An independent directory of verified film degrees in the United States
An independent directory of US film degrees
Explore film degrees and programs across the United States. Compare filmmaking, directing, cinematography, screenwriting, and film studies options.
Every fact links to the school's own pages. How listings are researched
Fields of study
Each program shows whether the field is the degree itself, an officially named concentration, or part of a broader film degree. One program can appear in several fields.
Degrees
Editorial selections
Researched selections built from each program's own published structure, thesis work, portfolio, costs and funding — with strengths, tradeoffs and sources for every entry. Alphabetical, unnumbered, and never for sale.
Read the rankings methodologyOnline film programs
17 online and low-residency programs, 1 with no required campus attendance verified. Each listing separates coursework delivery from campus visits, residencies, local filming, equipment and collaborator requirements.
Scholarships and funding
95 programs publish scholarships, assistantships, grants or a funding policy; 12 state tuition coverage plus a stipend for admitted students. Competitive awards, tuition-only support and production grants are labeled as what they are.
Admissions and portfolios
Requirements are recorded item by item — required, optional, pathway-specific or explicitly not required — with the deadline year and intake. Save a checklist in your browser, no account needed.
Selected verified programs
Programs with the most verified facts in our directory, one per school. A sample for browsing — not a ranking.
Method
Confirm the award
The exact degree title and award come from the school's catalog or program page. Film in a school's name is not evidence.
Classify the field
Dedicated degree, named concentration, or broader film degree — one elective never counts.
Quote every fact
Each fact stores the official URL and a verbatim quote; a script re-checks the live page before it is shown.
Keep gaps visible
Unpublished stays “not published”. We never infer portfolio, funding or costs from silence.
Editorial methodology · Data sources and verification · Sponsorship disclosure
Verified bachelor's (BA, BS, BFA), master's (MA, MS, MFA) and PhD degrees in film production, film directing, cinematography, film studies, screenwriting, producing and editing — either as the degree itself, an officially named concentration, or a broader film degree with substantial verified curriculum. Certificates, workshops, associate degrees, acting-only programs and generic communications degrees are not listed.
No. Each listing shows the exact award the school confers. MFAs are usually practice-based; MA degrees in film are often academic; some schools award an MS. The MFA section collects Master of Fine Arts degrees only.
Only that the school states no campus attendance is required. Programs with required visits or residencies are labeled “limited campus visits” or “low-residency”. Online filmmaking usually means producing work where you live; each program shows its equipment and collaborator expectations when published.
Not unless the school says so. We show tuition, mandatory institutional fees and program production costs (equipment fees, insurance, software, thesis budgets) separately, and we never estimate a total when key costs are unpublished.
No. They are editorial selections made against published criteria using verified facts only. They are listed alphabetically, without numbers, and sponsorship never affects them.
For schools
Listings are free and factual. Schools can add a missing program, suggest an update, or sponsor a clearly labeled placement. Sponsorship never changes editorial selections or verified status.