Cinema studies students investigate how motion pictures are created, experienced and valued in American culture and around the world. Students in cinema studies work closely with OU faculty to gain a thorough understanding of film history, become acquainted with various critical approaches to the study of film, and receive instruction in elements of film production. The B.A. in Cinema Studies is a liberal arts-based program in film history, theory, and criticism, including coursework in film genres, aesthetics, industry and technology, filmmaking and screenwriting, as well as advanced seminars. It culminates in a capstone course in which students do substantive research and writing on topics ranging from eco-cinema to Hollywood stardom, from Detroit media to audience and reception theory.