Bachelor of Fine Arts, Major in Film & TV Production
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in film and TV production at Sam Houston State University is perfect for anyone interested in studying digital cinema.
Whether you want to write, direct, produce, design, edit, or shoot, you can get your first shot with a Sam Houston film & TV degree plan. The BFA in film and TV production provides students with an excellent liberal arts education from a renown department with a high degree of student-faculty interaction, a wide variety of hands-on courses, state-of-the-art facilities located in the Dan Rather Communications Building, and worldwide networking opportunities. Students will be prepared for a career in motion picture and media production in a diverse, multi-cultural, and rapidly changing media world.
All students who choose to declare a major or minor in Mass Communication or Ag/Com will be required to pass the Pearson Grammar Competency Lab with a score of 80 percent or better before they will be allowed to register for 3000 or 4000-level courses in MCOM. The lab is offered free of charge. Please visit Grammar Module for additional information.
Additional Requirements
- A digital media portfolio or a link to an online digital media portfolio must be submitted to the department during the students first semester at SHSU. A review of the portfolio will determine if the student is allowed to remain in the BFA program. Students not passing the portfolio review will be required to select another concentration within the department. Students may be required to submit subsequent digital portfolios for review throughout the program.
- Students are required to earn a B or better in all degree specific courses.
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Writing Enhanced Courses. All undergraduate students are required to complete at least six hours of writing enhanced courses within the discipline, of which three hours must be advanced.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Fine Arts, Major in Film and TV Production | ||
| Core Curriculum | ||
| Component Area I (Communication) | 6 | |
| Component Area II (Mathematics) 1 | 3 | |
| Component Area III (Life and Physical Science) | 8 | |
| Component Area IV (Language, Philosophy, and Culture) | 3 | |
| Component Area V (Creative Arts | 3 | |
| Component Area VI (U.S. History) | 6 | |
| Component Area VII (Political Science/Government) | 6 | |
| Component Area VIII (Social and Behavioral Sciences) | 3 | |
| Component Area IX (Component Area Option) | 4 | |
| Required Courses | ||
| MCOM 1330 | Analysis of Electronic Culture (Writing Enhanced) | 3 |
| MCOM 1332 | Writing For Mass Media (Writing Enhanced) | 3 |
| THEA 1364 | Beginning Acting | 3 |
| MCOM 1371 | Audio Production & Performance | 3 |
| MCOM 2366 | Film Appreciation | 3 |
| MCOM 2371 | TV & Film Production | 3 |
| MCOM 3351 | Moving Image Aesthetics | 3 |
| MCOM 3352 | Cinematography | 3 |
| MCOM 3353 | Advanced Editing for Film & TV | 3 |
| MCOM 3359 | Directing for Film and TV | 3 |
| MCOM 3372 | Single Cam & Non-Linear Edit I | 3 |
| MCOM 3375 | Scriptwriting | 3 |
| MCOM 3377 | Multi-Camera Studio Production | 3 |
| MCOM 3378 | Production Management | 3 |
| MCOM 3379 | Multi-Camera Field Production | 3 |
| MCOM 4350 | Film Theory | 3 |
| MCOM 4351 | New Media Platforms | 3 |
| MCOM 4371 | Mass Media Law And Ethics (Writing Enhanced) | 3 |
| MCOM 4373 | Advanced Production | 3 |
| MCOM 4375 | Advanced Screenwriting | 3 |
| MCOM 4378 | Multi-Camera Remotes | 3 |
| MCOM 4379 | Directing Multicam Productions | 3 |
| MCOM 4398 | Professional Internship | 3 |
| MCOM 4099 | Independent Study | 3 |
| Electives | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
| 1 | MATH 1332 is the recommended math course for students in this program. |
Note: All Mass Communication majors and minors must earn a grade of ‘C’ or better in each Mass Communication course.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Component Area I | 3 | Component Area I | 3 |
| Component Area III | 4 | Component Area II1 | 3 |
| Component Area IV | 3 | Component Area III | 4 |
| MCOM 1330 (Writing Enhanced) | 3 | MCOM 1371 | 3 |
| MCOM 1332 (Writing Enhanced) | 3 | THEA 1364 | 3 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Component Area V | 3 | Component Area VI | 3 |
| Component Area VI | 3 | Component Area VII | 3 |
| MCOM 2366 | 3 | MCOM 3352 | 3 |
| MCOM 2371 | 3 | MCOM 3353 | 3 |
| MCOM 3351 | 3 | MCOM 3359 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Component Area VII | 3 | Component Area IX | 3 |
| Component Area VIII | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Component Area IX | 1 | MCOM 3378 | 3 |
| MCOM 3372 | 3 | MCOM 3379 | 3 |
| MCOM 3375 | 3 | MCOM 4350 | 3 |
| MCOM 3377 | 3 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Elective | 3 | MCOM 4378 | 3 |
| MCOM 4351 | 3 | MCOM 4379 | 3 |
| MCOM 4371 (Writing Enhanced) | 3 | MCOM 4398 | 3 |
| MCOM 4373 | 3 | MCOM 4099 | 3 |
| MCOM 4375 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 12 | ||
| Total Hours: 120 | |||
| 1 | MATH 1332 is the recommended math course for students in this program. |
Note: All Mass Communication majors and minors must earn a grade of ‘C’ or better in each Mass Communication course.
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) marketable skills initiative is part of the state’s 60x30TX plan and was designed to help students articulate their skills to employers. Marketable skills are those skills valued by employers and/or graduate programs that can be applied in a variety of work or education settings and may include interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skill areas.
The BFA in Film & TV Production is designed to provide graduates with the following marketable skills:
- Demonstrate strong oral, aural, and written communication skills.
- Utilize leadership, critical thinking,and team-working skill.
- Conduct the collection, analysis, and management of digital data.
- Conceptualize and produce original and creative media.
- Produce media campaigns for social and digital platforms.
