Dartmouth College

What you'll study

The programme blends film history, theory and criticism with practical production courses. Typical core subjects include introduction to film and media studies, film history surveys, and courses in film theory and criticism. Students can choose production modules covering camera and lighting, sound recording, editing and post-production, screenwriting, documentary practice and narrative directing.

Coursework often takes the form of lectures, close-reading seminars, production labs and collaborative projects. Advanced seminars explore specialised topics such as national cinemas, genre studies, film and media aesthetics, documentary theory, or contemporary media industries. Many students complete a substantial capstone — either a creative final project (short film or media work) or a research thesis that integrates theoretical and archival work.

The department encourages interdisciplinary study, so students frequently take complementary classes in theatre, English, visual arts, anthropology, computer science (for digital media) and engineering to broaden technical or contextual skills.

Typical modules and experiences

• Introduction to Film & Media Studies
• Film History and National Cinemas
• Film Theory and Criticism
• Production: Cinematography, Lighting and Sound
• Editing and Post-production
• Screenwriting and Narrative Workshop
• Documentary Practice and Ethics
• Advanced seminars or independent study projects
• Capstone: senior thesis or creative project

Entry requirements

Dartmouth admits undergraduates through a highly selective, holistic process based on secondary-school academic record, recommendations, personal essays and extracurricular achievement. Successful applicants typically present strong performance in rigorous courses across the humanities and arts; evidence of sustained engagement with creative work is favourable.

For students who wish to emphasise production, submitting a short portfolio or work sample (for example films, scripts or video projects) is advisable when permitted by the admissions process. Admissions also consider teacher/counsellor recommendations and, where applicable, standardised test results according to Dartmouth’s current testing policies. International applicants should demonstrate comparable academic preparation and proficiency in English.

Career prospects

Graduates enter a broad range of careers across film, television, streaming and digital media. Common paths include roles in production (assistant, producer, director), screenwriting, editing and cinematography, as well as documentary filmmaking. Graduates also work in film criticism, programming and curation for festivals and cinemas, distribution, publicity, and arts administration.

Because the programme is housed in a liberal arts environment, alumni often leverage transferable skills — writing, research, project management and critical thinking — into related fields such as advertising, marketing, content strategy, immersive media, education and further academic study (MA/PhD) in film, media studies or related disciplines.

Why study at Dartmouth College

Dartmouth offers a small-college setting with close faculty mentoring and abundant undergraduate opportunities to lead creative projects. The college supports film study with campus facilities and resources, including production equipment, editing suites and performance spaces at the Hopkins Center for the Arts, and connections to museum and archival collections that support historical and research-based work.

Students benefit from cross-disciplinary collaboration across departments, a curriculum that emphasises both theory and practice, and a community of student film organisations and festivals that provide screening and distribution opportunities. The college’s undergraduate focus means students often secure hands-on roles, leadership experience and close supervision for senior projects — useful preparation for professional work or advanced study in the moving-image arts.