The cinema studies major is well suited to contribute to the critical social engagement that the liberal arts seek to foster. It also prepares students for career opportunities or advanced study in filmmaking, non-print journalism, and media criticism.

Willamette University's Cinema Studies Program offers the intimacy and rigor of a small private liberal arts college along with the chance to focus baccalaureate study on the history, aesthetics, and cultural significance of cinema. Although Willamette's program focuses on analysis rather than production, all Cinema Studies majors also explore some aspect of the making of cinema. Students have the option to take additional electives in this area, and those students may also complete a production-oriented creative senior project.