Video Production and Documentary Filmmaking Minor
The Video Production and Documentary Filmmaking minor at the nationally renowned Philip Merrill College of Journalism offers all University of Maryland majors the opportunity to gain hands-on training in the visual storytelling skills desired by nearly every professional industry.
With ethical instruction from Merrill College’s accomplished, expert faculty, students will improve their ability to create content, develop informational videos for employers and produce documentaries.
Students will learn practical video production skills relevant in studio settings, documentary filmmaking, field production, streaming and more — as well as legal concepts and ethical media practices.
This minor is made for students who want to enhance their proficiency in storytelling using modern creative tools to better reach today’s audiences across social media, visual and other information-sharing platforms.
Students can learn:
- Videography
- Studio Production
- Documentary Filmmaking
- Cinematography
- Photography
- Streaming and Broadcast Design
- Motion Graphics
- Promo Production
- Virtual Production with Unreal Engine
Have questions?
Want to learn more about the minor, schedule an advising appointment or explore becoming a journalism major? Contact us at jouradvising@umd.edu or 301-405-2399.
Curriculum
The Video Production and Documentary Filmmaking minor can include 15-24 credits, including nine credits in upper division courses. It includes three required courses — News Videography, a law and ethics course, and either Introduction to Studio Production or Documentary Video Production and Cinematography — and two to five electives.
Required Courses (9 credits)
- JOUR347: News Videography
- JOUR281: Media Law and Ethics in Digital Age or JOUR 402: Journalism Law and Ethics
Choose ONE from a menu of basic production courses including:
- JOUR368L: Introduction to Studio Production
- JOUR368T: Documentary Video Production and Cinematography
Production Courses (6-15 credits)
Choose TWO to FIVE courses from a list including:
- JOUR368L: Introduction to Studio Production
- JOUR368O: Advanced Studio Production
- JOUR368T: Documentary Video Production and Cinematography
- JOUR368E: Streaming and Broadcast Design
- JOUR368I: Motion Graphics
- JOUR368J: Promo Production
- JOUR 368U: Virtual Production Using Unreal Engine
- JOUR 368X: Topics in Broadcast and Electronic Media; Documentary Filmmaking
- JOUR 370: Photojournalism
- JOUR 383: Advanced Photojournalism
- CINE 310: Introduction to Filmmaking 1
- CINE 415: Advanced Filmmaking
A grade of C- or better is required in all minor courses.
Faculty
Learn from an esteemed faculty of accomplished visual storytellers. Click below for bios.
Frequently Asked Questions
Students are charged a $300 Technology Usage Fee each semester in the minor. These funds allow for students in the minor to rent equipment needed for coursework from our Equipment Desk in Knight Hall.
No! In addition to using your smartphones, the $300/semester Technology Usage Fee mentioned above allows students to rent all the equipment they’ll need for coursework. Cameras, social media kits, lighting, audio and anything else needed for the classes associated with the minor will be available at the Equipment Desk at Knight Hall.
UMD does not allow for more than six credits (or two courses) of overlap between a minor and a major, so this minor was designed for students who are interested in video production and storytelling but do not have space to complete the journalism major instead.
Almost all classes required for this minor can transfer over to the journalism major, so if you are interested in switching programs, please contact us at jouradvising@umd.edu or 301-405-2399.
We recommend that a student have between two and four semesters to complete the five classes required for the minor.
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