Classes & Requirements

The Media & Cinema Studies major provides students with essential competencies in media studies and a relevant, future-focused interdisciplinary education.

Core courses are organized around foundational concepts and methods that students will need as media producers, consumers and citizens.

Majors additionally take MACS courses grouped according to Thematic Areas reflecting the strengths of the faculty and subjects of critical importance within media studies.

Thematic Areas assist students in identifying connections between courses’ topics and approaches, while also empowering them to construct a plan of study that flexibly responds to their interests and goals, giving them confidence to work in a rapidly changing media environment.

Thematic Areas direct students to consider questions of inequality, difference, technological change, and global exchange embedded in media texts, industries and cultures, and offer students the opportunity to develop skills in media research and content generation so they will be poised to impact the future of media.

Students are required to take courses across at least 2 Thematic Areas, to provide breadth to their media studies education, and are encouraged to take 4 courses within a single Thematic Area to develop a specialized knowledge area.

As seniors, MACS majors will put these skills to practice in a Senior Project.

Core Curriculum
Students complete 5 core courses.

MACS 203 Contemporary Movies
MACS 264 Creative and Information Economies
MACS 317 Media History
MACS 320 Popular Culture
MACS 351 Social Aspects of the Media

Thematic Areas
Students complete 5 courses in at least 2 of the following Thematic Areas below. Each class can be counted for only 1 theme below. Students can declare a specialization by taking 4 courses in one thematic area or by completing the requirements of a related certificate program.

Click on each Thematic Area for a list of previously approved courses.

Cinema Studies

MACS 100: Intro to Popular TV and Movies

MACS/ENGL 104: Intro to Film

MACS/ENGL 117: Shakespeare on Film

MACS 205: Intro to Documentary

MACS/AFRO 211: Intro to African-American Film

MACS/LLS 250: Latina/os on the Bronze Screen

MACS 261: Survey of World Cinema I

MACS 262: Survey of World Cinema II

MACS/ENGL 273: American Cinema Since 1950

MACS/AIS/ENGL 275: American Indian and Indigenous Film

MACS 282: A World of Death and Blood

MACS 284: Animation From Mickey to GIFs

MACS/HIST 300 (ALL SECTIONS): Topics in Film and History

MACS 301: Cinema Decades

MACS 321: Film Culture

MACS 361: Film Theory and Criticism

MACS/AAS 365: Asian American Media and Film

MACS 366 (formerly MACS 464): Film Festivals

MACS/ENGL 373 (ALL SECTIONS): Special Topics in Film Studies

MACS 380 (formerly MDIA 380): 21st Century Documentaries

MACS/AFRO 381: Black Women and Film

MACS 395 DMC: Documentary & Music Culture

Courses under "topics" numbers, including MACS 199: Undergraduate Open Seminar, MACS 295: Intro to Media/Cinema Topics, MACS 364: Topics in Media Business, and MACS 496: Advanced Media/Cinema Topics, may count for the Thematic Area depending on the class focus. MACS 300 and 373 are always approved for Cinema Studies Thematic Area.

Check with your instructor and Academic Advisor to discuss the appropriate Thematic Area. Other courses may be approved for Thematic Area upon review by the MACS Department Head.

Media Industries and Cultures

MACS 100: Intro to Popular TV & Movies

MACS 101: Intro to the Media

MACS 204/ENGL 277/GWS 204: Gender in Gaming

MACS 205: Intro to Documentary

MACS 224: Sportsmedia Technology & Culture

MACS/AFRO 227: Studies in Black Television

MACS 282: A World of Death and Blood

MACS 295 INF: Becoming an Influencer

MACS/INFO 326: New Media, Culture & Society

MACS/GWS 335: Film, TV and Gender

MACS/GWS 356: Sex & Gender in Popular Media

MACS 364 SMF: Reimagining Sport/Media/Fandom

MACS/LLS 375: Latina/o Media in the US

MACS 377: Global Communications

MACS/PS 389: International Communications

MACS 432; AAS/AFRO/GWS/LLS 435: Commodifying Difference

MACS/AIS 461: Politics of Popular Culture

Courses under "topics" numbers, including: MACS 199: Undergraduate Open Seminar, MACS 295: Intro to Media/Cinema Topics, MACS 364: Topics in Media Business, MACS 408: TV Studies, and MACS496: Advanced Media/Cinema Topics, may count for the Thematic Area depending on the class focus.

Check with your instructor and Academic Advisor to discuss the appropriate Thematic Area. Other courses may be approved for Thematic Area upon review by the MACS Department Head.

Difference and Power

MACS 101: Intro to the Media

MACS/INFO/IS 202: Social Aspects of Info Tech

MACS 204/ENGL 277/GWS 204: Gender in Gaming

MACS/AFRO 211: Intro to African-American Film

MACS/AFRO 227: Studies in Black Television

MACS/LLS 250: Latina/os on the Bronze Screen

MACS 322/CMN 325/PS 312: Politics and the Media

MACS/GWS 335: Film, TV and Gender

MACS/LLS/GWS/INFO/SOC 345: Digital and Gender Cultures

MACS/GWS 356: Sex & Gender in Popular Media

MACS/AAS 365: Asian American Media and Film

MACS/LLS 375: Latina/o Media in the US

MACS/AFRO 381: Black Women and Film

MACS 395 DMC: Documentary & Music Culture

MACS 410: Media Ethics

MACS 432; AAS/AFRO/GWS/LLS 435: Commodifying Difference

MACS/AIS 461: Politics of Popular Culture

Courses under "topics" numbers, including: MACS 199: Undergraduate Open Seminar, MACS 295: Intro to Media/Cinema Topics, MACS 300: Topics in Film and History, MACS 364: Topics in Media Business, MACS 373: Special Topics in Film Studies, MACS 496: Advanced Media/Cinema Topics, may count for the Thematic Area depending on the class focus.

Check with your instructor and Academic Advisor to discuss the appropriate Thematic Area. Other courses may be approved for Thematic Area upon review by the MACS Department Head.

Science, Technology, and Visualization

MACS 166: Contemporary Media Literacy

MACS/INFO/IS 202: Social Aspects of Info Tech

MACS 204/ENGL 277/GWS 204: Gender in Gaming

MACS 224: Sportsmedia Technology & Culture

MACS/CS/IS 265: Innovation Illinois

MACS/IS 266: Community Innovation

MACS/INFO 326: New Media, Culture & Society

MACS/LLS/GWS/INFO/SOC 345: Digital and Gender Cultures

MACS/LING 425: Psycholinguistics

MACS/SCAN 490; EURO 489: Green Screen: Film and Nature

Courses under "topics" numbers, including: MACS 199: Undergraduate Open Seminar, MACS 295: Intro to Media/Cinema Topics, MACS 300: Topics in Film and History, MACS 364: Topics in Media Business, MACS 496: Advanced Media/Cinema Topics, may count for the Thematic Area depending on the class focus.

Check with your instructor and Academic Advisor to discuss the appropriate Thematic Area. Other courses may be approved for Thematic Area upon review by the MACS Department Head.

Global Media and Cinema

MACS/ENGL 117: Shakespeare on Film

MACS/CWL 207: Indian Cinema in Context

MACS 261: Survey of World Cinema I

MACS 262: Survey of World Cinema II

MACS 377: Global Communications

MACS 382; FR/CWL 387: French & Comparative Cinema I

MACS 383; CWL/FR 389: French & Comparative Cinema II

MACS/PS 389: International Communications

MACS/SLAV 419: Russian & East European Film

MACS/EALC 466; CWL 467: Japanese Cinema

MACS/ITAL 470: Italian Cinema

MACS/SCAN 490; EURO 489: Green Screen: Film and Nature

MACS/SCAN 492: Scandinavian Cinema

MACS/GER 493: German Cinema I

Courses under "topics" numbers, including: MACS 199: Undergraduate Open Seminar, MACS 295: Intro to Media/Cinema Topics, MACS 300: Topics in Film and History, MACS 364: Topics in Media Business, MACS 496: Advanced Media/Cinema Topics, may count for the Thematic Area depending on the class focus.

Check with your instructor and Academic Advisor to discuss the appropriate Thematic Area. Other courses may be approved for Thematic Area upon review by the MACS Department Head.

Sports Media

MACS 224: Sportsmedia Technology & Culture

MACS/KIN 346: Case Study: Endless Summer

JOUR 361: Readings in Sports Journalism

MACS 364: SMF: Reimagining Sport/Media/Fandom

Courses under "topics" numbers, including: MACS 199: Undergraduate Open Seminar, MACS 295: Intro to Media/Cinema Topics, MACS 300: Topics in Film and History, MACS 364: Topics in Media Business, MACS 408: TV Studies, and MACS 496: Advanced Media/Cinema Topics, may count for the Thematic Area depending on the class focus.

Check with your instructor and Academic Advisor to discuss the appropriate Thematic Area. Other courses may be approved for Thematic Area upon review by the MACS Department Head.

Media Making, Research, and Design

MACS 140: Smart Phone Cinema

MACS 150: Digital Media Production

MACS 260: Film Production

MACS/CS/IS 265: Innovation Illinois

MACS 284: Animation From Mickey to GIFs

MACS/INFO 326: New Media, Culture & Society

MACS 366 (formerly MACS 464): Film Festivals

MACS 370: Cinematography and Sound Recording

MACS 371: Editing and Post-production for Cinema

MACS 372: Screenwriting

MACS 380 (formerly MDIA 380): 21st Century Documentaries

JOUR 460: Video Production

MACS 480: Advanced Filmmaking

MACS 485: Making Video Essays

MACS 496: Advanced Practicum

Courses under "topics" numbers, including: MACS 199: Undergraduate Open Seminar, MACS 295: Intro to Media/Cinema Topics, MACS 300: Topics in Film and History, MACS 323: Studies in Film/Media Production, MACS 364: Topics in Media Business, MACS 496: Advanced Media/Cinema Topics, may count for the Thematic Area depending on the class focus.

Check with your instructor and Academic Advisor to discuss the appropriate Thematic Area. Other courses may be approved for Thematic Area upon review by the MACS Department Head.

Finally, in conjunction with a 300- or 400-level MACS course taken in their senior year, all students demonstrate proficiency in media research and production by completing a required Senior Project: Media and Cinema Studies - Senior Project Learning Agreement.

College of Media Electives
Students complete a minimum of 5 hours of elective coursework in the College of Media, in Media & Cinema Studies, Advertising, Journalism, or Media courses.

Area of Study or Minor outside of Media
Finally, to ensure engagement with complementary disciplines, students take a minimum of 9 hours of coursework in an approved area outside of the College of Media.