Film Studies

1911-2011 | Wilfrid Laurier University

1911-2011 | Wilfrid Laurier University

Film Studies at Laurier

ilms comprise a prominent element

of our experience of the world, and
the Film Studies program at Laurier
addresses that experience. Through
regular screenings, discussions and
essays, film studies courses provide
opportunities for students to write and
think critically about films and their
place in society.

The Film Studies program, offered by the

Department of English and Film Studies,
focuses on various aspects of film, from
the history of world film to the distinctive
nature and potential of film as a medium.

You can earn an Honours BA in Film

Studies in combination with another
honours BA program (such as English,
global studies or history) or you can take
Film Studies as a minor alongside a major
in another program.
The honours BA, which normally takes
four years to complete, consists of 20 fullcredit courses (or equivalent), including
at least seven credits in Film Studies. A
typical course consists of three hours of
lectures and tutorials a week, plus two
hours of film viewing.
Students are advised to consult the
Laurier undergraduate calendar
(www.wlu.ca/calendars) or the Department

of English and Film Studies website to

determine which courses are required for
each program.
For more information, contact the
Film Studies coordinator, Dr. Philippa Gates,
at pgates@wlu.ca, or call 519-884-0710
ext. 2476.

Co-op at Laurier

Honours arts students in co-op complete

two work terms of at least 10 weeks each,
usually in the summers following their
second and third years. Participants receive
training in job search techniques and
assistance in finding employment related to
their studies or career goals.

Admission information
For the most up-to-date information about admission to Laurier,
go to www.wlu.ca/admissions.

After taking a media studies course in high school, Dru Jeffries developed a passion
and appreciation for film that brought him to Laurier to study it critically.
The professors here are great and have a wide range of specialties, from the early days
of cinema to more contemporary trends and genres, he says. They have a personal
stake in your success and go out of their way to help you.
In addition to his studies, Jeffries wrote film reviews for Lauriers student newspaper The
Cord Weekly, film editorials for the student magazine Blueprint, and was a tutor at the
Writing Centre.
In his last year, under the guidance
of a professor, Jeffries designed his
own directed study course in which he
researched superheroes in movies. He went on to present his completed paper at the
Comics Arts Conference in San Francisco.

The professors here are great and have

a wide range of specialties.

Jeffries research won him a SSHRC grant to complete his MA in Cinema Studies at the
University of Toronto and, more recently, a CGS grant to pursue his PhD in Film and
Moving Image Studies at Concordia University.
Film is on the rise as one of the more important media in our culture, he says. Nothing
else appeals to the masses in the same way. It disguises itself as popular entertainment
but its so much more.

Options to enhance your degree

The Management Option

Students enrolled in honours arts, science

or music programs are eligible for the
Management Option. This option will give
you fundamental training in key areas of
business such as business organization,
accounting, marketing, management
skills, operations and the fundamentals of
finance, macroeconomics and microeconomics, interpersonal communications,
business law, personal finance and
business management.
For more information on the
Management Option, consult the undergraduate calendar at www.wlu.ca/calendars.

Ancient Languages Option

The Ancient Languages Option is open to

all honours students who have achieved
a minimum GPA of 7.0 (B-) in at least 1.0
credit in ancient languages (Greek, Latin or
Semitic). Enrolment occurs in second year.

Strong reputation
In the 2009 Macleans reputational survey, Laurier ranked in the top three
in its category nationally for Best Overall, Highest Quality, Most Innovative and
Overall Reputation.

Muslim Studies Option

The Muslim Studies Option offers the

opportunity to study the historical,
philosophical and theological development
of Islamic thought and traditions as well
as contemporary sociological, political and
cultural contexts of lived Muslim experiences.

Legal Studies Option

The Legal Studies Option is designed to

give students an opportunity to study legal
topics, theories and methods that are at
the intersection of law, politics, business,
history, philosophy, gender, justice, human
rights and ethics. This Option might be of

Toronto-born Dr. Philippa Gates

began her university education majoring
in archaeology and English.

Popular film can be as illuminating as

more artistically motivated ones.

After two weeks in a film class I knew it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,
she says.
Gates earned her degree in Cinema Studies with a minor in English, then obtained
masters and doctoral degrees at Englands University of Exeter.
As a full-time professor in Lauriers Film Studies department, Gates brings her
considerable love of film to the classroom.
We study mainstream films as well as art films, she says. There is the misconception
that popular film is not worthy of academic study. However, that is not the case and
popular film can be as illuminating as more artistically motivated ones. In one course,
we look at adaptations and use the film Clueless to discuss the novel Emma.

100 years
Laurier is celebrating its 100th anniversary as an institution this year!

particular interest to those students interested in pursuing a career in law.

For more information on the Legal
Studies Option, consult the undergraduate
calendar at www.wlu.ca/calendars.

Your future starts here

What can you do with a degree in

Film Studies?

No matter what you study, your university

degree confirms that you know how to
think critically and communicate well,
and have the ability to analyze a wealth of
material and extract what you need from
it. Graduates of Lauriers Film Studies
Program have gone on to pursue teachers
college, film production programs, and
graduate programs in film and related
media. They have found work in diverse
areas, such as teaching, film and television,
sales, advertising, and journalism.

Support for grads

At Laurier, support for our students

doesnt end when we hand them their
degree. Our Career Development Centre
continues to offer career decisionmaking, career management and job
search services to all our alumni for a
lifetime. Alumni are also encouraged
to attend workshops and programs
offered through the centre, including
the largest career fairs and job fairs
of their kind in the country, which
Laurier co-sponsors.

Sample courses offered

Film and Narrative
Film and the Image
Film and Genre
Film History 1895-1939
Film History 1939-1969
Film History Since 1969
The Film-Director as Artist
Canadian Film
Documentary Film
German Film
British Film
Detective Film
Film Comedy
Film Noir
The Gangster
Science Fiction Film
Horror and Gothic Film
Hitchcock and Modernity
Youth Culture in Film
Film and Theatre
American Film, 1929-1969
American Film Since 1969
Themes in European Cinema
Script Reading and Writing
Classical Film Theory
Contemporary Film Theory
Film Theory and Melodrama
Film Musical/Musical Film
Indigenous Cinema
Postcolonialism and Film

Tel: (519) 884-0710 ext. 3385 | Fax: (519) 747-2106 | Email: chooselaurier@wlu.ca
www.chooselaurier.ca | www.facebook.com/laurierfuturestudents

10 0 Y E A R S I NSPI R I NG L I V E S OF LE A DE R SH I P A N D PU R P O SE
While every effort has been made to ensure this publication is accurate at time of printing, the information contained herein is subject to change without notice.

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