Cinema and Media Arts, MFA
60 credit hours
Program Description
The Master of Fine Arts in Cinema and Media Arts instructs students in the craft of motion picture production, the art of presenting compelling and important stories, and the study of shaping and understanding messages meant for mass consumption. Drawing from a background in communication theory, studio art, art history, creative writing, and media production, students should be able to develop meaningful pieces of cinema with critical awareness of their artistic and cultural context.
Students in the MFA in Cinema and Media Arts will:
- create films that are engaging, meaningful, and inventive works of cinematic storytelling.
- master the style and technique of filmmaking.
- become artistic entrepreneurs, capable of independently initiating and leading projects from concept to screen.
- build and draw on a broad knowledge of the arts in finding their own creative voices.
- become well versed in film theory and history and know their own creative influences and artistic context.
A graduate student in the School of Arts, Media, and Communications may take only one tutorial or independent study course and may enroll in a maximum of nine graduate credit hours per semester. A student may not receive graduate credit for any course designated as a dually-enrolled course, if that student received credit for the undergraduate version of that course.
Admission Requirements
Applications are initially reviewed by the director of graduate admissions. Once admitted to the university, the applicant is to provide the additional required materials to the director of graduate programs and appropriate graduate program manager for an interview.
In addition to the requirements of all graduate students, applicants to the School of Arts, Media, and Communications should complete and/or submit the following:
- Transcripts demonstrating completion of undergraduate degree with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA in all major coursework.
- The official results from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) if GPA is below 3.0.
- Three letters of recommendation submitted through school portal.
- 1,000-word statement of purpose describing the applicant’s goals.
- Specific deliverables depending on area of study, such as a writing sample and/or portfolio of work, brought to on-campus interview.
Candidates for admission are expected to demonstrate an undergraduate GPA of 3.0. They should also have completed undergraduate video or film production coursework, demonstrate equivalent basic proficiency, or be willing to enroll in leveling coursework upon admission.
*If one or more of the preceding requirements are not met, requests can be made for Conditional Admit Status.
Degree Requirements
Core Curriculum
To earn a Master of Fine Arts in Cinema and Media Arts, a total of 60 graduate credit hours must be completed, a minimum of 30 of which must be graduate-only courses, including the following required core courses:
Plus 12 credit hours selected from the following options:
Plus six credit hours selected from the following options:
Plus nine credit hours selected from the following options:
Note: The course descriptions for IMF courses may be found in the catalog of the School of Accelerated Degree Programs.
Plus 12 additional credit hours from the above-listed course in Studio Art and Art History, Creative Writing, Media Production, or from the following options:
Note: The course descriptions for IMF courses may be found in the catalog of the School of Accelerated Degree Programs.