The legacy of film and a growing presence of blockbuster filmmakers in Michigan spurred Michigan State University to premiere a
new bachelor's degree program in film studies.
Housed in the College of Arts and Letters, the program welcomed its first 11 students in January 2015. Sites are set on ramping up to 80 to 100 degree candidates in the next few years.
Courses will be taught by seven core MSU faculty who are also award-winning filmmakers, and will provide students with training in production, history, theory and criticism of the cinema. The program will also equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to give back culturally and artistically to their communities.
"We're committed to growing the program and making it a vibrant component of MSU and East Lansing," says Program Director and Assistant Professor Josh Yumibe. "We want to contribute to expanding culture and the arts in East Lansing and to bring cinema back to downtown."
Yumibe adds that the new film studies program comes at a time when the accessibility of affordable digital filmmaking tools continues to push filmmaking beyond the boundaries of Hollywood. Targeted occupations for graduates will include film production, film criticism, arts management, advertising, public relations, software development and educational programming.
Film studies have a rich tradition at MSU, producing alumni like Sam Raimi of "Evil Dead" and "Spiderman" fame. The program, says Yumibe, will distinguish itself through its broad global dimension and opportunity for students to pursue screenwriting and film production in conjunction with the study of film.
"We're committed to thinking globally in terms of film and technology," says Yumibe. "And we're training students to think on their feet by teaching them to write, read and speak thoughtfully about what they're working on."
Yumibe says MSU is formalizing internships with several film festivals and film offices. The program also recently welcomed the Toronto-based experimental filmmaker
Mike Hoobloom as part of the program's filmmakers in residence series.
In addition to the new bachelor's degree program, students can earn minors in film studies, fiction filmmaking and documentary production, and pursue concentrated studies in TV, cinema and radio.
Sources: Josh Yumibe, Director, MSU Film Studies Program
Writer: Ann Kammerer, News Editor
Got a story idea for Innovation News? Email Ann Kammerer here.
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