Contact Us
Media with Impact
The ¹ú²úСßÏÅ®School of Communication MFA in Film andÌýMedia Arts prepares you to be aÌýcompelling visual storyteller. You will learn the skills you need for a career creating meaningful stories that inform and inspire action in film, video, and game design.
You willÌýconcentrate yourstudiesÌýin one of three areas:ÌýDocumentary,ÌýFiction, or Games and Interactivity. Our program includes courses in media studies, history, and theory that complement the production courses, including those inÌýadvanced-levelÌýfiction, documentary, scriptwriting, producing, and new media topics. Our students use ¹ú²úСßÏÅ®'sÌýstate-of-the-artÌýfilm, video, and digital equipment to build skills inÌýfilm and video production, script writing, computer animation, digital imaging, sound production, and digital media design. You will also take a seminar in teaching philosophy, skills, and techniques that prepare you toÌýteach at the university level.Ìý
Admissions
The School of Communication operates on a rolling admissions basis for our graduate programs.ÌýApplications are reviewed on an ongoing basisÌýuntil programs reach capacity.
While an undergraduate degree in visual media is desirable, applications from candidates who have majored in other fields also will be considered. Your essay demonstrating aÌýserious commitment to a career in this fieldÌýwill be essential,Ìýalong with the other required application materials.ÌýIf you have prior experience in visual media, you should submit a portfolio illustrating relevant professional work.
Our Film and Media Arts MFA program is aÌýfull-time program, but it can be completedÌýpart-time. Students are generally expected to complete the 54-credit-hour program within 36 months. First-year students areÌýrequired to attend our Film & Media Arts Boot CampÌýin August before their first semester. Boot Camp teaches you the essential building blocks for production. Focusing on a digital skill set, you will work on practical exercises to get up to speed with equipment and learn about the expectations of the programs in SOC.ÌýSubstitutions for Boot CampÌýare possible.
Always Creating: A Filmmaker's Perspective
from on .
Sydney MaHan is the graduate student speaker for 2021 commencement. During her time at AU, she directed and edited this short documentary about fellow SOC Alum Robert Boyd. MaHan has completed several film projects, including working with Smithsonian Gardens, an arm of the Smithsonian Institution, on their HABITAT and Her Story exhibits. Her work can be found on her .
Boyd, a recent CEF graduate who was the '20-'21 FRONTLINE fellow at SOC's Investigative Reporting Workshop has been awarded the Fulbright-National Geographic Fellowship, an opportunity which provides training, mentorship, and editorial direction for projects and the associated blog.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the MA in Film and Media Production and the MFA in Film and Media Arts?
Our MA in Film and Production Media is a 36-credit, 24-month program that will help you build a solid professional skill set in film, video, and digital media. You’ll acquire professional competencies in scriptwriting, cinematography, lighting, sound recording, and editing, while also learning the historical, conceptual, and aesthetic foundations and frameworks of the art form and the industry.
Our MFA in Film and Media Arts is a 54-credit, 36-month terminal degree that prepares you to teach at the university level. The focus is more on how meaningful stories are constructed, in an artistic sense, for public knowledge and action. You will also focus your studies in one of three concentrations: Documentary, Fiction, or Games and Interactivity.
What equipment will I need to own for this program?
The Film & Media Arts division of ¹ú²úСßÏÅ®'s School of Communication is a leader in visual storytelling and integrating the latest and evolving technologies into production and distribution.
As a result, we are pleased to partner with Apple to provide you with recommendations for your laptop needs. Remember that we have an all-digital tapeless production workflow, which means that the central tool for managing media is your computer. Read about the specificÌýcomputer requirementsÌýfor this program.
Can I place out of introductory classes if I have more advanced experience?
Applicants with prior experience in visual media, who wish to be considered for a substitution of the requiredÌýÌýand/orÌýÌýcourses, should submit a written request illustrating relevant coursework or professional experience. Those requesting a substitution of either or both of these required courses will be required to take and pass an exam. Students granted substitutions for either, or both, of these required courses take advanced coursework in order to fulfill those academic credits. It is up to the discretion of the faculty committee to allow students to proceed to fall courses even if they pass either, or both, of the requiredÌýbootcampÌýcourses.
What special programs do you offer that will allow me to gain recognition and experience?
The School of Communication offers a number of opportunities for hands-on learning that also allow you to showcase your own work. The Visions Awards celebrate the best in student visual work — documentary, fiction, digital and new media, screenwriting, and photography. Our partnership with the Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague helps students develop their skills and portfolios in photography and super 16mm or 35mm film. The Center for Environmental Filmmaking inspires a new generation of filmmakers and media experts committed to using media to drive environmental change. And our empowers media that matter as an innovation incubator and research center that creates, studies, and showcases media for social impact.
Still have questions? CheckÌýour general admission FAQ or send us an email:ÌýGradComm@american.edu