• Film and Media Studies (BA)
Dodge College of Film and Media Arts

Film and Media Studies (BA)

»Welcome to Film and Media Studies

Discover a cutting-edge Film and Media Studies program uniquely designed for a fast-changing world. With a curriculum that’s constantly updated, you’ll learn about everything from Tarantino to TikTok, from The Social Network to social media.

Fully integrated within our renowned film school, our program provides the in-depth artistic, historical and cultural knowledge necessary to understanding how media function in an ever-changing global context. Our program blends theoretical insight with practical creativity, mapping the complex operations of media creation, circulation and consumption. This is where critical thinking meets hands-on practice.

Why Dodge?

  • Critical making. At Dodge, you’ll engage deeply with film and media history and theory through active creation. You’ll analyze, critique and produce media projects — including video essay projects, infographics, short films and interactive design, among others — that thoughtfully reflect contemporary cultural issues.
  • Collaboration on real film projects. You’ll partner with production students, turning critical ideas into compelling collaborative work.
  • Master classes with world-class filmmakers. You’ll gain insights directly from auteurs such as Bong Joon Ho and Kore-eda Hirokazu, bridging theory and practice through intimate discussion.
  • Global learning experiences. You’ll participate in exclusive travel courses to Bologna, Italy; Seoul, Korea; and the Sundance Film Festival, integrating global perspectives into your studies.Bologna, Italy
  • Innovative courses for today’s media landscape. You’ll dive into pioneering areas such as Video Game Studies and Design; Social Media Studies; Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Studies; Immersive Media and Video Essay Workshop alongside courses that explore Hollywood Cinema, Korean and Asian Cinema, Streaming Media and Archival Research, just to name a few.
  • Career-focused research skills. You’ll build practical expertise relevant to careers in the entertainment industry — script readers, media analysts or content creators — grounded in film and media history and theory.
  • Integrated 4+1 master’s program. Complete both your undergraduate and master’s degrees in five years, fast-tracking your preparation for leadership roles in media and entertainment, as well as academic pathways.
  • Student-driven initiatives. Plan and execute events with Film Society, a student-led film club
  • Proximity to world-class research institutions. Drive to Los Angeles, just an hour away, to delve into the offerings of the Academy Film Archive, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Margaret Herrick Library, the Mary Pickford Foundation, Warner Bros. Archives, UCLA Performing Arts Materials in Library Special Collections and the USC Cinematic Arts Library Archives — and apply for internships.

Join our unique program...

...that seamlessly integrates critical thinking with hands-on creativity — where your ideas actively shape the future of film and media. Your innovative career in film and media studies starts here.

Our faculty

Dr. Leah Aldridge
Areas of Research Interest: Representation, Race, Gender and Genre; Culture Industry; Distribution and Circulation; Diaspora; Globalization and Cultural Exchange; Documentary, Independent and Experimental Forms and Circuits; brands of cinematic Blackness
laldridge@chapman.edu


Dr. Emily Carman
Areas of Research Interest: American and Classic Hollywood cinema; media historiography; ilm genres (film noir and the Western); moving image archive studies; film censorship; gender and stardom; media industry studies
carman@chapman.edu


Dr. Nam Lee
Areas of Research Interest: Korean and East Asian Cinema; film authorship in global contexts; women’s filmmaking and feminist film ethics; the “feminine" in cinematic form; sociological approaches to film and media; aging and late voice; motherhood and maternal subjectivity; ethics of care as a cinematic and socio-political practice
nlee@chapman.edu

Dr. Erica Aguero
Areas of Research Interest: Film, television, digital media, with a particular focus on how contemporary media intersects with culture and society; media fandom; popular music; media aesthetics; genre studies
aguero@chapman.edu

Dr. Jacob Bohrod
Areas of Research Interest: The boundary between emerging media and film studies; virtual reality; interactive media; critical theory; documentary
bohrod@chapman.edu

Affiliated faculty

Dr. Federico Pacchioni
Areas of Research Interest: Italian Studies; Italian Art Cinema; Puppetry Across Media; Aesthetics in Foreign Language Learning; Cross-Cultural Experiential Education; Poetry
pacchioni@chapman.edu
Megan Gruchow
Alumna Spotlight: Megan Gruchow
When Megan started her Film & Media Studies journey, she didn’t know where her degree would take her. Now she’s preserving film history one wrap at a time.

 

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Internships

Internships are a great way to earn academic credit and gain professional experience. The Dodge College Career Center  will help you find and land the position that best suits your interests and goals.  

Film and Media Studies students have interned at organizations such as:

 


Dodge’s Study Abroad Programs

Stories are everywhere, so we have developed study abroad programs for students to gain filmmaking experience around the world. There are month-long, semester-long and year-long opportunities, and scholarships are available to help cover the costs of studying and shooting in another country!

Dodge Study Abroad Opportunities >>

Student Clubs and Organizations

Joining a student club or organization is a great way to build your community and develop your skill set. Chapman has more than 230 options and Dodge has 15 of its own!

Contact Dodge Admission


Email: dodgeadmit@chapman.edu

Call: (714) 997-6996

Text: (714) 627-4199

Visit Dodge

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Film student at Chapman University

Get the latest info on the people, events and projects that make our school an amazing place.

Dodge College Facilities


Film student at Chapman University

We’ve replicated the facilities where leading industry professionals work and made them available to students 24/7.