The Film Studies Program was established at the University of Pittsburgh in the early 1970s in response to cinema's growing influence as a vital academic field. The focus of the program has been one of critical studies-the examination of cinema as a major art form and cultural force of the 20th century. From its inception, the Film Studies curriculum was formulated on an interdisciplinary model-drawing upon faculty expertise in such areas as literature, fine arts, social science, and foreign cultures. This approach is appropriate for a medium that circulates internationally (within a complex socio-economic context), and merges both visual and verbal discourses. Because of the program's vigorous interdisciplinary focus, it has built strength in several broad areas: (a) the consideration of crucial themes and theoretical issues that have come to dominate the Film Studies field; (b) the examination of issues related to film genre; (c) the investigation of questions of national cinema and film and politics.

Graduate certificate programs in Film Studies were established in 1997 at both the master's and doctoral levels. They are available to all Faculty of Arts and Sciences students registered for graduate degree program in any FAS department. The certificate programs address the needs of both the student who will focus on Film Studies (for example, in a dissertation or master's thesis) and the student who wishes training in Film Studies as a sub-specialty (while concentrating on another academic area). The courses and research paper delineated in the certificate requirements provide the student with a coherent program in Film Studies appropriate to his/her level of graduate study. For course offerings and advising, the graduate certificate programs draw upon faculty from various FAS departments, including Communication, History of Art and Architecture, East Asian, English, German, Hispanic, and Slavic.

For the prospective student interested in Film Studies, the University and the city of Pittsburgh have much to offer. The University has a strong undergraduate Film Studies major which provides numerous advanced courses that a graduate student may wish to audit or take in order to make up any gaps in his/her previous education. Some graduate students avail themselves of the University's connection with Pittsburgh Filmmakers (which teaches film, video and photography), so as to acquire basic production experience (despite the fact that they do not receive graduate credit for such course work). The program has a close relationship with the Film and Video Department of The Carnegie Museum of Art as its curator, William Judson, is an adjunct instructor in the Department of History of Art and Architecture. The Carnegie often collaborates with the University on a variety of stimulating film and video series and, for the last several years, the Film Studies Program has offered a one-year graduate internship at the museum so that students may acquire concrete curatorial experience. The Andy Warhol Museum also runs a regular film series that focuses on avant-garde cinema as well as on the work of the museum's namesake. The city has a variety of additional interesting film venues that supplement mainstream exhibition: Pittsburgh Filmmakers at the Harris Theater and Melwood Screening Room, the Beehive, the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, the Three Rivers Film Festival, etc.

Graduate Student Support
There is no financial aid available specifically for the graduate Film Studies certificate programs. However, graduate students who enroll for the certificate program can apply for financial aid from their home department (that is, the department in which they will receive a master's or doctoral degree). Such aid typically takes the form of scholarship, fellowship, teaching assistantships and/or graduate student assistantships.

Research Paper
The certificate requires the student to write a research paper in the field of Film Studies (approximately 25-30 pages) to be evaluated by a three-person committee comprised of Film Studies Program faculty appointed by the Director (including at least one person in, and one person outside of the student's home department). The paper should be developed from a course paper or from a section of the student's master's thesis (if one is required by the home department). If the student has worked with a Film Studies faculty member on an earlier version of the paper, that faculty member should be on the committee. Guidelines will be provided for the research paper and it is advised that students discuss this requirement with an advisor or the Program Director well in advance of submission.

Additional Conditions

• Only one directed study course (supervised by a Film Studies faculty) may be counted toward the certificate.
• All courses must be passed with a "B" or higher.
• The Museum Internship (ENGLIT 2900-2901) is not applicable to the master's certificate.
• Students should notify the Program Director of their intention to file for graduation at the beginning of their final term.

Advising/Oversight
The Film Studies Program Director will advise students and keep records. A Graduate Steering Committee will be constituted to deal with ongoing curricular and administrative issues and to evaluate special students.

Research Paper
The certificate requires a research paper in the field of Film Studies (approximately 25-30 pages in length) to be evaluated by a three-person committee comprised of Film Studies faculty appointed by the Program Director (including at least one person in and one person outside the student's home department). The paper should be developed from a course paper or from a section of the student's master's thesis (if one is required by the home department). If the student has worked with a Film Studies faculty member on an earlier version of the paper, that faculty member should be on the committee. Guidelines will be provided for the research paper and it is advised that students discuss this requirement with an advisor or the Program Director well in advance of submission.

Additional Conditions

• Only two directed study courses (supervised by Film Studies faculty) can be counted toward the certificate.
• All courses must be passed with a "B" or higher.
• Only three credits of the Museum Internship (ENGLIT 2900-2901-six credits) can count toward the certificate.
• Students should notify the Program Director of their intention to file for graduation at the beginning of their final term.

Advising/Oversight
The Film Studies Program Director will advise students and keep records. A Graduate Steering Committee will be constituted to deal with ongoing curricular and administrative issues and to evaluate special students.

Special Student Status Pertaining to Master's and Doctoral Certificates
After the certificate program has been instituted, if present University of Pittsburgh graduate students have already done all course work for a certificate and wish to obtain it, they can simply notify the Program Director of their intent to file for one. The only issue that would need to be addressed is the research paper (which, under normal circumstances, would be evaluated by a committee formed earlier in the student's career). For those students, a committee would be formed including the Program Director, a former professor of the student (who is part of the Film Studies Graduate Faculty), and one member of the Graduate Steering Committee. They would review a paper submitted by the student.

Students who have already graduated from the University prior to the certificate program's institution but who feel they have completed the requisite work for a certificate would need to have their course work and a research paper evaluated by the Program Director, a former professor of the student (who is part of the Film Studies Graduate Faculty), and one member of the Graduate Steering Committee. If a former professor is not available, a second member of the Graduate Steering Committee will be asked to participate instead. In order to work on their research paper, they will have to enroll for at least one credit during one academic term. There will be a one-year time limit for this procedure (one year following the inception of the program).

If a student has graduated from the University but wishes to be readmitted to complete courses and/or research paper for a graduate certificate in Film Studies, he or she must consult FAS Graduate School policy to determine the feasibility of readmission as a Special Student. In addition, the Film Studies Graduate Steering Committee would decide, on a case-by-case basis, the suitability of each candidate for working toward the graduate certificate. The only students considered for this option would be those who graduated prior to the institution of the certificates. Such students would have one year after graduation to file.

Transfer Credits
Whether students who have transferred from another institution would be given credits in general (toward their University of Pittsburgh degree) would be decided by FAS Graduate Studies, Student Services (140 Thackeray Hall) and/or the department in which they were enrolled.

Whether such credits (if granted) would be counted toward the Film Studies certificates would be determined, on a case-by-case basis, by the Film Studies Graduate Steering Committee. For the master's certificate, no more than six (out of 12) credits could be transferred. For the doctoral certificate, no more than nine (out of 18) could be transferred.

Hillman Library has an excellent collection of scholarly books and journals in the area of Film Studies. In addition, it houses a media center with a large collection of films, videotapes and videodisks that are available for viewing on the premises. The Film Studies Program also has a media room in the Cathedral of Learning which graduate students may use to view videotapes/disks for research or teaching. The media room also houses additional equipment (for example-computer, color scanner, tri-standard video player, slide projector, etc.).

Related Activities
The Film Studies Program sponsors (or cosponsors with other programs and departments) a series of lectures by scholars and visits by filmmakers during the course of the academic year. The program also sponsors the Pittsburgh Film Colloquium (run by graduate students) which organizes monthly film events in the broader Pittsburgh film community.

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