cinema studies phd programs

Cinema Studies (PhD)

Program description.

The Cinema Studies Ph.D. program prepares students to develop teaching competence and to pursue research in cinema and media studies. The curriculum draws on the methods of a number of disciplines, including art history, cultural studies, American studies, psychoanalytic theory, and philosophy and involves intensive seminar-level study in film theory, history, and research methods. Graduates of the program have gone onto positions of academic leadership in the field. The Doctor of Philosophy degree is conferred for advanced studies in which the student demonstrates outstanding original scholarship. It signifies the student can conduct independent research and has both a broad basic knowledge of all areas of his or her field and a comprehensive knowledge of one field in particular. A doctoral candidate must complete all requirements no later than ten years from matriculation or seven years from the time of his or her matriculation if the candidate holds a master’s degree.

A previously earned master’s degree is required for applicants wishing to enter directly into the doctoral program.  A completed MA or MS is generally required for consideration.

In addition to the general Tisch Graduate Application, please prepare the following:

A  professional résumé  listing academic background, work experience, honors, affiliations with professional organizations, papers presented at conferences, published work, language ability, etc.

A  statement of purpose  (two to three double-spaced pages) outlining your academic and professional background, goals, and what you hope to gain from the program.

A  writing sample  (15-20 double-spaced pages) that reflects your ability to carry out sustained critical, theoretical, and/or historical thinking on film, television, video, and/or new media. In the absence of a moving image–related topic, a piece of writing on a subject in the arts or humanities is acceptable.

Please attach the documents to the online application, including copies of academic transcripts (both undergraduate and masters) and two letters of recommendation.  

Note: The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is no longer a required component for admission to this program.

Program Requirements

Film/media history written qualifying exams i and ii, area oral qualifying exam, foreign language requirement, dissertation defense, submission and approval, departmental approval.

Students must complete 72 credits of course work. Students are permitted to take up to two classes outside the department or as independent study. A student interested in independent study must obtain approval from a full-time faculty member after submitting a statement of purpose and a proposed bibliography.

Additional Program Requirements

Students must complete two Film/Media History written exams.

Students must complete an oral exam in a third area. The oral exam comprises questions relating to your specific area of research during your dissertation proposal.

Students must demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language. Six languages are accepted toward fulfilling this requirement: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish. Students for whom English is a second language may request an exemption from this requirement. To demonstrate proficiency, you must pass an exam.  

Students must successfully defend their dissertation, and submit for approval.

All Graduate School of Arts & Science doctoral candidates must be approved for graduation by their department for the degree to be awarded.

Sample Plan of Study

Following completion of the required coursework for the PhD, students are expected to maintain active status at New York University by enrolling in a research/writing course or a Maintain Matriculation ( MAINT-GA 4747 ) course.  All non-course requirements must be fulfilled prior to degree conferral, although the specific timing of completion may vary from student-to-student.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:

• Make lasting and original scholarly contributions to the field of cinema and media studies.
• Master the concepts and research methodologies that will enable them to conduct independent research.
• Demonstrate advanced levels of oral and written scholarly communication, including effective and appropriate use of technology in presentations and the production of works. that are of sufficient quality for publication and conference acceptance.
• Develop an understanding of the norms of professional conduct.

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University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages .

Academic Policies for the Graduate School of Arts and Science can be found on the Academic Policies page . 

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Film and Media Studies Program

The graduate program in film and media studies.

Inaugurated in 2002, Yale’s doctoral Program in Film and Media Studies quickly achieved the international stature it enjoys today. Building on a core faculty that had long overseen an impressive undergraduate major, the graduate program attracted incoming faculty who were eager to help shape it. The quality of the students who have applied has been superior, and the large majority of those selected have chosen to study here. Fifty students have completed, or are in the midst of, their degrees. Our alumni hold positions at a range of institutions, including universities with major graduate programs, and several have already seen their revised dissertations published as books by important presses. 

Graduate students have been able to produce such significant research thanks not least to Yale’s unparalleled resources.  Specialized librarians and curators keep our students in mind as they collect and make available the massive amounts of material held by the Sterling Memorial Library, the Haas library in the History of Art, and especially the Beinecke rare book library that houses the archives of hundreds of filmmakers, writers, and artists.  Two of America’s great art museums, The Yale University Art Gallery and the British Art Center (with buildings designed by Louis Kahn), retain a continuing relation with our graduate students.  As for primary material in our field,  the Yale Film Archive is home to a growing collection of 35mm and 16mm film prints, and is a member of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF). The Archive also oversees a large circulating library of DVDs, Blu-rays, and VHS tapes.

A dedicated, expert projectionist oversees hundreds of screenings each year, mainly in two spaces (the auditorium of 250 in our building and a projection room holding 40 on York Street) that are equipped for 35mm, 16mm, and virtually all video formats. 4K and 2K projections are common.

Graduate students absorb and generate the energy and enthusiasm so important to dynamic film scholarship thanks to the bustling intellectual climate at the Humanities Quadrangle, where faculty and students meet continually—almost daily it seems—around screenings, lectures, conferences and workshops, some initiated by the graduate students themselves. 

By design the doctorate in Film and Media Studies at Yale is always undertaken in combination with one of ten other disciplines in the Humanities (African-American Studies, American Studies, Comparative Literature, East Asian Languages and Literatures, English, French, German, History of Art, Italian, Slavic Languages and Literatures).   It was thought, and has proven true, that upon completing their degrees, students who are prepared for positions in both Film and Media and in another discipline would hold a particular advantage, and not merely because of the wider range of openings available to them in the job market, but because the calculated interdisciplinarity of their research makes them stand out. Thoroughly grounded in Film and Media Studies, they become expert in certain of its issues by offering authoritative perspectives and methods that derive from systematic work with the outstanding faculty and graduate students in another Yale department or program. Our students are welcomed throughout the Humanities on campus as they enliven traditional disciplines with the images, sounds, and ideas they bring from Film and Media Studies.

The faculty and its curriculum represent a full range of topics that have been at the center of Film Studies from its outset: theory, criticism, and history, plus cultural approaches to American, European, Latin American and Japanese national cinemas.  Naturally, as the field and its discipline evolve, so too do we, though always keeping ourselves based in this tradition. Transnational and global approaches bring the national cinemas, and their specialists, into productive contact. Overarching concerns involving technological, aesthetic, social and cultural issues (especially race and gender), have developed to the point that in 2015 the Program added “Media” to its name and mission. FMS, as our Program is now called for short, officially embraces images and sounds from an array of sources and channels, especially as these coexist and intertwine with cinema, something that has occurred throughout its long history.  We study that history as well as the challenge and possibilities of “new media,” which we know to be on the minds of graduate students. This keeps Yale’s Program vigilant as it looks to the past for cues about ways to best approach the future. The faculty recognizes that graduate students must be in the lead of an evolving discipline, and so encourages them to take up the most current developments and debates. The goal of the Program’s pedagogy is to provide its current students with a steady anchor in what the discipline has been, so that they can confidently and creatively participate at the highest level in its discourse and institutions, leading it forward while passing continuing its legacy.

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PhD Degree Requirements

The Division of Cinema & Media Studies is committed to the understanding of film, television and new media in relation to the world. By studying and analyzing these forms and the processes behind their creation, Cinema & Media Studies scholars gain insight into the power and aesthetics of moving image media. Cinema & Media Studies students also have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and experience of film and television by taking hands-on production courses.

The graduate program combines historical training with the integration of theory and practice, as it prepares students for a changing discipline that demands varied competencies. The Division of Cinema & Media Studies seeks applicants who represent a multiplicity of perspectives to join a vibrant community of thinkers and practitioners. We value applicants who demonstrate the potential to enhance the Division's profile and direct its growth through the breadth of their research and interests.

The committee favors applicants with academic records and personal statements that indicate a varied liberal arts and humanities background. The committee is also interested in experiences and activities that show a continuing or recent involvement in film and television studies, the arts, criticism and/or aesthetics.

You must submit the SlideRoom Application titled: "Graduate Cinema & Media Studies PhD Program".

You must access the SlideRoom Application via the "Go to SlideRoom" link in the SlideRoom tab in the Program Materials quadrant of the Graduate Application for Admission. The SlideRoom Application should only be accessed via this button in order for your applications to be linked and successfully submitted.

The Cinematic Arts Personal Statement should be a carefully prepared explanation of the applicant's goals, describing any film, television, scholarly, critical or other creative background, as well as career objectives. It should present a clear and accurate picture of the applicant, including lived experience or personal history, which may give shape to research and teaching. The statement should outline objectives in the field of cinema and media studies and explain how attending the School of Cinematic Arts will help reach these goals. We are looking for a sense of you as a unique individual and how your distinctive experiences, values, and/or views of the world have shaped who you are.

The writing sample should be a review or analysis of some aspect of film, television, or new media; a discussion or application of critical theory; or a published article.

The CV/resume should provide a record of the applicant's background and experience, including both professional and academic settings. Formal recognition - such as awards, publications, presentations, and jobs- should be noted. Please indicate languages of competency, which may broaden and deepen the division's commitments to global film and/or media.

Cinema & Media Studies (PhD)

Let’s get started

All Ph.D programs in Film, Television and Digital Media are full-time programs. The department admits new students only once each year for the Fall Quarter and the next application period is for Fall 2025. We will be publishing the Fall 2025 supplemental requirements by September 13, 2024. We Do Not Accept Films, DVDs or CDs Applicants must submit all required application materials to be considered for admission.

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For more information

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How to Apply

APPLICATION WORKSHEET AND INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY

By the time of entrance, Ph.D. applicants must:

• Have at least a 3.0 GPA.
• Satisfy the University of California’s Graduate Admissions Requirements .
• Complete equivalent to a 4-year U.S. Bachelor’s Degree.
• Complete equivalent to a U.S. Masters Degree.

Deadline: December 1, 2023

UCLA Graduate Application

Complete the UCLA Graduate Division Online Application .

• Indicate Ph.D., Film and Television, Cinema and Media Studies as the program.
• Submit a 1-2 page document.
• Upload a Personal Statement.
• Upload a Resume/CV.
• Submit a 5,000-7,000 word document.
• Upload Unofficial copies of all Transcripts.
• Enter the Names and Emails of all recommenders into the UCLA Gradate Division Online Application.

Mail an Official copy of all Transcripts from each Undergraduate and Graduate institution attended.

• Note: Community College transcripts are not necessary.

Request that all Test Scores be sent directly to UCLA.

• Only test scores taken by December 31, 2023 will be accepted.
• The GRE UCLA Code is 4837 and the Department Code is 2409.
• Note: The GRE is optional for Ph.D. applicants.

Mailing Address

Graduate Film Admissions: Cinema and Media Studies UCLA Department of Film, Television, and Digital Media 103 East Melnitz Hall, Box 951622 Los Angeles, CA 90095-1622

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Cinema and Media Studies, PhD

The Department offers a full-time Ph.D. program. Comprehensive in the range of specializations, the program is intellectually dynamic and rigorous. Our Ph.D. program prepares students for full participation in the profession as scholars and teachers of Cinema and Media Studies, broadly conceived.  The Ph.D. provides students with training in a variety of global and comparative approaches to studying diverse national cinemas and a variety of media institutions and art practices. We are committed to an advanced humanities education to address our shared need to be able to think historically and critically about the structures, operations, ethics, aesthetics, and interactions of cinema and media.    Our departmental ethos reflects our commitment to fostering an inclusive environment that is at once rigorous and nurturing. We expect our graduate students to be full members of the Department and encourage them to take an active role in the intellectual and social community of the University by attending colloquia, screenings, roundtables, discussions, and events in the Department as well as across campus.

Required Courses

The total number of course units required is 16. 

Teaching Requirement

Four semesters of teaching are required.

Language Requirement

In addition to a command of English, students must demonstrate reading knowledge in a minimum of one research language relevant to the particular subfield being studied. More languages may be required by the proposed field of study, and the program strongly encourages multiple language acquisition. The specific languages required for each student will be determined by the student and the student’s faculty advisor in consultation with the Graduate Chair. As Digital Humanities is becoming such a large part of our new department, we will also consider programming languages as needed.

Qualifications Evaluation

At the end of the second year, students will select one paper from those they have written in their first year of study, substantially developing it over the course of two further semesters in dialogue with their advisor and two additional members of the Graduate Group. This group of three faculty members constitutes the Qualifications Examination Committee. Students will work on the paper throughout the first semester of their second year. In the spring semester of their second year, the student will present their paper to the committee, followed by a discussion. The Qualifications Exam assesses a student’s ability to write a coherent research paper of publishable quality. The student’s grade (High Pass/Pass/Fail) will be recorded, and both the student and the SAS Graduate Division will be notified of the outcome of the evaluation.

The field exam is a two-hour oral exam, which will take place at the end of the fall semester of the student’s third year. It consists of questions about the student’s lists, fields, and write-ups. The student will be given these questions in the form of two separate closed-book three-hour exams that will be taken a week apart from each other. The Fields Committee will then meet with the candidate to discuss the written answers and offer feedback.

Candidacy Examination

A Ph.D. Candidacy Examination will be held after the candidate has completed all required coursework, including language requirements and attendance at the CIMS colloquium. The candidacy exam, which will be both oral and written, entails the successful defense of a Dissertation Proposal with the Dissertation Committee. The Dissertation Committee will meet with the student to discuss the proposal for a two-hour session sometime in mid- spring semester of the third year. Feedback will be provided to the student and the student may be asked to make revisions to the proposal. The final version of the dissertation proposal must be submitted by the last day of classes of the Spring semester.

Dissertation Defense

Upon completion of the dissertation, students will present an overview of their research project to faculty and peers. This presentation will be followed by a closed conversation among the student, the dissertation committee (who will have received the complete dissertation several weeks earlier), and the graduate chair. This will allow faculty members formally to evaluate the project formally and to give feedback on how to develop the project in the future.

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2024 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.

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Ph.d. in film & digital media.

The Ph.D. program in Film and Digital Media challenges the traditionally conceived borders between creative and critical practice. The program enables potential dialogue between creative practice and theoretical knowledge as related forms of intellectual work and provides the conditions for students to realize a wide range of possible projects, including those that exist across the traditional divides of critical studies and production. Focusing on a diverse range of cultural production that includes cinema, television, video art, and Internet-based media, the Ph.D. program participants interrogate the historical, aesthetic, political, ideological, and technological aspects of these media forms across a range of international contexts, investigating their points of connection and convergence as well as their relationship to broader cultural and historical change. The program thus prepares students for intellectually informed creative practice as well as theoretical and critical production in a range of environments, not limited to traditional academic contexts. 

Integrating critical and creative practice:  

In our research and teaching, we explore the intersections of what have been, or have become, separated modes in our field of media studies: theory and practice. We seek to nurture dialogue between creative practice and scholarly inquiry as related forms of intellectual work.

Working across media: 

Our approach to media studies and media production incorporates a range of technologies and platforms, stressing their historical and intertextual relationships.

Pursuing new modes of social and political engagement: 

Media literacy, broadly defined, is an essential component of participation in our increasingly mediated lives. A new generation of media makers and media interpreters has the power to re-shape the world.

Fostering global cultural citizenship: 

Making and studying media today necessitates a global and historical perspective. By thinking and working across boundaries of nation, culture and identity, we are creating new forms of knowledge and new media forms that respect and investigate differences of race, class, gender, sexuality and nation.

Film and Digital Media Ph.D. Program Learning Outcomes

Students who earn a Ph.D. in Film and Digital Media will gain the skills, knowledge, and understanding that will enable them to:

1. Demonstrate that student’s critical study of media informs the student’s media-making practices 2. Demonstrate knowledge of video and/or digital media production 3. Demonstrate critical thinking and analytical skills appropriate doctoral work in to the discipline of film and digital media 4. Demonstrate research skills appropriate to doctoral work in the discipline of film and digital media 5. Demonstrate scholarly writing skills appropriate to doctoral work in the discipline of film and digital media

Prospective Applicants:

Candidates must have demonstrated skill in critical, theoretical and historical scholarship, and a demonstrated interest in film, television, video and new media studies. We are particularly interested in candidates with demonstrated experience in some form of artistic production, and an interest in combining creative work with critical and theoretical study. 

Candidates should also be aware that we will prioritize those who, in their application, outline a project or form of work that integrates critical and creative work together in a hybrid form that would be difficult or impossible to pursue in a either a conventional humanities program or a studio or production degree program. The Ph.D. program in Film & Digital Media is designed to provide a platform for the creation of hybrid work that would not be possible to accomplish elsewhere.

For program requirements, please review our  Program Statement

For more information about UCSC applications, consult the  Graduate Division  website and their  Admissions Pages.

Fully Funded PhD Programs in Cinema and Media Studies

Last updated May 10, 2022

As part of our series  How to Fully Fund Your PhD , here is a list of universities that fully fund PhD students in Cinema and Media Studies. PhD in Cinema and Media Studies Studies can lead to a variety of careers in the film industry, academia, and more.

“Full funding” is a financial aid package for full-time students that includes full tuition remission as well as an annual stipend or salary during the entire program, which is usually 3-6 years. Funding usually comes with the expectation that students will teach or complete research in their field of study. Not all universities fully fund their doctoral students, which is why researching the financial aid offerings of many different programs, including small and lesser-known schools both in the U.S. and abroad, is essential.

The  ProFellow database  for graduate and doctoral study also spotlights external funding opportunities for graduate school, including dissertation research, fieldwork, language study, and summer work experiences.

Would you like to receive the full list of more than 1000+ fully funded programs in 60 disciplines? Download the FREE Directory of Fully Funded Graduate Programs and Full Funding Awards !

Cornell University, PhD in Performing and Media Arts (Ithaca, New York): All PhD degree candidates are guaranteed four years of funding (including a stipend, a full-tuition fellowship, and student health insurance) and also summer support for four years.

Harvard University, PhD program in Film and Visual Studies (Cambridge, MA): Harvard guarantees full financial support to PhD students—including tuition, health fees, and basic living expenses—for a minimum of five years. This multi-year funding package includes a combination of tuition grants, stipends, traineeships, teaching fellowships, research assistantships, and other academic appointments.

University of British Columbia (UBC), Phd in Cinema and Media Studies (Vancouver, BC, Canada): All students accepted and registered full-time in their graduate programs will be eligible for financial assistance from teaching assistantships and the Graduate Support Initiative (GSI). A funding package of at least $22,000 for each of the first four years of their Ph.D.

University of Chicago, PhD in Cinema and Media Studies (Chicago, IL): Doctoral students will be guaranteed to have funding support from the University of Chicago, external sources, or a combination of the two for the duration of their program including Full tuition coverage, Annual stipend, Fully paid individual annual health insurance premiums. Cinema and Media Studies Ph.D. students who matriculate in Autumn 2022 will receive a stipend of $33,000.

University of Toronto, PhD in Cinema Studies (Toronto, ON): The Cinema Studies Institute provides base funding for all graduate students enrolled in a four-year Ph.D. program. It will include tuition and fees, and $20,000. The base funding may include income from a variety of sources including external awards.

York University, PhD in Cinema & Media Studies (Toronto, Ontario): Domestic PhD students receive more than $24,000/year along with healthcare benefits and other forms of research support. In recent years, most Cinema & Media Studies (CMS) Ph.D. students have received additional funding through awards.

Need some tips for the application process? See my article  How To Get Into a Fully Funded PhD Program: Contacting Potential PhD Advisors .

Also, sign up to discover and bookmark more than 1300 professional and academic fellowships in the  ProFellow database .

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Fully Funded PhD Programs , PhD in Cinema and Media Studies , PhD in Film Studies , PhD in Media Studies

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Cinematic Arts

Doctor of Philosophy in Film Studies

It is no stretch to say that the University of Iowa helped to invent Film Studies as a discipline. The first graduate thesis on film at UIowa dates all the way back to 1916, and our own program has been producing doctoral work in Film Studies since 1960 (when John Kuiper wrote a dissertation on Sergei Eisenstein in what was then called the Division of Radio, Television and Film). Today, the list of former UI graduate students reads like a “who’s who” of pioneering figures in the field: Dudley Andrew, David Bordwell, Mary Ann Doane, Aaron Gerow, Barbara Klinger, Patrice Petro, David Rodowick, Mitsuyo Wada-Marciano, and many more. Iowa alumni are also very well represented among the winners of the prestigious  Distinguished Career Award from the Society of Film and Media Studies, the highest honor our field can bestow.

Today, our PhD program offers students comprehensive training in film theory and history amidst a stimulating interdisciplinary environment in one of the country’s best small cities for the arts.  Our students also acquire the entire range of skills they need for employment in the academic job market, as well as numerous transferable skills. With guaranteed financial support, nearly all graduate students can expect to gain extensive experience in the classroom. Students also regularly organize conferences and events and work with local institutions such as FilmScene.

Our students also enjoy a rich graduate student community. Film Studies graduate students regularly collaborate with graduate students from the MFA program in Cinematic Arts, and they take seminars with other graduate students across the university.

For a good overview of what your trajectory might look like, you can consult our Graduate Student Handbook of Policies and Procedures , especially the section outlining the PhD timeline with milestones by semester. And for more information on the course requirements for the PhD degree, please consult the university’s general catalogue.

To see our recent PhD placement record, please see the Careers and Opportunities page.

For more information on graduate student funding, please our Funding page here.

If you think you might be interested in applying, it's good to start by consulting faculty profiles available on our People page. Active faculty in Film Studies include Paula Amad, Michael Cowan, Corey Creekmur, Chris Goetz, Hayley O'Malley and Andrew Owens. Departmental research strengths include  early modernist cinemas, game studies, European film, Black cinema, Queer cinema, documentary, animation, postcolonial approaches and media archaeology.

For instructions instructions, deadlines and minimal requirements for PhD applications, please consult the Graduate Admissions page.

For any further questions, you may also contact our Director of Graduate Studies, listed on the People page of this website.

PhD in Film Studies (General Catalog)

NOTICE: The University of Iowa Center for Advancement is an operational name for the State University of Iowa Foundation, an independent, Iowa nonprofit corporation organized as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, publicly supported charitable entity working to advance the University of Iowa. Please review its full disclosure statement.

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PhD in Screen Cultures

The Screen Cultures Ph.D. program at Northwestern University is a leading doctoral program that conducts and mentors innovative research in the history, theory, and criticism of film, television, digital, and sound media. Integrating interdisciplinary opportunities both within Northwestern’s Department of Radio/Television/Film and departments across campus, the Screen Cultures program provides an exceptional humanities-based course of study.

Students work with interdisciplinary faculty across Northwestern and Chicago, including internationally known scholars in film, television, digital media, and sound studies. Students may opt to take courses from a variety of disciplines within the School of Communication and the Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences, including Sociology, English, German, French and Italian, Art History, Comparative Literature, Music Studies, African American Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Performance Studies, Theatre, and Communication Studies.

In addition to core subjects in the history and theory of film, television, digital, and sound media, students can enroll in specialty seminars with topics such as: Feminist Media Studies; African American cinema; TV, Video, and Media Arts; Postcolonial Cinema, Screen Technologies; Cultural Theory; Media Places; Media and the Environment; the Video Essay; and numerous author and genre courses.

The program attracts visiting speakers and artists through its speaker series and colloquia, exposing students to celebrated researchers and media makers. State-of-the-art production and viewing facilities allow for screenings of the latest media and lively discussions with preeminent scholars.

The rich and rigorous experiences found within the Screen Cultures program will prepare you for the academic job market and mentor you in the art of writing for scholarly publications, while creating exciting intellectual exchange.

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PhD Program

Launched in September 2013, the Doctor of Philosophy program in Cinema Studies addresses the changing role of moving image media within global culture. Past and present configurations of cinema are studied through a constellation of theoretical, textual, social, and historical rubrics. The core curricular offerings engage with debates and questions that persist within the scholarship while also examining how the field contends with emerging disciplinary issues and intermedial formats today and at earlier historical junctures. Throughout the program of study, the synthesis of history and theory, textual analysis, and cultural study is emphasized.

Please note: this program is dedicated to the critical study of cinema rather than training in filmmaking as a practice.

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Explore world cinema, literature, television and more in our MA, PhD, and certificate programs.

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Our department offers BA degrees in Cinema and Media Studies and Comparative Literature.

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Degree programs.

• BA: Cinema & Media Studies
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• Minor: Comparative Literature
• MA: Cinema & Media Studies
• PhD: Cinema & Media Studies
• Grad Certificate: Cinema & Media Studies

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This course will engage and explore robotic and virtual servants and assistants in film, television, and commercial advertisements from the 20th and 21st centuries. 

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The best film schools in the u.s..

These 25-plus institutions are providing the next generation of filmmakers with tools (hint: it’s AI) to shape cinema’s future.

By Mia Galuppo

Mia Galuppo

Film Writer

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“On day three, I sat next to Darren Aronofsky. Talk about right time, right place,” recalls Matthew Libatique of his time at the American Film Institute. (The cinematographer went on to partner with the director on movies including Pi and Black Swan .) It shows that anyone attending a THR top film program could find themselves sharing a classroom with the next Shonda Rhimes, Ari Aster or Barry Jenkins — or become the next name themselves. But film schools, like Hollywood at large, are faced with an increasingly paramount question: “What’s next?”

While Hollywood is preoccupied with concerns over artificial intelligence, many schools on this year’s list are already incorporating emerging technology into their curriculums with classes like Critical and Creative Approaches to AI (USC) and Producing and Screenwriting With AI (Loyola Marymount). Film programs whose emphasis has long been on the “big two” — directing and screenwriting — are now offering minors in virtual production stage operations (DePaul) and classes in live sports production (UT Austin).

The nation’s film programs are tasked with the difficult job of training for an industry with an uncertain future. Here is a glance at how the top 26 are ranked and rising to the task.

This story first appeared in the August 14 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe .

LOS ANGELES

Additions at the Robert Zemeckis Center, including a new LED wall and virtual environment lighting, have led to a massive overhauled curriculum that allows students to take advantage of the space. Classes include Realtime CG Filmmaking and the hybrid theory-practice class Critical and Creative Approaches to AI, while the school has installed generative AI software for in-class instruction and launched a virtual production senior thesis course. Habib Zargarpour, who worked on the virtual productions of The Jungle Book and Ant-Man and the Wasp , is a visiting professor. Elsewhere, a new class this fall taught by veteran producers Gail Katz and Susan Cartsonis will examine the making and success of Barbie . A new $5 million endowment to create the John H. Mitchell Program in Episodic Television will offer courses on docuseries and single-camera comedies. Director Sean Wang, who took Sundance by storm with Didi , cites Candice Dragonas’ Music Video & Commercial Production class as a favorite: “She made me believe I could one day be a filmmaker working at that level, too.”

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $69,904; GRADUATE $39,533-$58,621

ALUMNI Ryan Coogler, Shonda Rhimes, Hiro Murai

American Film Institute

AFI’s hefty tuition is the cost of admittance to the best alumni network in Hollywood, with graduates working on six of the 10 best picture nominees at this year’s Oscars. Recently, there was a new multimillion-dollar donation from AFI vice chair and former Disney Studios president Rich Frank, which will go toward financial assistance for fellows, while alum Brad Falchuk, along with other AFI grads working on the Netflix series The Brothers Sun , announced an annual $20,000 screenwriting scholarship. AFI offers a tuition-free Cinematography Intensive for Women course as well as its long- heralded Directing Workshop for Women, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. To help set up the next 50 years, the school established an advisory committee that includes Ava DuVernay, Chloé Zhao and alum Lesli Linka Glatter, who was recently re-elected president of the DGA. Elsewhere, more than $1 million has been invested in improvements to the school’s software, with an additional $1 million going toward hardware, like five new Arri cameras and light kits. Remembers Libatique of his time at the conservatory: “The late great [cinematographer] John Alonzo taught me the power of ambient light and graced us with an in-person audio commentary of Chinatown .”

TUITION $70,487

ALUMNI Andrea Arnold, Ari Aster

New York University

NYU’s new Promise Program, introduced last year, means undergraduate students from families earning less than $100,000 annually will pay no tuition, removing a major barrier to one of the most prestigious film educations in the world. Recent upgrades to the film program, which boasts a majority female student body for undergrads and grads, include two new multicamera television studios and improvements to the production center’s entire pool of lighting gear, as well as new LED tech at the just opened Martin Scorsese Virtual Production Center in Brooklyn’s Industry City. Another Martin Scorsese-backed endeavor is the Internship Fund, which provides stipends to Tisch students with internships focused on film preservation. At the 2023 Student Academy Awards, NYU won two of the three prizes in the best documentary category, and alum Sean Baker received the 2024 Palme d’Or at Cannes for Anora .

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $68,978; GRADUATE $76,646

ALUMNI Spike Lee, Jon Watts

Chapman University

ORANGE, CALIFORNIA

Like many of the nation’s top film schools, Chapman is a private college that comes with a hefty price tag, but the average awarded aid for fall 2023 was a generous $31,000 per undergrad. Speaking of aid, student productions receive $20,000 for every graduate thesis film and $15,000 for every undergrad film. Chapman also offers tech still far out of reach for most aspiring filmmakers, including a new $1 million, 40-foot LED wall. And it brings Hollywood to Orange with its Master Class series, which saw everyone from Alexander Payne to Ari Emanuel join for its latest school year. Alum Payton Koch — the Emmy-nominated editor behind Only Murders in the Building — recalls a Horror Film Studies class at Chapman as one of his favorites: “We watched and dissected various horror films and then wrote, directed and edited our own short films. The experience was so great because it gave us the opportunity to be the ones in charge, hands on.”

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $64,580; GRADUATE $63,946

ALUMNI Parker Finn, Duffer Brothers

Loyola Marymount University

LMU does not shy away from teaching the emerging tech that has dominated industry conversations. The school is introducing Producing and Screenwriting With AI, while another course, in partnership with Loyola Law School, will focus on the laws surrounding AI and entertainment. Incoming students can look forward to $500,000 in new digital imaging equipment ready for fall classes. The film program in the university, which was recently named a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education, has a student body that’s 50 percent nonwhite, rare for a private school. Hunger Games director and alum Francis Lawrence says the rigorous LMU curriculum still “reminds me to focus on narrative, theme and character development.”

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $61,867; GRADUATE $1,626 PER UNIT

ALUMNI James Wong, The Bear writer Karen Joseph Adcock

SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA

As it has been since its founding in the ’60s by Walt and Roy Disney, there is no better school in the U.S. for aspiring animators. While other animation programs have caught up to CalArts in facilities and curriculum, the storied institution still claims the most powerful alumni network in Hollywood, from Pixar’s Pete Docter to Peter Sohn (director of Elemental, a best animated feature nominee in 2024).

TUITION $58,318 UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE

ALUMNI Tim Burton, Brad Bird

Columbia University

As with any longstanding film program, especially one housed inside a prestigious university in a major city, Columbia’s massive alumni network could be worth the price of admission. Alumni were represented at all the major film festivals, from Cannes to Sundance, and well represented among awards contenders, like Shogun director Jonathan van Tulleken, who says, “a lot of my thinking on set comes directly from the foundation I got in those Columbia classrooms.” The average MFA student at Columbia is awarded $30,000 in educational funding, and several new endowments and scholarships, including a fund for queer filmmakers, have been added to offset costs.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $71,170; GRADUATE $74,846

ALUMNI Anna Boden, Simon Kinberg, James Mangold

UNC School of the Arts

WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA

The rare example of a public arts university, UNCSA has produced top-tier Hollywood talent without the hefty tuition. The school has built a curriculum that keeps up with Hollywood’s ebbs and flows thanks to a newly established advisory council that includes alum David Gordon Green. VFX veteran Bob Keen ( Alien ) has been brought in as the director of Visual Effects and Immersive Media, while a new three-year concentration — Story Art Studio — has been established for students who want to explore everything from puppetry to AI. Says alum Jeff Nichols, who employed UNCSA grads on his recent film The Bikeriders : “My biggest takeaway was my relationships with classmates; I still work and collaborate with a lot of people from UNCSA and have throughout my career.”

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $6,497 RESIDENT, $24,231 NONRESIDENT; GRADUATE $9,696 RESIDENT, $24,399 NONRESIDENT

ALUMNI Brett Haley, Craig Zobel

AUSTIN, TEXAS

Leaning into Texas’ athletic program, the media school is developing classes surrounding sports production that will see students get hands-on game-day training, which can lead to jobs on college sports broadcasts while they are still in school. As for the digital sports area, the school launched its first E-Sports Symposium as it continues to grow its gaming program. New curriculum offerings include Business of Unscripted TV and Writer’s Room Workshop, while remodels have been completed on the school’s 23,200 square feet of studio space.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $11,752 IN-STATE, $40,996 NONRESIDENT; GRADUATE $11,767 IN-STATE, $21,786 NONRESIDENT

ALUMNI Shondaland’s Alison Eakle, Glen Powell, Shogun co-creator Rachel Kondo

The UC Regents recently approved a multiyear tuition stability plan, meaning cost will be more predictable at UCLA, which offers industry-adjacent geography with a top-tier public school education. While it may not have the facilities of other Los Angeles programs, the school has added a course on AI to its curriculum and is doubling down on researching emerging tech with its Center for Research in Engineering, Media and Performance that will run across disciplines. As for new faculty, recent Guggenheim fellow and Mexican filmmaker Juan Pablo González (2022 Sundance winner Dos Estaciones ) was hired for the film department.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $15,154 IN-STATE, $49,354 NONRESIDENT; GRADUATE $18,137 IN STATE, $33,238 NONRESIDENT

ALUMNI Gina Prince-Bythewood, Garrett Bradley

DePaul University

DePaul punches above its weight when it comes to keeping facilities and curriculum current. After acquiring an LED wall, the school expanded its visual effects capabilities, adding a stage and two new minors in Virtual Production Stage Operations and Virtual Production Environment Design that focus on the physical on-set components of virtual productions and the design of digital environments. As for hometown pride, many alumni serve on the crew of the Chicago-set series The Bear, including Emmy-nominated cinematographer Andrew Wehde. “I needed the infrastructure, support and the community,” says television director Daniel Willis (Chicago Fire) of what he experienced at the school.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $45,195; GRADUATE $22,920-$34,380

ALUMNI Ghostlight director Alex Thompson, John C. Reilly

Emerson College

With a summer program in Prague, a screenwriting lab in Greece and a three-year BFA program in film arts in partnership with the Paris College of Art, Emerson offers plenty of opportunities outside of New England. The school even offers a low-residency MFA in screenwriting, which allows students to complete the majority of the curriculum online with weeklong residencies in Boston and Los Angeles, where working screenwriters, including Cord Jefferson (2024 Oscar winner for American Fiction ), conduct master classes. As for what it does offer on its Boston campus, there is a new Virtual Production teaching studio that opened in March and five new Arri Alexa cameras.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $56,032; GRADUATE $1,444 PER CREDIT

ALUMNI Adele Lim, Daniels, Pamela Abdy

Wesleyan University

MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT

As is to be expected from a selective liberal arts college, Wesleyan’s alumni network is packed with overachievers, including The White Lotus creator Mike White and Star Trek impresario Alex Kurtzman. Also to be expected from a selective liberal arts college: a hefty price tag. But beginning this fall, the school will no longer offer loans as a part of university financial aid packages, instead extending aid without any borrowing. The school stands out in its commitment to celluloid and covers all film stock and processing for 16mm production courses. Alum Liz Garcia, who recently debuted her latest movie, Space Cadet , cites the film program for teaching her that “storytelling is as much about the flow of information as anything else.”

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $69,652

ALUMNI Oppenheimer film editor Jennifer Lame, Julius Onah

Columbia College Chicago

New courses in virtual production and cinematography have been created in conjunction with Columbia College Chicago installing a Volume virtual production wall. The school offers a variety of B.A.s and BFAs in film, television, writing, immersive media and gaming. Columbia is known for graduating below-the-line talent like cinematographers Carl Herse (an Emmy nominee for Barry ) and Christian Sprenger (an Emmy winner for Atlanta ).

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $34,088; GRADUATE $42,506

ALUMNI Lena Waithe, Chris McKay

Ithaca College

ITHACA, NEW YORK

Through the recently launched Special Opportunities for Students program, Ithaca students can receive funds for off-campus opportunities, which have included trips to the Bentonville Film Festival and the Merced Queer Film Festival to pick up honors for student projects. Ithaca, which places an emphasis on independent production and is equipped for both digital and celluloid filmmaking, recently completed work on an immersive stage that features LED panels on the ceiling and three walls, allowing for 3D visual effects running through the Unreal Engine used by many Hollywood productions. A robotic jib camera crane soon will be added to the mix.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $53,540

ALUMNI Bob Iger, Liz Tigelaar

Savannah College of Art & Design

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA

The Georgia school continues to invest in a backlot, soundstages and equipment that rival some studio setups. An expansion, set for completion in 2025, will include a town square, city hall and a single-family home that can be used in student productions. While many film programs focus on writing and directing, SCAD offers students other on-set possibilities, graduating a technically adept workforce. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 , nominated for an Oscar for best visual effects, had 39 SCAD alumni listed in its VFX credits.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $41,130; GRADUATE $42,120

ALUMNI Barbie CG artist Austin Bonang

Florida State University

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA

The lowest tuition for in-state students on this list (and that includes all equipment fees) is Florida State’s film program, which boasts a diverse population, with more than two-thirds of its students being POC. Emmy-winning editor Alessandro Soares has joined the faculty as its editor in residence, while alum Barry Jenkins is gearing up to release Disney’s Lion King prequel Mufasa .

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $6,466 IN-STATE, $14,430 NONRESIDENT; GRADUATE PRODUCTION $21,569 IN-STATE, $49,982 NONRESIDENT; GRADUATE WRITING $20,792 IN-STATE, $45,418 NONRESIDENT

ALUMNI Wes Ball

Boston University

Producer Craig H. Shepherd ( Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown ) is taking over the film and television department at B.U., coming in after the completion of $500,000 worth of upgrades to the primary studio space. The school also recently launched a $100,000 annual production fund to help students with the costs associated with student films. Alum Stephen Kijak recently directed the documentary Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed .

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $66,670

ALUMNI Josh and Benny Safdie

Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema at Brooklyn College

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

With two-time best picture nominee Richard Gladstein as the executive director, Feirstein has received a lot of institutional Hollywood support, including a recent donation of film cameras and lenses from Steven Soderbergh. Additions to faculty have included acclaimed producer Anne Carey ( Can You Ever Forgive Me? ) and editor Veronica Rutledge ( Ramy , Emily in Paris ). The newest film program on the list — it was established in 2015 — offers students a New York-based education without the price tag of other universities in the area (see: NYU and Columbia).

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $21,134 IN-STATE, $30,564 NONRESIDENT

ALUMNI 20 Days in Mariupol composer Jordan Dykstra, Nyad editor Fay Gartenberg

Ringling College of Art & Design

SARASOTA, FLORIDA

While the school’s focus has long been animation, for the 2024-25 school year, two new LED walls are joining Ringling’s fleet of equipment that includes five soundstages, two color-grading suites and a Foley stage. The film program offers dual tracks — narrative or branded entertainment — with students excelling in advertising, last year landing 11 Addy awards. Ringling delivers hands-on experience, with the average student working on 60 short films. “Ringling is a college rooted in animation,” says alum Jason Letkiewicz, a creative director at Disney ABC Television Group. “You get to absorb the culture that comes from being at a world-class art school.”

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $50,500

ALUMNI Sonic the Hedgehog director Jeff Fowler

Syracuse University

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK

Thanks to a large donation from the estate of alum Dick Clark, Syracuse is expanding its L.A. presence with more classroom space and course offerings at its North Hollywood campus. Back in New York, the school is finishing up new postproduction suites and has launched courses like Screenwriting With Gen AI, which is meant to help students find ethical applications of AI in the creative process.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $63,710; GRADUATE $35,010

ALUMNI Dan Silver, Pixar’s Jim Morris

Rhode Island School of Design

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

A New England liberal arts education meets experimental arts conservatory, RISD offers students classes in animation and video as well as access to a visiting puppeteer (last year’s was Andrew Murdock). While famous alumni like Seth MacFarlane have found mainstream Hollywood success, students are offered a film education through a fine arts lens. Professor Sheri Willis’ work in video and performance installations earned her a 2023 Guggenheim Fellowship.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $61,564

ALUMNI Gus Van Sant

Cal State University, Northridge

NORTHRIDGE, CALIFORNIA

The average scholarship awarded to students in the Cinema & Television Arts department for 2023 was $2,287, a sizable portion of the school’s yearly $7,500 tuition. The program does not have the bells and whistles of others on this list, but it offers the lowest cost for a school in the L.A. area, and was recently awarded a $1 million federal grant and launched two new scholarships. Says VFX producer Brooke Noska ( The Santa Clauses ) of her time at CSUN: “Classes with William Stratford, where we received real-world treatment and feedback, or with Quinn Saunders, who opened the door to meeting and engaging with industry professionals, were access points that carried me into the real world.”

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $7,458; MFA SCREENWRITING $8,982; M.A. MANAGEMENT $15,030

ALUMNI 20 Days in Mariupol producer Michelle Mizner

ArtCenter College of Design

The film program at ArtCenter is housed inside the larger arts conservatory that spans majors like fine art, illustration and photography, allowing for a more holistic arts education. While many film schools focus on narrative filmmaking, the Pasadena school has graduated prominent commercial directors. ArtCenter alum Michael Bay got his start in commercials, including one of those famous “Got Milk?” ads, and, recently, students have received Addy awards for spots for Tinder, Zillow and Levi’s.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $53,086; GRADUATE $56,104

ALUMNI Zack Snyder

(TIE) Hofstra University; Rochester Institute of Technology

HEMPSTEAD, NEW YORK

At the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, thesis films are shot on Arri Alexas with three soundstages available to students. Hofstra recently added a Sports Media bachelor of science with coursework conducted in partnership with the athletic program that spans live broadcast, podcasts and media strategy. Herbert’s specific scholarships include the Joel Oliansky Annual Scholarship, which is supported by alum Francis Ford Coppola and given to a student with interest in playwriting or screenwriting.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $56,544

ALUMNI CAA’s Bryan Diperstein

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK

Rochester places an emphasis on the intersection of Hollywood and STEM and has gained a reputation for graduating tech-savvy below-the-line talent. The school uniquely offers a B.S. in motion picture science, where students can dive into imaging and color sciences, with recent grads landing jobs at Apple, DreamWorks and Marvel. Last year, the school struck a new partnership with Dolby Laboratories that provides students and faculty with access to tools used in creating industry-standard audiovisuals.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $58,324

ALUMNI Frame.io founder John Traver

Other L.A., NYC Area Film Schools

The best local and community college programs in or near entertainment hubs .

Azusa Pacific University

This year, the Southern California institution added a soundstage and a new Foley stage and revamped its postproduction lab thanks to a $300,000 gift to the school, which is based in Azusa.

Biola University

Longtime veteran AMC Networks executive Tom Halleen, who worked on The Walking Dead and Mad Men , is the dean of the Christian university’s film program. In 2026, the school, located in La Mirada, will open a new massive complex that will feature a 3,000-foot soundstage, color-grading suites and a game-design lab.

California State University, Long Beach

The school offers a newly introduced bachelor of arts in cinematic arts, where students can select an industry focus after two years in the program. The Long Beach-based school also introduced a travel class titled Film & Festival & World Cinema, in which students journey to Italy to immerse themselves in international cinema.

California State University, Los Angeles

This school offers undergraduate and graduate options through the television, film and media studies department at a lower price tag than many other L.A.-area schools. Its student-run filmmaking club, Golden Eagle Productions, offers its young filmmakers project funding, equipment rentals, production experience, guest speakers and more.

City College New York

CCNY’s film program, established in 1941, offers a BFA. Undergraduate students can enter a fiction or documentary filmmaking track, where tuition for in-state students now runs less than $4,000 a semester. The curriculum includes classes in journalism and film studies.

Purchase College, State University of New York

The school features a list of notable alumni, including Abel Ferrara and Azazel Jacobs, whose latest film, His Three Daughters, arrives this fall via Netflix. In-state residents only pay $7,070 per year in undergraduate tuition fees, while out-of-state students pay just $17,320.

Rutgers University

The Rutgers Filmmaking Center offers a BFA in filmmaking. Students can immerse themselves in individualized fiction and documentary production courses, though the New Jersey school is known for its Documentary Film Lab headed by Oscar winner Thomas Lennon.

State University of New York at Stony Brook

Stony Brook offers an MFA in television writing and an MFA film program, providing students with a hands-on, project-driven learning environment. The film program includes directing, writing, producing and independent tracks and features a faculty of industry experts including Past Lives producers Pamela Koffler and Christine Vachon (the latter also serves as artistic director).

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Gabriela C. Yepes-Rossel

Faculty advisor: Paola Hernandez

Gabriela is a PhD student from Lima, Peru, a playwright, film and theater director, and scholar of Andean theater and performance. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the Universidad de Lima, Peru, and a master of fine arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin, focused on film production and direction. Her latest theater play, The Therapist , has shown in Lima, Peru; Bogotá, Colombia; Las Vegas, U.S.; and London, U.K.

Her graduate research applies a gendered and decolonial perspective to drama and performance in the Southern Peruvian Andes. She seeks to understand the theatricality women performers at collective religious events generate, how it is produced and reproduced, and the kind of knowledge it develops. Her aim with this study is to reinforce gender as an essential analytical category in theatrical and performance research.

“Considering the social and ecological changes in the region in recent years, I seek to understand how gender is negotiated in collective religious spaces, how it intervenes in the relation between performers and the non-human beings that populate Andean landscapes, and how it is experienced by the performers and expressed in ritual and performative practices,” Gabriela says.

Gabriela received a Graduate School Fellowship in 2021-22, which she says was essential in her decision to attend UW–Madison.

“In a time where the pandemic seemed to have closed all doors for film and theater artists, having a full scholarship to come to Madison was, in simple terms, extraordinary,” she said.

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