Literature & Film Studies Minor

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Program Overview

Our Minor in Literature and Film Studies will allow you to study cinema both as a specific art form with its own history and language, and as a medium that emerges in the broader context of literary and other cultural production. Courses focus on specific filmmakers, movements, genres, and eras, as well as on special themes and critical topics in film studies.

This program encourages comparative thinking and offers you the opportunity to engage critically with various issues, including the place of technology and visual culture in modernity; the power of the screen image; the relation between literature and cinema; the role of cinema in globalism and consumer culture; the politics and aesthetics of international cinema; and how the continuing evolution of the moving image and “screen culture” situates us as readers and as viewers.

Complementary Programs: The Film Minor combines with a huge range of programs in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Sciences.

Check out future career opportunities and skills acquired from completing this program:

1. Competencies & Skills

  • Develop strong competency in media literacy
  • Analyze and interpret meaning in film and literature
  • Understand concepts of genre and form in visual media and writing
  • Use grammar, syntax, vocabulary appropriately in different contexts
  • Learn research methods and how to integrate research in original work
  • Develop critical thinking
  • Engage in creative problem solving

2. Careers for Graduates

  • Career in Film Industry
  • Work in Film Arts and Organizations
  • Account Manager in Advertising Companies
  • Social Media Manager
  • Journalist/Editor/Film Critic
  • Author/Writer/Artist in Creative Industries
  • Foreign Service Officer in Government
  • Public Relations Specialist in Non-Profits
  • Event/Convention Planner in Think-Tanks

3. Further Education

  • Film Studies
  • Film Production Programs
  • English
  • Journalism
  • Education
  • Library and Information Science
  • Publishing
  • Law School
  • Public Relations
  • Marketing

Program Pathway

Year 1
CHOOSE YOUR COURSES WISELY
DEVELOP YOUR ACADEMIC & RESEARCH SKILLS
APPLY THEORY TO PRACTICE
  • Attend the Professor/Graduate Student Mix & Mingles to meet many of the professors & TAs you will encounter as you progress through your degree.
  • Start building your Co-Curricular Record (CCR) and search for Experiential Learning and Work-Integrated Learning opportunities on CLNx (>Jobs & Recruitment)..
BECOME AN ENGAGED CITIZEN (LOCALLY & GLOBALLY)
PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE CAREER
Year 2
CHOOSE YOUR COURSES WISELY
  • Stick with B-levels, or, if you’ve completed at least 6.0 university credits, in English or elsewhere, plunge into C-levels.
  • Use Degree Explorer to plan your courses and program.
  • Meet with your Program Advisor or Supervisor to strategize for your degree.

DEVELOP YOUR ACADEMIC & RESEARCH SKILLS

APPLY THEORY TO PRACTICE

  • Participate in SELF by volunteering in their events or running for an executive position.
  • Get involved in relevant opportunities on and/or off campus (e.g., apply to Work Study, or other part-time and summer jobs on CLNx (>Jobs & Recruitment).

BECOME AN ENGAGED CITIZEN (LOCALLY & GLOBALLY)

  • Keep an eye on the department website and social media (@utsc_engdept) to discover our calendar of events.
  • Check CLNx (>Jobs & Recruitment) to search for Work Study or volunteer positions on campus to gain experience and to get involved.

PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE CAREER

  • Gain experience by applying for a summer, part-time or Work Study position via CLNx (>Jobs & Recruitment).
  • Considering grad school? Speak to professors and advisors early so you are on track.
  • Explore careers through the AA&CC’s Job Shadowing and In The Field programs.
Year 3

CHOOSE YOUR COURSES WISELY

  • Take 3.0 credits from anywhere in English (see UTSC Calendar or our website for details).
  • Remember that 1.0 of your English credits must be from the C- or D-level.
  • Use Degree Explorer to ensure you are on track with your degree.
DEVELOP YOUR ACADEMIC & RESEARCH SKILLS
APPLY THEORY TO PRACTICE
  • Consider presenting an essay at the English Undergraduate Conference — watch for the announcement of the conference theme.
  • Check the English department website for writing, publishing, and awards opportunities.
  • Build on your skills and knowledge through relevant events offered through your department, student groups, DSL and the AA&CC.
BECOME AN ENGAGED CITIZEN (LOCALLY & GLOBALLY)
PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE CAREER
  • Plan a career path with a staff member at the AA&CC.
  • Check CLNx for networking events and employer information sessions to attend.
  • Attend the Graduate & Professional School Fair in September.
  • Talk to professors about how to strengthen your application for graduate school.
Year 4 or Final Year
CHOOSE YOUR COURSES WISELY
  • Make sure you’ve completed 0.5 credit from D-level English courses.
  • Check that you have fulfilled your breadth requirements.
  • Use Degree Explorer to ensure you are on track to graduate.
  • Register your “Intent to Graduate” on ACORN by the deadline.
DEVELOP YOUR ACADEMIC & RESEARCH SKILLS
  • Contemplating a teaching career? Check out ENGD02Y3, a year-long service learning course on teaching English.
  • Use your professors’ office hours to learn about their chosen fields and research practices.
  • Apply for an Academic Travel Fund through DSL to research, present at a conference, or engage with the international academic community.
APPLY THEORY TO PRACTICE
BECOME AN ENGAGED CITIZEN (LOCALLY & GLOBALLY)
  • Explore opportunities to mentor new students through SELF’s advising hours and editing workshops.
  • Participate in the AA&CC’s Partners in Leadership program to learn and network with an alumni mentor about transitioning to work or further education.
PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE CAREER
  • Attend the AA&CC’s Get Hired job search conference in April/May.
  • Attend the Jobs for Grads orientation for a job search “crash course”; find job opportunities on CLNx.
  • Get your Personal Statement reviewed in the AA&CC.

Contacts

Did You Know

You can take courses in World Cinema, Cinema and Migration, Iranian Cinema, Avant-Garde Cinema, and Documentary Film.