Documentary Studies and Production Major — B.A.
John D. Scott, Associate Professor and Program Director
The Roy H. Park School of Communications offers an interdisciplinary B.A. in documentary studies and production, which is a four-year curriculum designed to prepare students to become documentary filmmakers as well as to understand the growing and complex world of documentaries, drawing on existing courses in the television-radio, cinema and photography, and journalism programs. This is a broad, liberal arts-based curriculum. Requirements are divided into two areas: studies courses and production courses. Open electives enable students to tailor their own programs.
Academic Policies
All majors must complete a minimum of 60 credits outside communications, which includes the minor requirement, and a minimum of 75 percent of their credits (normally 90 credits) in courses designated as liberal arts. Transfer students applying to the B.A. in documentary studies and production must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher to have their application considered; however, this minimum does not guarantee acceptance to the degree program. This policy applies to all applicants to the degree program, including students transferring from another major in the Park School or at Ithaca College and those applying from other academic institutions.
Requirements for the Major
Summary
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Course Requirements | 46 | |
| Minor Requirement (select a Minor outside the Park School) | 18-25 | |
| Integrative Core Curriculum (ICC) Requirement 1 | 29 | |
| Other Elective Courses | 20-27 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
| * | Total Credits must include 90 liberal arts credits and 60 credits outside the Park School |
| 1 | see ICC requirements for Park School |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements: | ||
| GCOM 13000 | Spark: Igniting your Future in Communications | 1 |
| DOCU 10100 | Documentary Immersion | 1 |
| JOUR 11100 | Introduction to Journalism (ICC-CLA) | 4 |
| JOUR 11200 | Investigative Journalism (ICC-CLA) | 4 |
| CNPH 14100 | Introduction to Photography (ICC-CLA) | 4 |
| CNPH 11100 | Cinema Production 1 | 4 |
| or TVR 11500 | Introduction to Field Production | |
| CNPH 10100 | Introduction to Film Aesthetics and Analysis | 3 |
| or TVR 12200 | Introduction to Media Aesthetics and Analysis | |
| TVR 29800 | Exploring the Documentary | 3 |
| TVR 29900 | Nonfiction Production | 4 |
| CNPH 30100 | History and Theory of Documentary (ICC-WI) | 3 |
| TVR 31200 | Government and Media | 3 |
| DOCU 40100 | Documentary Industries | 1 |
| TVR 49600 | Documentary Workshop | 4 |
| Select one of the following three 3-credit courses | 3 | |
| Critical Thinking and Mass Communication | ||
| Journalism Ethics | ||
| History of Photography | ||
| Select one of the following four 4-credit courses | 4 | |
| Visual Journalism | ||
| Editing | ||
| Advanced Cinema Production: Nonfiction | ||
| Intermediate Photography | ||
| Minor Requirement: | ||
| Select a minor outside of the Roy H. Park School of Communications. 1 | 18-25 | |
| Total Credits | 64-71 | |
| 1 | Documentary Studies and Production majors are required to choose a minor outside the Roy H. Park School of Communications. Documentary Studies and Production majors may not have a minor in business, accounting, finance, marketing, management, or other minors with too many NLA credits without undertaking additional liberal arts courses. Total credits in the minor may not include more than 4 credits of courses offered within the Roy H. Park School of Communications that are fulfilling Documentary Studies and Production requirements. |