Media Studies
Media Studies
https://arthistory.rice.edu/cmst-about
116 Humanities Building
713-348-4118
Michael Dango
Program Director
michael.dango@rice.edu
Media Studies is an interdisciplinary program that focuses on the history, analysis, and theorization of technologically driven visual media, including film, television, video art, the Internet, and expanded cinema.
Broader survey courses introduce students to the history of moving images and to the fundamentals of cinematic and media analysis, while advanced seminars focus on three elective areas that extend media analysis through cultural theory and practical skills: film history and aesthetics; media and cultural theory; and media production and applied research.
The undergraduate Media Studies major and the minor in Cinema and Media Studies are housed in the School of Humanities.
Program Director
Michael Dango
Co-Directors and Advisors, Minor
Martin Blumenthal-Barby
Lida Oukaderova
Professors
Graham Bader
Martin Blumenthal-Barby
Marcia Brennan
Luis Duno-Gottberg
Kirsten Ostherr
Edward A. Snow
Associate Professors
Gordon Hughes
Lida Oukaderova
Philip R. Wood
Assistant Professor
Hayley O'Malley
Professor in the Practice
Charles Dove
Lecturer
Liam Mayes
Minor Steering Committee
Martin Blumenthal-Barby
Charles Dove
Luis Duno-Gottberg
Gordon Hughes
Kirsten Ostherr
Lida Oukaderova
For Rice University degree-granting programs:
To view the list of official course offerings, please see Rice’s Course Catalog.
To view the most recent semester’s course schedule, please see Rice's Course Schedule.
Media Studies (MDIA)
MDIA 201 - HISTORY OF CINEMA AND MEDIA I: INVENTION TO 1945
Short Title: HISTORY OF CINEMA AND MEDIA I
Department: Media Studies
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Course Type: Seminar
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.
Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level
Description: This seminar will introduce students to the history of cinema from its inception to 1945 by considering individual cinematic artifacts in their technological, economic, aesthetic, political, and social contexts.
MDIA 202 - HISTORY OF CINEMA AND MEDIA PART II: 1945-PRESENT
Short Title: HISTORY OF CINEMA AND MEDIA II
Department: Media Studies
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Course Type: Seminar
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.
Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level
Description: Introduction to major movements, practices and theories of film and media from 1945 to present. Formerly offered as, and mutually exclusive with, CMST 202. Students who have earned credit for CMST 202 cannot earn credit for MDIA 202.
MDIA 203 - INTRODUCTION TO FILM AND MEDIA ANALYSIS
Short Title: FILM AND MEDIA ANALYSIS
Department: Media Studies
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Course Type: Seminar
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.
Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level
Description: This course introduces students to the fundamental principles of film analysis. We will focus on the visual and narrative organization of film and moving images; examine the evolution of film form in specific historical contexts; and work on developing critical and interpretative skills for understanding, and writing about, cinema. Formerly offered as, and mutually exclusive with, CMST 203. Students who have earned credit for CMST 203 cannot earn credit for MDIA 203.
MDIA 204 - INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA STUDIES
Short Title: INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA STUDIES
Department: Media Studies
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Course Type: Seminar
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.
Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level
Description: Our world is saturated with media. But what does that mean for us? This course explores the study of media in two ways. First, it introduces students to a range of theoretical perspectives on the role of media within society. Second, it guides students through the analysis of different forms of media, including social, broadcast, print, journalistic, and digital. This course pays special attention to how dynamics of class, race, gender, and generation affect media’s production and consumption. By the end of the semester, students will have developed a more comprehensive and deeper understanding of how media shape our lives. Formerly offered as, and mutually exclusive with, CMST 204. Students who have earned credit for CMST 204 cannot earn credit for MDIA 204.
MDIA 238 - SPECIAL TOPICS
Short Title: SPECIAL TOPICS
Department: Media Studies
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Course Type: Seminar, Independent Study, Internship/Practicum, Laboratory, Lecture, Lecture/Laboratory
Credit Hours: 1-4
Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.
Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level
Description: Topics and credit hours vary each semester. Contact department for current semester's topic(s). Repeatable for Credit.
MDIA 301 - WOMEN’S FILMMAKING SINCE THE 1970S
Short Title: WOMEN’S FILMMAKING SINCE 1970S
Department: Media Studies
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.
Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level
Description: This course introduces students to a rich cinematic tradition: movies made by women. Starting in the 1970s and moving to the present, our fifty-year survey will be a global one and consider a range of genres, aesthetics, and production modes. We will also examine the broader artistic, political, and social contexts that have shaped and been shaped by the cinematic work of women. We will ask: what does the world’s film history look like through the lens of women filmmakers? And what methods are needed to appreciate and engage critically with such work?
MDIA 477 - SPECIAL TOPICS
Short Title: SPECIAL TOPICS
Department: Media Studies
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Course Type: Seminar, Independent Study, Internship/Practicum, Laboratory, Lecture, Lecture/Laboratory
Credit Hours: 1-4
Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.
Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level
Description: Topics and credit hours vary each semester. Contact department for current semester's topic(s). Repeatable for Credit.
Description and Code Legend
Note: Internally, the university uses the following descriptions, codes, and abbreviations for this academic program. The following is a quick reference:
Course Catalog/Schedule
- Course offerings/subject code: MDIA
Department (or Program) Description and Code
- Media Studies: MDIA
Undergraduate Degree Description and Code
- Bachelor of Arts degree: BA
Undergraduate Major Description and Code
- Major in Media Studies: MDIA
Undergraduate Minor Description and Code
- Minor in Cinema and Media Studies: CMST
CIP Code and Description1
- MDIA Major/Program: CIP Code/Title: 09.0102 - Mass Communication/Media Studies
- CMST Minor: CIP Code/Title: 50.0601 - Film/Cinema/Video Studies
| 1 | Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020 Codes and Descriptions from the National Center for Education Statistics: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/. |