Where can I double major in Environmental Science + Film and Media Studies?

College Search & Selection
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I’m trying to find where would be a good place to double major in Environmental Science + Film and Media Studies, somewhere where both programs are good. I have mostly been looking at schools in Southern California because of the Film component, but I am open to other suggestions. I would ideally like to be at a school with a sizeable Latino and LGBT population, or one with a friendly environment towards these demographics. I don’t care much about sports or Greek life. Please let me know what your suggestions are.

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In California, definitely look at Occidental and the Claremont Colleges. Elsewhere, Emerson and Wesleyan would be worth a look, though I’m pretty sure that at Emerson, environmental studies would have to be a minor. Maybe Sarah Lawrence, too? It’s hard to offer specific suggestions without knowing more about your background – what’s likely to be a safety/target/reach, financial considerations, etc.

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Agreed with Professor @Shelby_Balik but also would need to know what type of school. I see sizeable latino and don’t care much about sports or greek life but that doesn’t mean you can’t be at a school with these that you just ignore (as happens at many schools).

Here are two lists - largest hispanic populations and highest percentage - as a starting point. But we don’t know - in addition to what you mentioned - do you want large or small, what weather (you mentioned looking in socal, etc.) and as a major you list film and media studies but what aspect are you looking for because you can study that in a zillion places, not just California - if it’s actually a film studies type major. Or are you seeking filmmaking or something else?

Colleges with the Largest Enrollment of Hispanic Students | CollegeXpress

Colleges with the Highest Percentage of Hispanic Students | CollegeXpress

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Take a look at William and Mary if you are willing to go to the East coast. They have strong programs in both areas. They are very LGBTQ friendly and sports and Greek life are not a big thing there. The Latino population is about 10 percent of the school - not sure if that is enough?

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If you are open to NYC, I would recommend Fordham. Fordham has 2 main campuses, and Fordham Lincoln Center (the Manhattan campus) especially seems to fit. It has a large and thriving LGBTQ community, Latino/a population about 25%, a very strong film/television/media studies major with lots of internships close by, and a good environmental science program also with lots of internship possibilities. Fordham LC does not have sports (there are sports at the Rose Hill campus in the Bronx, however.) Fordham has no fraternities or sororities at all. If you happen to be a Hispanic National Recognition Scholar, you would also be in the running for a full-tuition scholarship (unless the Supreme Court clarifies and declares scholarships tied to race or ethnicity illegal.)

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Sounds like something one might due at Wesleyan. Have you looked into it?

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A friend’s son interested in Film/Media Studies just decided on Carleton College - looks like they also have an ES major and are known for diversity of all kinds. He fell in love, maybe it’s worth a look? Carleton College: A Leading Liberal Arts College in Northfield, Minnesota

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Thanks for your help, Professor -
More background info:
I have a GPA of around 3.7, and I got a 1460 on the SATs. As for financial considerations, I’m lucky enough that my parents can pay full tuition wherever I end up. Southern California is appealing to me because of its proximity to the filmmaking hub of Los Angeles and the diverse population. I would prefer for colleges outside of that area to be in or near larger cities. What I mean in terms of not caring about sports/Greek life is that it doesn’t matter to me if they’re present or not, as long as Greek life isn’t the only way to get to know people.

I should’ve mentioned this in the original post, but I am transgender, so there are a lot of states (namely Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Utah, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Alabama, Georgia, Iowa… phew that is a long list) I need to avoid because of concerns regarding losing access to gender-affirming healthcare.

Thanks again and I hope this can better inform your recommendations.

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Some additional information:

I have a GPA of around 3.7, and I got a 1460 on the SATs. As for financial considerations, I’m lucky enough that my parents can pay full tuition wherever I end up. Southern California is appealing to me because of its proximity to the filmmaking hub of Los Angeles and the diverse population. I would prefer for colleges outside of that area to be in or near larger cities. What I mean in terms of not caring about sports/Greek life is that it doesn’t matter to me if they’re present or not, as long as Greek life isn’t the only way to get to know people.

I would rather a larger school over a smaller one, but that’s not super important to me. Weather is negotiable as long as it’s not freezing in the winter. I’m willing to study film wherever there is good programs, not just California.

I should’ve mentioned this in the original post, but I am transgender, so there are a lot of states (namely Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Utah, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Alabama, Georgia, Iowa… phew that is a long list) I need to avoid because of concerns regarding losing access to gender-affirming healthcare.

Hope this is helpful.

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So you want to be in film making - not just film studies.

You might look at schools to see if it can be pulled off (double major) but you can look at big schools such as U of Arizona or Cal State Northridge. Occidental for smaller. UNLV could work too and U New Mexico - and you can check both for WUE discounts (150% of in state tuition).

In the east, I know others mentioned Wesleyan. I would add Syracuse.

Correct me if I’m wrong - but the restrictions on gender affirming healthcare are for minors. That said, I could understand your concerns.

All these schools have a decent hispanic population - at least that I (non hispanic) would assume is decent.

Best of luck.

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UMiami was by far the most open we found to being able to double major in just about anything. Diverse student population as well.

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I think this is the concern there:

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Filmmaking appears to be a time-consuming major at most schools. If double major is important to you, maybe look at schools where you’d have a lot of AP credits coming in?

Perhaps consider U Vermont.

Each of those majors can look different at different schools. Environmental Science vs Environmental Studies - look out for the difference, and be aware of how much geology vs biology vs policy you want.

Similarly, with film - it might be more film studies/borderline English classes with a few production classes tacked on or more media/communications. A few schools blend it with theater classes. It is hard (though not impossible) to find a production-heavy major without it being a BFA - which is quite intense and really doesn’t leave time for a second major within 4 years.

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Ithaca College flies a little bit under the radar but has a well-regarded film school. The town of Ithaca has a long-standing reputation for being accepting and progressive. Ithaca is also home to Cornell, making it a real college town. Also, here is a link to the Hollywood Reporter of film school rankings that might be of interest. 2020’s Top 25 American Film Schools, Ranked – The Hollywood Reporter

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I agree with the posters above who say that a BA in film is better than a BFA if you plan to double major. The BA has fewer required classes than a BFA, leaving more room to do so. I have a friend who is a film professor (unfortunately located in one of the states above that are not good for trans rights otherwise I would recommend her program.) Anyway, her best recommendation for students is to stay generalized as long as possible – get a broad education, work jobs other than in film, have hobbies other than film, because “To be a good filmmaker you need experience in real life. You can always pick up the technical skills later.”

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DuPaul in Chicago would also meet your requirements. They have a well regarded film program along with environmental science, a diverse student population, and despite being catholic, is very LGBTQ+ friendly.

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Minnesota is also a trans refuge state.

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Thanks for this information. I keep coming back to Occidental as a nearly perfect fit for you, at least on paper. Wesleyan would be a reach but worth a shot. University of Denver would be a good fit, too, and a solid target school that offers good financial aid – programs in film/media and environmental studies and sustainability, in a very progressive city. The only drawback is that it has a significant Greek presence, but I think you can find your niche on campus outside of that – there are other social outlets, and you can take advantage of all that Denver (the city) has to offer. In the same region, check out CU Boulder. Not much aid for OOS students there, though. Maybe look at Reed College? Though I think their film program is a minor, not a major.

Large publics in progressive cities that might be easier admits than the UC schools: U Minnesota, U Washington, U Wisconsin-Madison … these would offer majors in your academic interests (at all of them, enviro would be stronger than film, probably, but big schools can offer a lot even in areas in which they don’t specialize), all in good locations. They all have significant Greek culture, but the schools are big enough that it’s easy to find a different scene.

For a likely admit, check out Portland State U.

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A couple of questions for you to think about as you progress in your college search:

Are you looking for film programs that are a combination of film studies and practical work, or just the latter?

Depending on how much emphasis you want on practical work, what size of department/program do you want? The larger the program, the more electives there are likely to be and that kind of environment can build its own energy and excitement being surrounded by people with similar interests. in addition to having a large alumni network. On the other hand, competition for resources (faculty attention, access to production technology, alumni attention/networking) also increases correspondingly. @tsbna44 has talked about attending a very well-respected school for journalism, but that someone who ended up transferring to a smaller program ended up getting lots more practice because of less competition.

Additionally, I would look to see what the requirements are for the majors. Can anyone do the major or is it based on a portfolio or similar for acceptance into the university, or is it dependent on a secondary admission process sometime after you get in the college? How do you feel about each of those options? I didn’t look at all the schools, but as others have said, if you’re interested in double majoring, you will want to avoid BFAs. But at schools that offer a BFA and a BA, you will want to talk with students and the school about what limitations students with a BA face in getting access to the related film resources. Ditto if a school is offering graduate degrees in the field.

Additionally, just take a look at the resources of each school/department. A wealthier school might have a smaller department, but more funding for student films whereas at less well-funded departments, it may be incumbent upon the students themselves to raise the funding.

Below is a not-small list of schools you may want to consider, some of which have already been mentioned. As you look at different programs and realize some of your preferences (you like certain things about a school or don’t like others), keep track of those preferences as it can be helpful to others on the thread as they give you advice, as they may have more experience with more particular programs/schools. I will also try and list out the number of majors who graduated in a film major in the most recent year of IPEDS data, but as universities may not have classified a major by a different name in the same way, take this as rough data. But one might multiply the number of majors times four (4) to estimate the size of the program.

I have sorted the schools based on my very fallible sense of what your chances for admission might be, based solely on overall admission. If a program has additional requirements for entry into a film major, my guesses are not taking that into account. As admission to California publics is so specialized, I will defer to others on your chances at the schools I included.

Extremely Likely

  • California Lutheran: About 2600 undergrads, 12 Cinematography and Film/Video Production majors.

  • Chapman (CA): About 7700 undergrads. 9 Film/Cinema/Media Studies majors and 201 Cinemaography and Film/Video Production majors and 91 Master’s.

  • DePaul (IL): About 14k undergrads. 176 majors in Cinematography and Film/Video Production and 22 Master’s.

  • Drexel (PA ): About 14k undergrads and is a very co-op focused school. 9 Film/Cinema/Media Studies majors and 34 Cinematography and Film/Video Production majors.

  • Ithaca (NY): About 4800 undergrads. 72 majors in Cinematography and Film/Video Production, 1 in Film/Cinema/Media Studies, and 29 in Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other.

  • Montclair State (NJ): About 16k undergrads with a BA in Film & Television (among lots of other possibly relevant options) and a BS in Sustainability Science and in Earth and Environmental Science. 47 majors in Cinematography and Film/Video Production.

  • Portland State (OR): About 18k undergrads which offers both a BA and BS in Film as well as popular majors in Environmental Science and Environmental Studies. 68 majors in Film/Cinema/Media Studies.

  • Seattle U. (WA): About 4200 undergrads and offers a BA in Film Studies as well as Environmental Science and Environmental Studies. 13 majors in Film/Cinema/Media Studies

  • SUNY Purchase (NY): About 3400 undergrads. Its BFA programs are well-known, but there are also BA programs in Cinema & Television Studies, Media Studies, and New Media that might be of interest, in addition to its major in Environmental Studies. If you end up not doing a BFA, I would certainly inquire about the access to facilities and coursework that may be geared toward BFA students. 21 majors in Cinematography and Film/Video Production and 15 majors in Film/Cinema/Media Studies.

  • Temple (PA ): It offers a BFA and a BA in Film and Media Arts and a BA in Media Studies and Production, either of which might fit your interests. 142 majors in Cinematography and Film/Video Production, 9 Master’s, 1 PhD, and 14 undergraduate certificates.

  • U. of Arizona: About 37k undergrads and in addition to a BFA, offers a BA in Film and Television. 53 majors in Film/Cinema/Media Studies.

  • U. of Cincinnati (OH): About 29k undergrads and this is another co-op focused school. Though there’s on MFA in Media Production, there’s a BA in Film and Media Studies as well as a BA in Digital Media Collaboration that might be of interest. 11 majors, 1 undergraduate certificate, and 10 postgraduate certificates in Film/Cinema/Media Studies.

  • U. of Denver (CO): About 5900 undergrads and offers a BA in Film Studies and Production as well as BA in Emergent Digital Practices, which might also be of interest. 14 majors in Film/Cinema/Media Studies.

  • U. of North Carolina – Wilmington: About 14k undergrads and offers a BA in Film Studies, but this is another school where you’re not admitted to the major until after you complete a given course. But this school. 79 majors in Cinematography and Film/Video Production and 9 Master’s in Film/Cinema/Media Studies.

Likely

  • American University (D.C.): About 8500 undergrads, likely only if you show lots of demonstrated interest. If they don’t think you’re really interested in them, a waitlist or denial could be headed your way. 48 Film/Cinema/Media Studies majors, 20 Master’s, and 24 Cinematography and Film/Video Production Master’s.

  • Clark (MA): About 2300 undergrads. Offers B.A.s in Screen Studies and in Media, Culture, and the Arts and a BA in Environmental Science, so a double major should be feasible. 6 Film/Cinema/Media Studies majors.

  • Fordham (NY): About 9900 undergrads; 45 majors in Film/Cinema/Media Studies.

  • Syracuse (NY): Most of its programs of interest would probably be a BFA, which would be extremely difficult to do a double major with, but its major in Television, Radio, and Film is a BS degree, but I’m unsure if there’s as much practical application as you might want. If you don’t show sufficient interest in them, you may receive a waitlist or denial. 38 majors in Cinematography and Film/Video Production and 8 Master’s.

Toss-Up

  • Connecticut College: About 1800 undergrads with majors in Film Studies and Environmental Studies. 9 Film/Cinema/Media Studies majors.

  • Loyola Marymount (CA): About 7100 undergrads with 13 Film/Cinema/Media Studies majors and 56 Cinematography and Film/Video Production majors and 53 Master’s.

  • Occidental (CA): About 2k undergrads with a concentration in Media Production in its Media Arts & Culture major and various ways to incorporate a concentration in Environmental Science. 20 majors in Film/Cinema/Media Studies.

Lower Probability

  • U. or Rochester (NY): About 6600 undergrads and offers a BA in Film and Media Studies with a theory track and a production track. 5 Film/Cinema/Media Studies majors.

Low Probability

  • Tufts (MA): About 6700 undergrads with 20 majors in Film/Cinema/Media Studies.

  • Vassar (NY): About 2500 undergrads and offers a BA in Film which combines theory and practice. 16 Film/Cinema/Media Studies majors.

  • Wesleyan (CT): About 3400 undergrads and its Film Studies major also combines theory and practice. 34 majors in Film/Cinema/Media Studies

California Publics (@Gumbymom or @Ucbalumnus or someone else will need to give more chancing info)

  • Cal State – Long Beach: About 34k undergrads; 196 Film/Cinema/Media Studies majors. 196 majors in Film/Cinema/Media Studies.

  • UC-Santa Barbara: About 23k undergrads. Unlike UCLA, I did not read anything about students doing a BA in Film not being permitted to do a double major. But the department says that even if one is admitted to the pre-major, it doesn’t guarantee admission to the BA Film and Media Studies major, regardless of the number and outcome of upper division Film & Media Studies units taken, which, to me would be a definite red flag. And though your family has the budget to pay for it, there are many who have qualms paying the UC out-of-state prices while still needing to deal with the bureaucracy and issues that are prevalent in large, public universities. 136 majors, 1 Master’s, 1 PhD

As always, I recommend looking for schools that are extremely likely for admission that your family can afford and that you would be happy to attend. Once you have schools meeting those criteria, then I would start looking at more selective options.

Also, I stopped posting environmental science links, but all of these schools offer related majors.

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Chapman makes a lot of top 5 lists for film production. And their facilities are said to be outstanding.

Look into Loyola Marymount too. Top 10 in a lot of lists.

Being located in SoCal to get internship experience in the field while in college is very advantageous.

See for example: