually on video, DVD, slides, or CD-ROM.

Collected images, tapes, or disks become part of a permanent departmental archive. Students must purchase materials for all Cinema and Photography (CP) and Mass Communication and Media Arts (MCMA) production courses. In film and video production courses, students provide recording materials, film stock, processing, printing and/or telecine transfer, other lab services, and editing supplies including a FireWire drive, and they must have access to a Super 8 film camera for their own use in CP 355 Film Production I and a light meter of their own for all subsequent film production courses. In still photography production courses, students provide their own film, photographic paper, certain specialized chemicals, and a fully adjustable 35mm or 120 roll film camera. Some photography students have found that owning additional items of equipment is advantageous. Digital imaging courses require students to provide storage media and pay fees for materials for digital printing in departmental facilities. An equipment usage fee is charged for each film and video production course. A laboratory fee is charged for each still photography production course. A screening fee is charged in each course that depends on presentation of course content on slides, CD-ROMs, film, videos and/or DVDs.

A maximum of 54 credit hours in Cinema and Photography (CP) course work may be applied toward the completion of the Bachelor of Arts degree. No more than nine credit hours of Cinema and Photography (CP) 491, 494, 495, 497 combined may count toward the first 41 hours in the Cinema Specialization. No more than six hours of Cinema and Photography (CP) 491, 494, 495, 497 combined may count toward the first 35 hours in the Photography Specialization. No more that six credit hours of Cinema and Photography (CP) 491, 494, 495, 497 and Mass Communication and Media Arts (MCMA) 499 combined may count toward the first 36 hours in the Digital Communications Specialization.

Electives are defined as course work outside the University Core Curriculum requirements and the requirements of the chosen specialization in the Cinema and Photography major. There is no required minor.