Overview
By understanding how screen media works in terms of genre, style, and mode, students can interpret the different ways in which films, shows, series, documentaries, and social media can inform, entertain, manipulate, or captivate the viewer.
Only available as a minor.
At a Glance
Curriculum
At Mount Allison, Screen Studies explores the academic study of film, television, and related screen media as well as the industrial, cultural, historical, political, and social factors that influence screen media.
Students will also be introduced to adaptation studies — the study of how narrative is reinterpreted from one medium (often text-based) to another (often visual-based).
Students explore popular culture from interdisciplinary perspectives through courses in Canadian Studies, Drama Studies, English, Fine Arts, French Studies, German Studies, Religious Studies, and Sociology.
Screen Studies and Popular Culture is available as a minor only.
Not sure about the difference between a major, a minor, an honours, and a certificate?
DRAM 1001 — Introduction to Screen Studies
This course introduces the study of film and television from critical and technical perspectives. It explores how film and television are made, and industrial, cultural, political, and social factors that influence television and filmmaking, as well as various styles and genres. This course familiarizes students with the vocabulary of screen studies by examining topics such as directing, editing, mise-en-scene, costume, lighting, framing, composition, genre, and various modes of representation. By understanding how film and television work, students can interpret the ways that films, shows, series, and documentaries can inform, entertain, manipulate, or captivate the viewer.
DRAM 2001 — Adaptation Studies: Page to Screen
This course is an introduction to adaptation studies: the study of how narrative is reinterpreted from one medium (often text-based) to another (often visual-based). It introduces the specific aesthetics of film and television as compared to other media, including text and stage. Students will identify and develop discourse around key features of adaptation such as interpretation, evaluation, point of view, and characterization. This course also broadens students' understanding of the historical, political, cultural, and social contexts that impact interpretation, and determine how narratives are re-evaluated, manipulated, and redeployed to reflect dominant cultural values across different moments in history. This course introduces aspects of interpretation that are generally overlooked in mainstream film studies by using a range of different media, including novel excerpts, graphic novels, stage plays, video games, film, and TV.
Students from the winter 2022 class produced a short film entitled, The Egg — A Short Story by Andy Weir.
ENGL 3621 — Reading Films
This course focuses on affinities between printed and cinematic narrative forms, introducing students as well to some of the principles of semiotics, and to the place of film theory within the context of cultural studies more generally.
CANA 2211 — Media and Popular Culture in Canada
This course explores the key institutions and issues relating to media and popular culture in Canada. Topics include: film, television, state institutions like the CBC, state regulation of media, and the connections among media, consumerism, and public life.
FREN 2801 — Film from the French and Francophone World
This course studies films and film makers of the French-speaking world, ranging from screen adaptations of literary works to an exploration of cultural issues, and introduces film theory and aesthetics. This course is taught in French. Written work may be submitted in English.
SOCI 3451 — Dynamics of Popular Culture
This course investigates the processes and forms of contemporary popular culture. It introduces students to the major theoretical debates in the field of popular culture and examines the development of popular cultural expression.
Faculty Spotlight
Dr. Sarah Fanning
Director, Drama Studies
Careers
Whether you're entering the job market or continuing your education, your Mount Allison degree will stand out.
Mount Allison has been recognized by Maclean's as the top primarily undergraduate university in Canada more times than any other university.
With experiential learning and career development opportunities available in every degree, you'll also graduate with hands-on learning and on-the-job experience.
Our graduates also boast extraordinarily high acceptance rates to top graduate programs and professional schools such as law and medicine.
Popular career paths:
- Location management/scouting
- Advertising, marketing, public relations
- Media purchasing/researcher
- Social media and digital content management/creation
- Television/film/digital media — runner, director, producer, actor, casting director, researcher, camera operator, lighting, sound, editing
- User experience designer
- Journalism
- Arts administration
- Writing/editing
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Admission Requirements
Academic Awards
Mount A is #1 in scholarships and bursaries
Maclean’s ranks Mount Allison first in scholarships and bursaries, and second in the number of students who have won national academic awards. To date, 55 Mount Allison students have become Rhodes Scholars.