Frequently Asked Questions - Film & Media FAQs

This rich and diverse program offers rigorous engagement with the entire culture of moving-images in the larger context of humanistic studies, teaching students to think historically, theoretically, and analytically about a wide range of cinematic and para-cinematic forms.

The core courses for Film & Media majors include a lower division introduction to film, television, or digital media as well as core classes on film and media theory and film form. Students are also required to take upper division courses on experimental media arts, documentary form, global media, and media technology. Students may supplement these core requirements with classes on specific film genres, filmmakers, national cinemas, and more.

You can find the outline of the current major requirements.

The Berkeley Film & Media department is primarily theory focused. Production courses are offered on an application and interview basis for juniors and seniors. The production classes’ application process happens separately from general enrollment and has limited available seating. There are no guarantees that you will get into a film production course during your time at UC Berkeley.

The Film & Media major may be declared after completion of either Film 10 or Film 20 with a letter grade of C or better, and once you’ve completed at least 30 units. 

To declare, submit the Film & Media Major Declaration Form

Please note that the processing of your request will be completed within three weeks.

Film 10 and 20 rarely get waived. However, if you have taken a course on Film Aesthetics, Digital Media or Television Studies at your community college, you can try petitioning to waive the course by filling out a waiver petition form.  Please note that you will need to attach your course syllabus - make sure your syllabus includes course readings and assignments otherwise your petition will be denied.

Film 30 (Film Aesthetics), 4 units, generally offered each Fall and Summer. This course familiarizes students with some of the major technological and aesthetic innovations of the past 80 years which have given rise to the cinema as we know it today.

• Film 35 (Digital Media), 4 units, offered in Spring. This course examines the ways in which digital media first developed and have come to shape our engagement with contemporary culture, with a particular focus on aesthetics, form, and politics.
• Film 45 (Television Studies), 4 units, offered in Fall. This course provides an overview of the history of television as a dynamic set of technologies, industrial practices, and cultural forms.

We do not give out permission codes for our major. If there is an open seat available in a class, please enroll. You will notice on the class schedule that we do our best to reserve seats for declared film majors and incoming transfer students. We cannot guarantee that you will get into all your classes; however, it's recommended that you register for your top two or three classes during your phase 1 registration.

Of the 16 upper division elective units required for the major, only one 4-unit course may be taken P/NP; all other courses must be taken for a letter grade.

No. The undergraduate advisor cannot enroll students in a closed film class unless the instructor has given permission for the student to enroll. In this case, the undergraduate advisor will need an email confirmation from the instructor.

It depends. Often it's recommended for a student to take summer courses to catch up with major requirements. If financially you are unsure about summer classes, please check with the financial aid office or estimate your cost and financial aid for Summer Sessions, Summer Abroad, or Global Internships. Log into Cal Central, go to My Finances, navigate to the Financial Resources area on the right side of the page.

Professional study abroad advisers are available to assist you during Advising Hours The Study Abroad office provides general advising for students who have not yet selected a program. Advisers specializing in countries and programs are also available to answer your program specific questions via email or during specified hours. 

Students must fill out a petition to get courses abroad approved for the Film major. The classes must be upper division, 4 units and related to the major. Please note that up to a maximum of two (8 units) pre-approved extra-departmental elective courses can be counted for credit towards the major. This includes waived (approved classes taken at other institutions) and approved courses while taken abroad; all other courses must be taken within the Department of Film & Media.

To get your study abroad courses approved, you must first make sure the classes you are planning on petitioning for are upper division, 4 units and Film and Media focused. The next step is to fill out the Extra-Departmental Course Petition form and attach the course syllabus. Please email the petition form and syllabus  to the undergraduate film advisor. Our faculty advisors will review your petition and decide if the course can be applied to the major. You will receive an email confirmation once approved. 

If your petition was denied, I will inform you over email and you will need to either look for a different course or plan on taking your major requirements on campus.

You can petition for these courses either before or after you study abroad. Please note that your grades will need to be posted before your APR can be updated. 

You can request to change your EGT. If you are changing to a current term, you must make the request prior to the deadline

You may submit an Expected Graduation Term Change Request form if you would like to move your EGT to:

• an earlier term

• a summer term

• the next Fall/Spring term and are sure you are under the unit ceiling

• a ninth semester (fifth semester for transfers) for declared double majors

If you wish to move your EGT to a future Fall/Spring term, but are not sure you will be at or under the unit ceiling (or if you know you will be above the unit ceiling), you will need an appointment with an L&S College Adviser to see if taking extra semesters will be possible.

Learn more on our Unit Ceiling and Semester Limit page.

The UG Advisor cannot drop or add a class after the deadline has passed. Students are allowed 2 late changes to their class schedule (i.e. adding/dropping courses after the deadline) during their entire time at UCB. If the student has not yet used their 2 late changes, they can petition to late add/drop their class through a Cal Central eform. 

For more information and instructions on late dropping, please visit the Late Change of Class Schedule page on the L&S Advising site.

Students are in charge of finding their own internships. If there is an internship related to the major, you are eligible to receive credit. To be eligible to do an external internship that relates to your film and media studies for course credit, you must be a declared film major in good standing with a 3.0 GPA and have completed 60 units of credit. Only 4-units of internship units may be counted towards the 16 unit upper division elective requirement for the Film & Media major. . Please note that the same internship may only be taken once for credit. For more information please visit the Internships page on the department website. It's important to highlight that an approved internship course (Film 197B) is considered a class within the Film department as long as its 4 units.

This is a course taught in the major department such as Film 10 or 20. Room-shared classes are also considered courses offered within the department. For ex: If Film 145 is room-shared/cross-listed with Italian 170 and students enroll in the Italian section, we will count this course as a departmental film class and not an extra department course. 

Courses that are offered through a different department or taught at a different institution are considered extra departmental courses. These courses are not offered through our department and will need to be petitioned to get approved.  

Our policy with extra- departmental courses are  up to two (8 units) pre-approved extra-departmental elective courses can be counted for credit towards the major, this also includes waived (approved classes taken at other institutions) and approved courses while taken abroad; all other courses must be taken within the Department of Film & Media.

1. Download the Double Major Petition

2. Meet with an Undergraduate Major Adviser* in each department to review/create a program plan and to complete the Double Major Petition.

3. If you have questions or concerns about your proposed program plan and/or completing all degree requirements within the unit ceiling, meet with an L&S College Adviser to review your petition.

4. Submit completed petition to L&S Advising at lspetitions@berkeley.edu

5. Applications for double majors must be submitted prior to the first day of classes in the term in which you intend to graduate.

Please make an appointment with the Berkeley Career Engagement for support with resume and cover letters.  For guidance on graduate school or your intellectual interests, you can reach out to our Film Faculty Advisors