Explore the history of film and filmmaking from a wide variety of perspectives.

All majors complete a core curriculum and a set of elective courses from film criticism, production and related arts and humanities. All students are required to complete a practicum in film production or programming.

Required Courses

• Understanding Visual Communication
• Understanding Movies
• Introduction to Filmmaking
• Media Writing
• Film History, Theory & Criticism
• Film Studies Practicum

Elective Courses

• Images of Women in American Film
• Introduction to Photography 
• Crime Films
• Documentary Film
• Literature and Film
• Religion and Film
• Video Journalism
• Documentary Filmmaking
• Special Topics
• Spanish Cinema
• Advanced Filmmaking
• Post-Production Editing
• Latin American Cinema
• Politics in Film
• Gender, Sport, Media and Film

 

Learning support services are available to all students in every course at Shenandoah. Free peer tutoring with a student who has previously succeeded in the course is available for any course across the university. The Writing Center is available for every stage of the writing process from thesis development to proofreading and bibliography assistance. The Math Enrichment Center is available for math and science assistance. Professors and Academic Advisors across the university also have office hours and open door policies to ensure Shenandoah students succeed academically.

Learning Support Services at Shenandoah

There are no other film-oriented universities who have the deal that we have, in which the school is actually a co-producer and nearly the entire crew is students — with the exception of the producers, the director, the cinematographer and the makeup artist. This was an experience for Shenandoah University’s students like no other in the US!

Students made up a large majority of the cast of Santa Girl — alongside Jennifer Stone, Barry Bostwick, and Devon Werkheiser. There were 62 students involved in the movie’s acting and crewing; and when the actors were not acting, they were crewing.

Meet the Students of Santa Girl

Stream Santa Girl On Netflix

Stream Santa Girl Now

Go Behind the Scenes of Santa Girl with the Cast and Crew

See the Trailer for Santa Girl!

“GetAWAY” stars three Shenandoah instructors and 23 student actors, including former and current students Emma Norville, Danielle Carrozza, Franchesca Contreras, Kyle Mangold and Michael Recchia. Twelve students served on the crew. The movie was filmed during the Fall 2018 semester at various spots on main campus, the Shenandoah River Campus at Cool Spring Battlefield and at Buffalo Gap Retreat in West Virginia.

The students got to participate in an actual production and build practical filmmaking skills. Both the crew and the cast were afforded the unique opportunity to learn how a set runs and got to practice their craft in a way that rarely happens outside the Hollywood system.”

Blayne Weaver | Director-in-Residence for Shenandoah’s film program

Students ran sound and lighting, and performed assistant camera, script supervision and assistant director work, and made up almost all of the cast.

Students in DiFranco’s film production class received academic credit for working on the film, while others took part extracurricularly. All the students received “an actual feature film credit on their resume before even graduating college,” Weaver noted.

Getting distribution for ‘GetAWAY’ is such a huge accomplishment for The Film Studio at Shenandoah, the film department, and the university. This film wasn’t made like ‘Santa Girl,’ with a budget and name-actors from Los Angeles. This film was shot on a super-low budget and stars student actors from the Shenandoah Conservatory. Getting this film a theatrical, DVD, Blu-Ray and digital release is a huge accomplishment that everyone at Shenandoah should be proud of.”

Blayne Weaver | Director-in-Residence for Shenandoah’s film program

Described as a terrifyingly twisting meta-slasher film-within-a film-within-a-film, “GetAWAY” will keep audiences guessing until the end.

See the Trailer for GetAWAY!

“A Cupid For Christmas,” a romantic holiday comedy, features 20 Shenandoah students, who starred alongside Hollywood actors Richard Kind, Melanie Stone and Ryan Carnes.

Eleven Shenandoah students made up the film’s crew. 

“A Cupid For Christmas” was the one of the first full-length feature films to receive approval from the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) to be filmed in Virginia during the COVID-19 pandemic. All crew and actors were tested three times a week for the virus and crew members wore masks at all times.

Through our program, you can step onto any film or television set, ready to work. Upon graduation, you can use your skills not only in the film industry, but anywhere visual storytelling is prized.

No other universities are making professional-grade feature films for the actual film market with students. The true-to-life experience being offered is priceless both to the film students and to acting students who may have spent years on stage but are rarely in front of a camera. Not to mention, students also emerge from university with a legitimate film credit to their resume, which is such a help when getting a start in entertainment.”

Blayne Weaver

Career & Professional Development provides a comprehensive range of services and resources to assist Shenandoah students in their career search. Services offered include resume and cover letter building, mock interviews, and professional dining etiquette workshops.

Career & Professional Development at Shenandoah

Imagine participating in interesting conversations led by engaging professors who’ve already done what you dream of doing. You’ll be in a small class — the average class size is approximately 12 students — with professors who know your name, care about your success and provide advice as you pursue your academic and career goals.

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Meet Paul DiFranco

Meet The Film Production Faculty

The Honors Program is a multidisciplinary Honors Program for students who are curious, creative, self-motivated, and eager to engage in their education and community.

Not only do Honors Program students partake in honors courses that emphasize collaboration, service, and communication, but they will also have the opportunity to develop aspects of the program based on their own interests and goals. By participating in the Honors Program you will acquire the tools, knowledge and experiences necessary to make meaningful contributions to your community – whether it be globally, locally, or specific to your life’s work. You will have access to unique courses, exciting experiences and a community of peers and faculty who never stop asking questions and striving for excellence.

Explore the Honors Program

Students interested in this program should also look into these other majors, graduate degrees, minors, and certificates.

All majors within the College of Arts & Sciences require students to complete a minor in the program of their choice at Shenandoah.

These majors complement this program well:

• Acting
• Media & Communication
• English
• Music Production & Recording Technology 

These minors complement this program well:

• Professional & Popular Writing 
• Theatre

This certificate complements this program well:

• History & Documentary Film

 

Shenandoah University works on rolling admissions and accepts applications throughout the year. Applications are reviewed individually and holistically.

Submit your application, review required admission materials, and find our admissions standards.

Application Information

Minor Course Requirements

Course	Title	Credit Hour
MCOM 215	Understanding Movies	3

Select five of the following courses:

Course	Title	Credit Hour
WST/FILM 200	Images of Women in American Film	3
MCOM 211	Media Ethics	3
CJ/FILM 230	Crime Films	3
ENG 307	Literature and Film	3
REL/FILM 349	Religion and Film	3
SPA 400	Spanish Cinema	3
SPA 405	Latin American Cinema	3
PSCI 407	Politics and Film	3
MCOM/FILM 461	Gender, Sport, Media and Film	3
FILM 395	Special Topics in Film	3
FILM 420	Practicum in Film Studies	3

 

Declaring a Minor

Shenandoah students work with their Academic Advisor to declare a minor. Academic Advisors will continue to work with students to ensure that they fulfill all of the requirements to complete the minor.

Incoming students should not indicate their intended minor on their Shenandoah application. Applications are for intended majors only.

Make studying abroad the highlight of your college experience! Whether you go for a year, a semester, or just a few weeks. You will never forget learning in another culture! The Center for International Programs is here to help you plan your study abroad experience. Start your planning early to ensure the courses you complete abroad count toward your degree and you graduate on time.

Learn About Education Abroad

 

Global Experiential Learning (GEL) Program

The Global Experiential Learning (GEL) Program offers Shenandoah students a short-term, faculty-led, study-abroad experience for academic credit.  These short-term, credit-bearing, faculty-led programs are offered winter break, spring break, and during summer. If a course is not within your major, it might be used as an elective.

GEL Courses Currently Offered

 

Study Abroad

Shenandoah University is a member of the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP), a global network of 300 universities. This partnership allows students to study for a full semester or year at other member campuses abroad. By working closely with their academic advisors and the study abroad advisor, students can take classes taught in English abroad while receiving Shenandoah credit.

Shenandoah University also maintains direct partnerships with several universities around the world.  These relationships allow students from SU to study abroad as exchange students and students from these universities to study at SU.  All partner universities offer courses taught in English.

Film Studies Abroad Course Catalog

 

Go behind-the-scenes of Santa Girl!

Santa Girl — a commercial film created on Shenandoah’s campus with 62 students in the cast and crew alongside Jennifer Stone, Barry Bostwick, and Devon Werkheiser —  is available on Netflix! Go behind the scenes on the film’s set.