SCRN Degree Requirements beginning 2022-2023

What does it take to get a degree in Screen Arts at LSU? Use the following links to see the requirements for each of our degrees and minors.

Undergraduate Degree in Screen Arts

Undergraduate Minor in Screen Arts

Graduate Minor in Screen Arts

For further information or to see a sample 8-semester plan for your major concentration, please visit the General Catalog. For more information about HSS and to see the Screen Arts requirements in the General Catalog, please visit the HSS General Catalog main page. If you have further questions or need individual assistance, please contact the SCRN Director at screenarts@lsu.edu.

Please note: The SCRN requirements have recently changed. For more information about those changes, please visit this PDF. Students who came in under previous catalogs may choose to stay under that previous catalog, or they may move to the new requirements that will be effective beginning in the Fall of 2022. Students enrolled in Fall 2022 or later must meet the new requirements for their degree program. Please speak to the SCRN Director or your academic advisor for more information.


Undergraduate Degree in Screen Arts

For students entering in the Fall of 2022 or later, the following is required:

  • Admission to the College
  • Foreign Language Sequence (14-16 hours)
  • General Education Requirements Bold courses in the list below are required for SCRN. 
    • English Composition
      • ENGL 1001 ("C" or better) or ENGL 1004 (3 hours)
      • ENGL 2000 (3 hours)
    • Natural Sciences
      • General education natural science course sequence (6 hours)
      • General education natural science course (3 hours)
      • Please note: If a two-course sequence is taken in the physical sciences, then the 3-hour course must be from the life sciences and vice versa.
    • Social Sciences
      • General education social science course (3 hours)
      • General education social science course- ENGL 2423 or ANTH 2423 (3 hours)
    • Analytical Reasoning
      • General education analytical reasoning course (from mathematics dept.) (3 hours)
      • General education analytical reasoning course (3 hours)
    • Humanities
      • General education humanities course (3 hours)
      • General education humanities course- CMST 2040 (3 hours)
      • General education humanities course- ENGL 2231 (3 hours)
    • Arts
      • General education arts course (3 hours)
  • 9 hours of SCRN Core Courses
    • SCRN 2001 Introduction to Screen Arts
    • SCRN 3001 Special Topics in Screen Arts
    • SCRN 4001 Advanced Topics in Screen Arts
  • 19 hours of Required SCRN Courses (see Required Courses);
  • 9 hours of Concentration-focused Courses (see Concentration Courses):

SCRN Required Courses

In addition to the 9 hours of required SCRN Core Courses, 19 hours of SCRN Required Courses must be completed from the list below.

History (3 hours)

  • CMST 3012 History of Film

Production (3 hours)

  • SCRN 3010 Art of Cinematography
  • SCRN 3011 Art of Editing

Digital Media (3 hours)

  • ART 2050 Digital Art I 
  • CSC 2463 Intro to Programming for Digital Media
  • MUS 2745 Intro to Computer Music
  • Please note: some outside courses have prerequisites and/or are not offered every semester. Please plan ahead for this requirement.

Advanced Art or Digital Media Elective (3 hours)

  • ART 4230 Virtual Space and Motion
  • ART 4240 Topics in Digital Art
  • ART 4567 Interactive Multimedia Design
  • ARTH 4420 Studies in Art History
  • ARTH 4468 Issues in Contemporary Art
  • ARTH 4470 History of Photography
  • Please remember that outside courses sometimes involve additional prerequisites.

History, Theory, Criticism (3 hours + 1 hour Lab)

See list below

Screenwriting (3 hours)

See list below

Concentration Courses

An additional 9 hours must be completed from one of the three concentration areas listed below. Please note that the course listings for each concentration are not exhaustive, and that courses from participating departments that are relevant to SCRN may be counted toward the concentration requirements with prior approval from the SCRN Director. Not all courses are offered each semester, and titles may change.

History/Theory/Criticism Concentration (9 hours)

  • Approved Electives (9 hours)
    • SCRN 2203 Introduction to Global Cinemas
    • SCRN 3001 Special Topics in Screen Arts
    • SCRN 3030 Internship in Screen Arts
    • SCRN 3501 Middle Eastern Cinema
    • SCRN 3502 Italian Cinema
    • SCRN 3503 Asian Cinema
    • SCRN 3504 Special Topics in Latin American Cinema
    • SCRN 3505 Horror Film
    • SCRN 3506 Special Topics in German Film (crosslisted as GERM 3506)
    • SCRN 4001 Advanced Topics in Screen Arts
    • SCRN 4046 Advanced German Film (crosslisted as GERM 4046)
    • AAAS 2410 Black Popular Culture
    • ANTH 3401 The Study of Folklore
    • CHIN 2070 Chinese Cinema
    • CMST 3013 Topics in Film Genres
    • CMST 3107 Rhetoric of Contemporary Media
    • CMST 4312 Topics in Critical Media Theory
    • CMST 4971 Special Topics in Mass Communication
    • ENGL 3133 Intro to Nonfiction Film
    • ENGL 3222 Survey of Popular Genres
    • ENGL 4133 Studies in Nonfiction Film and Video
    • ENGL 4231 Studies in Film and Literature
    • FREN 4031 French Film
    • GERM 3506 Special Topics in German Film (crosslisted as SCRN 3506)
    • GERM 4046 Advanced German Film (crosslisted as SCRN 4046)
    • WGS 2200 Gender and Popular Culture

Screenwriting Concentration (9 hours)

  • ENGL 2009 Screenwriting I (3 hours)
    • Required if the Screenwriting Concentration is chosen.
  • ENGL 4009 Advanced Screenwriting (3 hours)
    • Required if the Screenwriting Concentration is chosen.
  • Approved Electives (3 hours)
    • SCRN 3030 Internship in Screen Arts
    • CMST 2060 Intro to Public Speaking
    • CMST 3040 Intro to Performance Art
    • ENGL 2005 Intro to Writing Short Stories
    • ENGL 2008 Intro to Writing Drama
    • ENGL 2029 Drama
    • ENGL 4000 Writing for TV, NonLinear
    • ENGL 4109 Capstone Seminar in Screenwriting

Production Concentration (9 hours)

  • ENGL 2009 Introduction to Writing Screenplays (3 hours)
    • Required if the Production Concentration is chosen.
  • Advanced Topics in Screen Arts Production (3 hours)
    • SCRN 4001 Advanced Topics in Screen Arts (3 hours)
      • Please note that this would be a second course in a different Special Topic in addition to the SCRN 4001 SCRN Core Requirement. This class can be taken twice, but only if the topics differ.
    • SCRN 4011 Advanced Editing
    • SCRN 4012 Advanced Film Directing
    • SCRN 4014 Advanced Film Producing
    • SCRN 4015 Advanced Film Practices
  • Approved Electives (3 hours)
    • SCRN 3010 Cinematography
    • SCRN 3020 Independent Study in Screen Arts
    • SCRN 3011 Art of Editing
    • SCRN 3012 Directing (FS C&C)
    • SCRN 3014 Producing (FS C&C)
    • SCRN 3030 Internship in Screen Arts
    • SCRN 4011 Advanced Editing
    • SCRN 4012 Advanced Film Directing
    • SCRN 4014 Advanced Film Producing
    • SCRN 4015 Advanced Film Practices
    • ART 2210 Creative Coding
    • ART 2220 Moving Image
    • ART 2230 Virtual Space
    • ART 4220 Advanced Moving Image
    • ART 4230 Virtual Space and Motion
    • ART 4240 Topics in Digital Art
    • ENGL 4009 Advanced Screenwriting
    • ENGL 4109 Capstone Seminar in Screenwriting
    • THTR 3026 Introduction to Acting for the Camera
    • THTR 4026 Acting for the Camera II
    • THTR 4138 Film Practicum

Undergraduate Minor in Screen Arts

To graduate with a minor in screen arts, students must complete SCRN 2001 and an additional 15 hours of electives from the following list. At least nine hours must be at the 3000 level or above, and at least nine hours must be SCRN courses.

  • SCRN 2203 Intro to Global Cinemas
  • SCRN 3001 Special Topics in Screen Arts
  • SCRN 3010 Art of Cinematography
  • SCRN 3011 Art of Editing
  • SCRN 3012 Film Directing
  • SCRN 3014 Film Producing
  • SCRN 3030 Internship in Screen Arts
  • SCRN 3501 Middle Eastern Cinema: Identities in Motion
  • SCRN 3502 Special Topics in Italian Cinema
  • SCRN 3503 Special Topics in Asian Cinema
  • SCRN 3504 Special Topics in Latin American Cinema
  • SCRN 3505 Horror Film
  • SCRN 3506 Special Topics in German Film
  • SCRN 4001 Advanced Topics in Screen Arts
  • SCRN 4011 Advanced Editing
  • SCRN 4012 Advanced Film Directing
  • SCRN 4014 Advanced Film Producing
  • SCRN 4015 Advanced Film Practices
  • SCRN 4046 Advanced German Film
  • ARAB 3501 Special Topics in Middle Eastern Cinema
  • ARTH 4480 Video Art and Theory
  • CHIN 2070 Chinese Cinema
  • CLST 2070 Ancient World in the Cinema
  • CMST 2012 Introduction to Film
  • CMST 3012 History of Film
  • CMST 3107 Rhetoric of the Contemporary Media
  • CMST 4312 Topics in Critical Media Theory and Practice
  • ENGL 2009 Introduction to Writing Screenplays
  • ENGL 2231 Reading Film
  • ENGL 3133 Introduction to Nonfiction Film and Video
  • ENGL 4009 Advanced Screenwriting Workshop
  • ENGL 4109 Capstone Seminar in Screenwriting
  • ENGL 4133 Studies in Nonfiction Film and Video
  • ENGL 4231 Studies in Literature and Film
  • FREN 4031 The French Film
  • GERM 3506 Special Topics in German Film
  • GERM 4046 German Film
  • HIST 4077 American Popular Culture
  • ITAL 3502 Special Topics in Italian Cinema
  • MC 2700 Production and Performance
  • SPAN 4201 Cinema in Spanish
  • WGS 2200 Gender and Popular Culture

In addition, special topics courses and courses with sections relevant to screen arts may be accepted for the minor, with approval from the Director.


Graduate Minor in Screen Arts:

Students interested in the graduate minor in SCRN should meet with the Program Director to choose a Minor Professor who will help the student to design a Program of Study and to complete a SCRN Program of Study form, to be approved by the SCRN Steering Committee and kept on file with the Program Director.

Graduate students minoring in SCRN must complete 12 semester hours of course work including 6 hours of required courses and 6 hours of approved electives

Please note: to formally declare the SCRN Graduate Minor, students will also need to register the degree with the Graduate School in D. Boyd Hall.

Required Courses:

  • SCRN 7001: Graduate Seminar in Screen Arts
  • SCRN 7900: Research Projects in Screen Arts

Approved Electives (this listing is suggestive and not exhaustive): 

  • CMST 7944: Performance & Media
  • CMST 7969: Visual Culture
  • CPLT 7140: Topics in Interdisciplinary Studies: Film and Video Studies
  • ENGL 7009: Screenwriting Workshop
  • ENGL 7109: Forms of Film Writing
  • ENGL 7783: Topics in Film and Video Studies