Cinema and Digital Media Major Checklist

Updated Summer 2026. Some courses below are shown with two course codes (e.g. “TCS 175 / CDM 188B”) because they are in the process of being renumbered — either code may appear on Schedule Builder. Please consult the course catalog to confirm current offerings.

Lower-Division Requirements (24–25 Units)

Prepatory Subject Matter

Choose Two (2) Introductory Courses (8 Units)

  • CDM 001, Introduction to Film Studies (4)
  • CDM 002, Introduction to Technocultural Studies (4)
  • CDM 003, Media Archaeology (4)

Production Courses (8–9 Units)

  • CDM 012, Introduction to Media Computation (4) – Two units of credit for students who have taken ECS 010, ECS 030, ECS 032A, ECS 032AV, ECS 036A, or ENG 006
  • CDM 020 or CDM 020V (Virtual), Filmmaking Foundations (5)
  • CDM 072, Introduction to Games (4)

Choose Two (2) History Courses (8 Units)

  • CDM 040A / CTS 040A, Media History I: Gutenberg to Oppenheimer (4)
  • CDM 040B / CTS 040B, Media History II: 1945–Present (4)
  • CDM 041A, History of Cinema 1895–1945 (4)
  • CDM 041B or CDM 041BV (Virtual), History of Cinema 1945–Present (4)

Depth Subject Matter

Upper-Division Requirements (37–38 Units)

All upper-division CDM, CTS, FMS, and TCS courses count toward the major.

Choose One (1) Theory Course (5 Units)

  • FMS 127 / CDM 150, Film Theory (5) – Can fulfill only one requirement for the major
  • CDM 151, Media Theory (5) – Can fulfill only one requirement for the major

Group A: Production – Choose Two (2) Courses (8–9 Units)

Cinema and Digital Media Courses
  • CDM 100, Introduction to Fiction Filmmaking (5)
  • CDM 101, Documentary Production (5)
  • CDM 102, Experimental Production (5)
  • CDM 103, Animation Production (5)
  • CDM 104, Sound Design (5)
  • CDM 105, Cinematography (5)
  • CDM 106, Editing (5)
  • CDM 107, Screenwriting (5)
  • CDM 108, Producing (5)
  • CDM 173, Game Design (5)
  • CDM 174, Game Programming (5)
  • CDM 189, Advanced Production Workshop (5) – Can only be taken three (3) times total for course credit
Art Studio Courses
  • ART 114A, Video Art I (4)
  • ART 114B, Video Art II (4)
  • ART 114C, Video Art III (4)
  • ART 117, Animation (4)
Variable Unit – Topic Must Be Production-Based
  • CDM 192, Internship (1–4)
  • CDM 195HA, Honors Project (1–5)
  • CDM 195HB, Honors Project (1–5)
  • CDM 198, Directed Group Study (1–4)
  • CDM 199, Special Study for Advanced Undergraduates (1–4)

Group B: Study, History, and Theory – Choose Two (2) Courses (8 Units)

Cinema and Digital Media Courses
  • FMS 127 / CDM 150, Film Theory (5) – Can fulfill only one requirement for the major
  • CDM 151, Media Theory (5) – Can fulfill only one requirement for the major
  • CDM 137, Studies in National Cinema (4)
  • CDM 140, Studies in Genre (4)
  • CDM 143, Studies in Authorship (4)
  • TCS 155 / CDM 155, Studies in Technoculture (4)
  • TCS 160 / CDM 160, Studies in New Media (4)
  • CTS 162 / CDM 162, Studies in Digital Culture (4)
  • FMS 165 / CDM 165, Studies in Film and Media (4)
  • FMS 121 / CDM 165A, Studies in Film and Media: Identity (4)
  • FMS 120 / CDM 165B, Studies in Film and Media: Nation (4)
  • FMS 176A / CDM 165D, Studies in Film and Media: Popular Culture (4)
  • CDM 191, Special Topics in Cinema and Digital Media (4)
Variable Unit – Topic Must Be Study, Theory, or History-Based
  • CDM 195HA, Honors Project (1–5)
  • CDM 195HB, Honors Project (1–5)
  • CDM 198, Directed Group Study (1–5)
  • CDM 199, Special Study for Advanced Undergraduates (1–5)

Upper-Division Electives – Choose Four (4) Courses from Group A and/or B (16 Units)

  • CDM _____________________________________ (4)
  • CDM _____________________________________ (4)
  • CDM _____________________________________ (4)
  • CDM _____________________________________ (4)

Refer to the Film Studies Minor Checklist for a list of approved upper-division electives.