The documentary certificate encompasses all areas within the department of communication and associated degree programs in theater, English, and sociology, and is meant to offer students further education in community-based learning, research, fieldwork, and storytelling.
The certificate in documentary studies establishes a process that is interdisciplinary and allows students to focus on the work they care about. Students are encouraged to think broadly about their projects where the discovery of important issues and topics through multiple disciplines will lead to the development, creation, and exhibition of a story in a chosen documentary form that includes but is not limited to photography, written works, performance, oral, audio, video and/or web.
Students will learn about the various types of documentaries, research methods, and the legal and ethical challenges of documentary work. Student’s capstone projects will focus on a specific topic, produce content, and be presented.
Undergraduate certificates may only be earned and will only be awarded in conjunction with a bachelor's degree. They will not be awarded as an independent credential.