Global Film Studies Minor

The Global Film Minor in the Department of English offers UB undergraduates the opportunity to discover vibrant cinematic traditions and innovations from around the globe. There is no requirement that Global Film minors be English majors; our minors come from all across UB.

Courses in this minor will introduce students to audiovisual analysis, artistic forms, and cultural practices in a range of countries, and novel forms of cinematic storytelling. Students will gauge the impact of new and emerging technologies on contemporary cinema and explore developments in international film production, reception, exhibition, and distribution. It also provides students with a unique perspective on contemporary social and political issues, such as immigration, gender and sexuality, disability, human rights, and climate change. An understanding of global issues and exposure to different cultures through the medium of film will strengthen students’ intercultural communication competence and enhance their ability to participate in our increasingly networked world, thus facilitating the development of their careers in the international marketplace.

The central mission of the English department is to offer students a unique learning experience that features small classes, lively discussion with their fellow students, and close working relationships with faculty members. Our curriculum provides opportunities to discover literature and cinema from around the world, to develop as creative writers, and to practice the craft of journalism. In classes of every size (from large lecture courses to seminars, workshops, independent studies and senior thesis projects), at all levels of instruction, whether in the classroom or online, our goal is to foster the individual growth of our students as readers and writers through critical thinking, class discussion, exploration and experimentation.

The home of English Department is Clemens Hall, where students come to meet with faculty advisors and mentors during office hours. The department holds classes in centrally scheduled spaces throughout the campus, which includes traditional classrooms and lecture halls that are amenable to our program’s teaching goals.

The English department has been consistently ranked in the top thirty English departments in the United States. The faculty consists of nationally and internationally prominent scholars and writers who also take teaching very seriously, including six faculty members who have won the prestigious SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching or have been made Distinguished Teaching Professors. Their interests range from early modern literature to postmodernism and include cultural studies, postcolonialism, psychoanalytic theory, film, gender and sexuality studies, visual studies, poetics, Marxism, documentary, African-American literature, ecocriticism, mythology and much more.

Each semester, the department also offers courses taught by approximately 60 teaching assistants and 20 adjunct instructors.

We welcome students to meet with the director of undergraduate studies (303 Clemens Hall, 716-645-2579) to discuss any aspect of our program (individual courses, major requirements, study abroad, grants, internships and more).

 Please visit the English department website for additional information about our faculty.

The minor might be helpful to students aiming to enter careers in publishing (print- and online-based), teaching, film criticism and filmmaking, audiovisual research and archiving, curating, screenwriting, editing, tourism, advertising, public relations and community outreach.

 New Global Film minors, whether transfer students or continuing students, are invited to schedule a meeting with the director of undergraduate studies to discuss in more detail both the requirements of the major and their individual course of study.

Within the parameters of our general course descriptions (e.g. Studies in the Novel), instructors choose authors, texts, topics and approaches that suit their interests and expertise. More information about particular courses can be found in the Whole English Catalog, found in the English Undergraduate Office, 303 Clemens Hall.

Department of English, Global Film Minor
303 Clemens Hall, North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14261
Phone: 716-645-2579
Fax: 716-645-5980
tshilina@buffalo.edu, nmlazaro@buffalo.edu

Academic Advising Contact Person
Tanya Shilina-Conte at tshilina@buffalo.edu

Students in the College of Arts and Sciences may qualify for scholarships and financial support from a number of funding sources, including:

• UB Financial Aid, including Scholarships
• Nationally Competitive Fellowships and Scholarships
• UB College of Arts and Sciences Scholarships and Awards