Cinema and Media Studies

Cinema and Media Studies
https://arthistory.rice.edu/cmst-about
103 Herring Hall
713-348-4276

Martin Blumenthal-Barby
Program Co-Director
martin.blumenthal-barby@rice.edu

Lida Oukaderova
Program Co-Director
lida.oukaderova@rice.edu

Cinema and Media Studies is an interdisciplinary program that focuses on the history, analysis, and theorization of film and other technologically driven visual media, including television, video art, the Internet, and expanded cinema.

Broader survey courses introduce students to the history of moving images and to the fundamentals of cinematic and media analysis, while advanced seminars focus on particular movements, concepts, and themes across specific periods and geographic areas.

The Cinema and Media Studies minor is housed in the Department of Art History. 

Minor 

Cinema and Media Studies does not currently offer an academic program at the graduate level. 

Co-Directors and Advisors

Martin Blumenthal-Barby
Lida Oukaderova

Professors 

Graham Bader
Martin Blumenthal-Barby
Marcia Brennan
Luis Duno-Gottberg
Kirsten Ostherr
Edward A. Snow

Associate Professors 

Gordon Hughes
Lida Oukaderova
Philip R. Wood

Assistant Professor

Hayley O'Malley

Professor in the Practice

Charles Dove

Lecturer

Liam Mayes

Steering Committee

Martin Blumenthal-Barby
Charles Dove
Luis Duno-Gottberg
Gordon Hughes
Kirsten Ostherr
Lida Oukaderova

For Rice University degree-granting programs:
To view the list of official course offerings, please see Rice’s Course Catalog.
To view the most recent semester’s course schedule, please see Rice's Course Schedule.

Cinema and Media Studies (CMST)

CMST 201 - HISTORY OF CINEMA AND MEDIA I: INVENTION TO 1945

Short Title: HISTORY OF CINEMA AND MEDIA I

Department: Cinema and Media Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: This seminar will introduce students to the history of cinema from its inception to 1945 by considering individual cinematic artifacts in their technological, economic, aesthetic, political, and social contexts. Cross-list: GERM 280.

CMST 202 - HISTORY OF CINEMA AND MEDIA PART II: 1945-PRESENT

Short Title: HISTORY OF CINEMA AND MEDIA II

Department: Cinema and Media Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: Introduction to major movements, practices and theories of film and media from 1945 to present.

CMST 203 - INTRODUCTION TO FILM AND MEDIA ANALYSIS

Short Title: INTRODUCTION TO FILM ANALYSIS

Department: Cinema and Media Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: This course introduces students to the fundamental principles of film analysis. We will focus on the visual and narrative organization of film and moving images; examine the evolution of film form in specific historical contexts; and work on developing critical and interpretative skills for understanding, and writing about, cinema.

CMST 204 - INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA STUDIES

Short Title: INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA STUDIES

Department: Cinema and Media Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: Our world is saturated with media. But what does that mean for us? This course explores the study of media in two ways. First, it introduces students to a range of theoretical perspectives on the role of media within society. Second, it guides students through the analysis of different forms of media, including social, broadcast, print, journalistic, and digital. This course pays special attention to how dynamics of class, race, gender, and generation affect media’s production and consumption. By the end of the semester, students will have developed a more comprehensive and deeper understanding of how media shape our lives.

CMST 238 - SPECIAL TOPICS

Short Title: SPECIAL TOPICS

Department: Cinema and Media Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Internship/Practicum, Laboratory, Lecture, Seminar, Independent Study, Lecture/Laboratory

Credit Hours: 1-4

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: Topics and credit hours vary each semester. Contact department for current semester's topic(s). Repeatable for Credit.

CMST 477 - SPECIAL TOPICS

Short Title: SPECIAL TOPICS

Department: Cinema and Media Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar, Lecture, Laboratory, Internship/Practicum

Credit Hours: 1-4

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Topics and credit hours vary each semester. Contact department for current semester's topic(s). Repeatable for Credit.

Description and Code Legend

Note: Internally, the university uses the following descriptions, codes, and abbreviations for this academic program. The following is a quick reference: 

Course Catalog/Schedule

  • Course offerings/subject codes: CMST

Department (or Program) Description and Code

  • Cinema and Media Studies: CMST

Undergraduate Minor Description and Code

  • Minor in Cinema and Media Studies: CMST

CIP Code and Description1

  • CMST Minor: CIP Code/Title: 50.0601 - Film/Cinema/Video Studies