Junior Qualifying Exam (Qual)
Along with the required coursework, Film and Media Studies majors will be required to complete a junior qualifying exam (qual). This exam is required for all majors at Reed College. Find more general information about the qual.
For the Film and Media Studies major, the qualifiying exam will have the following format:
Qual Outline
The FMST qual takes place in late March or early April. Students will have one week to write two short papers.
Qual Proposal
In preparation for the qualifying exam, students select primary and secondary sources related to their interests in film and media studies, and submit this selection to the chair of the FMST Program. The list should include at least three primary sources (films, collections of photographs, video games, etc.) and at least three secondary sources (articles, essays, or book chapters).
The primary and secondary sources selected should form a whole whose coherence students will explain in a paragraph (approx. 100 words) that will serve as an introduction to the works listed below it.
The qual proposal can but does not need to relate to a students’ potential senior thesis topic. Its function is to determine the kinds of questions students will be asked in their qualifying examination. In the case that a student’s list is not sufficiently coherent, they may be asked to revise prior to the exam.
Qual Format
Part One: Film or Media Theory
In the first part of the qual, students will be asked to respond to a question on a theoretical text discussed in one of their introductory film theory or media theory classes. The essay will present an argument that rests on the analysis of textual evidence taken from the theoretical essay in question.
(Format: 5 pages, double spaced, font 12, MLA or Chicago Style)
Part Two: Film or Media Analysis
In the second part of the qual, students will be asked to analyze some of their selected primary sources through the lens of the secondary sources listed in their qual proposal.
(Format: 5 pages, double spaced, font 12, MLA or Chicago Style
Statement on AI
The qualifying exam should reflect students’ knowledge and critical skills. The use of any generative AI tools (including but not limited to ChatGPT, Grammarly, or ProWritingAid) to generate, research, draft, or edit this assignment will be considered a breach of academic integrity and will result in a failing grade.