Media Studies

See below for a list of Fall 2024 offerings that apply towards the Media Studies major. Enrollment information for summer classes can be found on the Berkeley Summer Session Registration website. For a complete list of Fall 2024 course offerings, please visit the Fall 2024 Schedule of Classes. Note that the list below is subject to change.

Students looking for the requirements for the old curriculum can find this information through the following links:

• Declared Fall 2018 to Summer 2021 (Groups)
• Declared Spring 2018 or Earlier

Prerequisite Courses

I. American History (Post-Civil War period)

• History 131B: Social History of the U.S.–End of Civil War to Global Age – will be officially listed on the class schedule at a later time

II. American Institutions

• Political Science 1: Introduction to American Politics

III. Introductory Social Sciences and Humanities

• Anthropology 3AC: Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology
• Comparative Literature 20C: Episodes in Literary Cultures: Literature and History
• Economics 1: Introduction to Economics
• Psychology 1 or W1: General Psychology
• Rhetoric 10: Introduction to Practical Reasoning and Critical Analysis of Argument
• Sociology 1: Introduction to Sociology
• Sociology 3AC: Principles of Sociology
• Theater 26: Introduction to Performance Studies

IV. Introductory Media Studies

• Media Studies 10: Introduction to Media Studies

Core Courses

• Media Studies 111B: Text and Data Media History
• Media Studies 112: Media Theories and Processes
• Media Studies 113: Media and Democracy
• Media Studies 114: Media and Globalization

Elective Courses

Media Studies students must complete five electives total: three electives from your concentration plus two additional upper-division electives from any concentration. For the three concentration electives, students must choose one course from each sub-category of their concentration.

Digital Studies Concentration (DS)

DS.1 Research Methodologies Electives

• Data Science C8: Foundations of Data Science (cross-listed with Statistics C8)
• Demography 180: Social Networks
• Statistics C8: Foundations of Data Science (cross-listed with Data Science C8)
• Statistics 20: Introduction to Probability and Statistics

DS.2 Virtual Communities and Social Media Electives

• Media Studies 104E: History and Development of Online News
• Sociology 166: Society and Technology
• Sociology 167/C167: Virtual Communities/Social Media

DS.3 Digital Projects and Digital Storytelling Electives

• Film and Media 155: Media Technologies
• Media Studies 190-001: Video Games and Playful Media
• New Media 201: Questioning New Media
• New Media C262: Tangible User Interfaces

Global Cultural Studies Concentration (GCS)

GCS.1 Research Methodologies Electives

• Global Studies 102: Critical Thinking In Global Studies

GCS.2 Visual Culture Electives

• Chicano Studies 135B: Latino Narrative Film since 1990
• Film and Media 125: Documentary Forms
• Film and Media 135: Experimental and Alternative Media Art
• Film and Media 145: Global Media
• Film and Media 170: Special Topics in Film
• Film and Media 171: Special Topics in Film Genre
• Gender and Women’s Studies C146B: Representations of Sexualities: Queer Visual Culture (cross-listed with LGBT C146B)
• Italian Studies 170: The Italian Cinema: History, Genres, Authors
• Japanese 188: Japanese Visual Culture: Introduction to Anime
• Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Studies C146B: Representations of Sexualities: Queer Visual Culture (cross-listed with GWS C146B)
• Media Studies 190: The Music Video: Critical Approaches to a Spellbinding Cultural Form
• Rhetoric 136: Art and Authorship
• Rhetoric 137: Rhetoric of Image

GCS.3 Popular Culture Electives

• American Studies 101/101AC: Examining US Cultures in Time (all topics)
• American Studies 102/102AC: Examining US Cultures in Place (all topics)
• Gender and Women’s Studies C146A: Cultural Representations of Sexualities: Queer Literary Culture
• Media Studies 170: Cultural History of Advertising
• Sociology 160: Sociology of Culture
• Sociology 163: Popular Culture

Media Law & Policy Concentration (MLP)

MLP.1 Research Methodologies Electives

• Economics C3: Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy
• Environmental Economics C1: Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy
• Public Policy 101 (4 units): Introduction to Public Policy Analysis
• Sociology 5 (4 units): Evaluation of Evidence

MLP.2 Institutions Electives

• Journalism 136: Media Ethics
• Media Studies 104E: History and Development of Online News
• Media Studies 180: Television Studies
• Political Science 106A: American Politics: Campaign Strategy – Media
  
• Sociology 110: Organizations and Social Institutions
• Undergraduate Business Administration 106: Marketing
• Undergraduate Business Administration 160: Consumer Insight
  

MLP.3 Citizenship Electives

• Information 188: Behind the Data: Humans and Values
• Political Science 161: Public Opinion, Voting & Participation
• Sociology 140: Politics and Social Change
• Sociology 148: Social Policy
  
   
   

Additional Electives

See Digital Studies, Global Cultural Studies, and Media Law & Policy upper-division electives when selecting two additional upper-division electives from any concentration for the major.

Quicklink: Fall 2024 Schedule of Classes

See below for a list of Summer 2024 offerings that apply towards the Media Studies major. Enrollment information for summer classes can be found on the Berkeley Summer Session Registration website. For a complete list of Summer 2024 course offerings, please visit the Summer 2024 Schedule of Classes. Note that the list below is subject to change.

Students looking for the requirements for the old curriculum can find this information through the following links:

• Declared Fall 2018 to Summer 2021 (Groups)
• Declared Spring 2018 or Earlier

Prerequisite Courses

I. American History (Post-Civil War period)

• History 7B: Introduction to History of the U.S. – Civil War to Present
• History 131B: Social History of the U.S. – End of Civil War to Global Age

II. American Institutions

• Political Science 1: Introduction to American Politics

III. Introductory Social Sciences and Humanities

• Anthropology 3AC: Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology
• Psychology 1 or W1: General Psychology
• Sociology 3AC: Principles of Sociology

IV. Introductory Media Studies

• Media Studies 10: Introduction to Media Studies (Online)

Core Courses

Media Studies Core Courses are not currently not offered in the Summer.

Elective Courses

Media Studies students must complete five electives total: three electives from your concentration plus two additional upper-division electives from any concentration. For the three concentration electives, students must choose one course from each sub-category of their concentration.

Digital Studies Concentration (DS)

DS.1 Research Methodologies Electives

• Computer Science C8: Foundations of Data Science (cross-listed with Data Science C8, Information C8, and Statistics C8)
• Data Science C8: Foundations of Data Science (cross-listed with Computer Science C8, Information C8, and Statistics C8)
• Demography 180: Social Networks
• Information C8 (cross-listed with Computer Science C8, Data Science C8, and Statistics C8)
• Statistics C8: Foundations of Data Science (cross-listed with Computer Science C8, Data Science C8, and Information C8)
• Statistics 20: Introduction to Probability and Statistics

DS.2 Virtual Communities and Social Media Electives

• Interdisciplinary Studies Field (ISF) 100D: Introduction to Technology, Society, and Culture
• Journalism 111: Social Media
• Sociology 167: Virtual Communities/Social Media
• Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies 1118AC: Performance, Television, and Social Media

DS.3 Digital Projects and Digital Storytelling Electives

• Digital Humanities 150A: Digital Humanities and Archival Design
• Film and Media 155: Media Technologies
• Journalism 110: Introduction to Multimedia
• Journalism 115: Advanced Multimedia
• Journalism 122: The Future of Visual Storytelling
• Journalism 124: Data Journalism
• Media Studies 138: Ethnographic Film and Documentary Form: History, Ethics and Aesthetics of Reality Based Media
• New Media 151AC: Transforming Tech

Global Cultural Studies Concentration (GCS)

GCS.1 Research Methodologies Electives

There are no GCS.1 electives courses being offered Summer 2024.

GCS.2 Visual Culture Electives

• Chicano Studies 135C: Latino Documentary Film
• Ethnic Studies 122AC: Ethnicity and Race in Contemporary American Films
• Film and Media 125: Documentary Forms
• Film and Media 170: Special Topics in Film
• Film and Media 171: Special Topics in Film Genre
• Media Studies 138: Ethnographic Film and Documentary Form: History, Ethics and Aesthetics of Reality Based Media
• Media Studies 190: U.S. Consumerism: A Critical Study of Marketing Today
• Native American Studies 158: Native Americans and the Cinema
• Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies 1118AC: Performance, Television, and Social Media

GCS.3 Popular Culture Electives

• English 176: Literature and Popular Culture
• Sociology 160: Sociology of Culture

Media Law & Policy Concentration (MLP)

MLP.1 Research Methodologies Electives

• Environmental Economics C1: Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy
• Political Science 3/W3: Empirical Analysis and Quantitative Methods
• Public Policy 101: Introduction to Public Policy Analysis
• Sociology 5: Evaluation of Evidence

MLP.2 Institutions Electives

• Film & Media Studies 177: Entertainment Law
• Media Studies 190: U.S. Consumerism: A Critical Study of Marketing Today
• New Media 151AC: Transforming Tech
• Undergraduate Business Administration 106: Marketing

MLP.3 Citizenship Electives

• Interdisciplinary Studies Field Major 100I: Consumer Society and Culture
• Media Studies 138: Ethnographic Film and Documentary Form: History, Ethics and Aesthetics of Reality Based Media
• Political Science 164A: Political Psychology and Involvement
• Sociology 141: Social Movements and Political Action

Additional Electives

See Digital Studies, Global Cultural Studies, and Media Law & Policy upper-division electives when selecting two additional upper-division electives from any concentration for the major.

Quicklink: Summer 2024 Schedule of Classes

Prerequisite Courses

I. American History (Post-Civil War period)

• History 7B: Introduction to History of the U.S. – Civil War to Present
• History 131B: Social History of the U.S. – End of Civil War to Global Age

II. American Institutions

• Political Science 1: Introduction to American Politics

III. Introductory Social Sciences and Humanities

• Anthropology 3AC: Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology
• Comparative Literature 20: Episodes in Literary Cultures
• Economics 1: Introduction to Economics
• Economics 2: Introduction to Economics – Lecture Format
• Psychology 1 or W1: General Psychology
• Psychology 2: Principles of Psychology
• Rhetoric 20: Rhetorical Interpretation
• Sociology 1: Introduction to Sociology
• Sociology 3AC: Principles of Sociology

IV. Introductory Media Studies

• Media Studies 10: Introduction to Media Studies

Core Courses

• Media Studies 111C: Audio-Visual Media History
• Media Studies 112: Media Theories and Processes
• Media Studies 113: Media and Democracy
• Media Studies 114: Media and Globalization

Elective Courses

Media Studies students must complete five electives total: three electives from your concentration plus two additional upper-division electives from any concentration. For the three concentration electives, students must choose one course from each sub-category of their concentration.

Digital Studies Concentration (DS)

DS.1 Research Methodologies Electives

• Data Science C8: Foundations of Data Science (cross-listed with Statistics C8)
• Media Studies 132: Researching Digital Media: Methods and Methodologies
• Statistics C8: Foundations of Data Science (cross-listed with Data Science C8)
• Statistics 20: Introduction to Probability and Statistics

DS.2 Virtual Communities and Social Media Electives

• Information 103: History of Information
• Interdisciplinary Studies Field (ISF) 100D: Introduction to Technology, Society, and Culture
• Interdisciplinary Studies Field (ISF) 100J: The Social Life of Computing
• Media Studies 168: Cybernetics and Cybercultures: The Psychosocial Impact of Digital Media
• Sociology 166: Society and Technology

DS.3 Digital Projects and Digital Storytelling Electives

• Film and Media 155: Media Technologies
• Media Studies 101: Visual Culture
• Media Studies 190 – 001: Special Topics in Media Studies: Digital Storytelling: Crisis, Catastrophe and Speculative Futures
• New Media 200: History and Theory of New Media
• New Media C203: Critical Making
• New Media C265: Interface Aesthetics

Global Cultural Studies Concentration (GCS)

GCS.1 Research Methodologies Electives

• Gender and Women Studies 101: Doing Feminist Research
• Global Studies 102: Critical Thinking In Global Studies
• Media Studies 131: Cultural Studies Research Methodology

GCS.2 Visual Culture Electives

• Asian American Studies 171: Asian Americans in Film and Video
• Ethnic Studies 122AC: Ethnicity and Race in Contemporary American Films
• Film and Media 125: Documentary Forms
• Film and Media 135: Experimental and Alternative Media Art
• Film and Media 145: Global Media
• Film and Media 170: Special Topics in Film
• Film and Media 171: Special Topics in Film Genre
• Film and Media 172: Special Topics in Film Auteurism
• Gender and Women’s Studies 125: Women and Film
• Gender and Women’s Studies C146B: Representations of Sexualities: Queer Visual Culture (cross-listed with LGBT C146B)
• Global Studies 100S: Global Societies and Cultures
• Japanese 189: Topics in Japanese Film
• Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Studies C146B: Representations of Sexualities: Queer Visual Culture (cross-listed with GWS C146B)
• Media Studies 101: Visual Culture
• Native American Studies 158: Native Americans and the Cinema
• Rhetoric 136: Art and Authorship
• Scandinavian 115: Studies in Drama and Film: The Films of Ingmar Bergman

GCS.3 Popular Culture Electives

• American Studies 101: Examining US Cultures in Time (all topics)
• American Studies 102: Examining US Cultures in Place (all topics)
• Asian American Studies 132/132AC: Islamophobia and Constructing Otherness
• Korean 109: Korean Language in Popular Media
• Media Studies 175: Gender, Race and National Identity in Global Popular Culture
• Rhetoric 171: The Problem of Mass Culture and the Rhetoric of Social Theory
• Sociology 160: Sociology of Culture
• Sociology 163: Popular Culture

Media Law & Policy Concentration (MLP)

MLP.1 Research Methodologies Electives

• Public Policy 101 (4 units): Introduction to Public Policy Analysis
• Sociology 5 (4 units): Evaluation of Evidence

MLP.2 Institutions Electives

• Information 134: Information Technology
• Journalism 136: Media Ethics
• Political Science 106A: American Politics: Campaign Strategy – Media
  
• Sociology 110: Organizations and Social Institutions
• Sociology 117: Sport as a Social Institution
• Undergraduate Business Administration 106: Marketing
• Undergraduate Business Administration 160: Consumer Insight
  

MLP.3 Citizenship Electives

• Anthropology 156A: Politics and Anthropology
• Asian American Studies 132/132AC: Islamophobia and Constructing Otherness
• Sociology 141: Social Movements and Political Action

Additional Electives

See Digital Studies, Global Cultural Studies, and Media Law & Policy upper-division electives when selecting two additional upper-division electives from any concentration for the major.

Quicklink: Spring 2024 Schedule of Classes

This set of major requirements is for students who have declared Media Studies between Fall 2018 and Summer 2021. Students declared in the major starting Fall 2021 should refer to the Curriculum with Concentration requirements.

Research Methods Courses

• Media Studies 132: Researching Digital Media: Methods and Methodologies
• Psychology 101: Research and Data Analysis in Psychology
• Sociology 5: Evaluation of Evidence

Core Courses

• Media Studies 111C: Audio-Visual Media History
• Media Studies 112: Media Theories and Processes
• Media Studies 113: Media and Democracy

Group A: History Electives

• American Studies 101: Examining US Cultures in Time
• German 160C: Politics and Culture in 20th-Century Germany: A Divided Nation. Politics and Culture in Germany 1945-1990
• Information 103: History of Information
• Interdisciplinary Studies Field (ISF) 100D: Introduction to Technology, Science, and Culture
• Rhetoric 171: The Problem of Mass Culture and the Rhetoric of Social Theory

Group B: Specialization in a Medium Electives

• Asian American Studies 171: Asian Americans in Film and Video
• Ethnic Studies 122AC: Ethnicity and Race in Contemporary American Films
• Film and Media 125: Documentary Forms
• Film and Media 145: Global Media
• Film and Media 170: Special Topics in Film
• Film and Media 171: Special Topics in Film Genre
• Gender and Women’s Studies 125: Women and Film
• Interdisciplinary Studies Field Major 100B: Interdisciplinary Theories of the Self and Identity
• Interdisciplinary Studies Field Major 100J: The Social Life of Computing
• Media Studies 168: Cybernetics and Cybercultures: The Psychosocial Impact of Digital Media
• Native American Studies 158: Native Americans and the Cinema
• Scandinavian 115: Studies in Drama and Film: The Films of Ingmar Bergman

Group C: Theory and Application Electives

• Gender and Women’s Studies C146B: Cultural Representations of Sexualities: Queer Visual Culture
• Global Studies 100S: Global Societies and Cultures
• Journalism 136: Media Ethics
• Korean 109: Korean Language in Popular Media
• Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Studies C146B: Cultural Representations of Sexualities: Queer Visual Culture
• Media Studies 101: Visual Culture
• Media Studies 114: Media and Globalization
• Political Science 106A: American Politics: Campaign Strategy–Media
• Psychology 160: Social Psychology
• Sociology 110: Organizations and Social Institutions
• Sociology 117: Sport as a Social Institution
• Sociology 133: Sociology of Gender
• Sociology 141: Social Movements and Political Action
• Sociology 150: Social Psychology
• Sociology 160: Sociology of Culture
• Sociology 163: Popular Culture
• Sociology 166: Society and Technology
• Undergraduate Business Administration 106: Marketing

Additional Electives

Students must take two additional electives from any group: Group A: History, Group B: Specialization in a Medium, and Group C: Theory and Application. See lists above.

Quicklink: Spring 2024 Schedule of Classes