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Cinematography Degrees

Camera, lighting and visual storytelling: image capture, lenses, lighting design and the camera department.

Listed alphabetically by school. This directory is not a ranking — editorial selections are published separately under Top Schools. What we list

Mount Saint Mary's University

BFA in Film and Media

BFABachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Media
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Cinematography (Cinematography concentration) · Screenwriting (Screenwriting concentration) +2
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $51,034 per academic year · All students — Traditional undergraduate, full-time (12-18 units/semester) · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Top Cinematography Schools

Mount Saint Mary's University

MFA in Film, Television and New Media

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Film, Television and New Media
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Format: Hybrid · Low-residencyShort mandatory residencies combined with remote study. Not fully online.
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (Directing concentration) · Cinematography (Cinematography concentration) +3
Duration: 2 years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $1,247 per unit · All students · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
New York Film Academy logo

New York Film Academy

MFA in Cinematography

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Cinematography
Location: Burbank, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus. · Full-time
Fields: Cinematography (dedicated degree)
Duration: Two years, five full-time semesters
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $20,500 per semester · All students — Los Angeles, Spring & Fall 2027 · 2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
New York University logo

New York University

MFA in Film and Television (Graduate Film)

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Film and Television
Location: New York, NY
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus. · Full-time
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Cinematography (Cinematography concentration) · Producing (Producing concentration) +3
Duration: Three years of coursework; optional fourth year of matriculation to complete the thesis
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $41,450 per semester · All students — Tisch graduate flat-rate tuition · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
Ohio University logo

Ohio University

BFA in Film

BFABachelor of Fine Arts in Film
Location: Athens, OH
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (Directing concentration) · Cinematography (Cinematography concentration) +3
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $7,401 per semester · In-state — Athens campus full-time (12-20 hours), OHIO Guarantee cohort entering 2026-27, Ohio resident · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
Ohio University logo

Ohio University

MFA in Film

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Film
Location: Athens, OH
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (broader film degree) · Cinematography (broader film degree) +3
Duration: Three years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $4,928 per semester · In-state — Full-time comprehensive (9-18 hours), Ohio resident · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline

Savannah College of Art and Design

Film and Television, BFA

BFABachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television
Location: Savannah, GA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Cinematography (broader film degree) · Editing (broader film degree)
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: Tuition not published
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View program
Location: Savannah, GA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Cinematography (dedicated degree)
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: Tuition not published
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View program

School of Visual Arts

BFA Film

BFABachelor of Fine Arts in Film
Location: New York, NY
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus. · Full-time
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (Directing concentration) · Cinematography (Cinematography concentration) +1
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $27,635 per semester · All students — Undergraduate full-time tuition (12-15 credits) · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
Syracuse University logo

Syracuse University

Television, Radio and Film, BS

BSBS in Television, Radio and Film
Location: Syracuse, NY
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Production (Production Track concentration) · Cinematography (Cinematography Track concentration) · Screenwriting (Screenwriting Track concentration)
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $34,590 per semester · All students — Main Campus undergraduate, full-time (12-19 credits), matriculated Fall 2018 or later · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View program
Temple University logo

Temple University

Film and Media Arts BA

BABachelor of Arts in Film and Media Arts
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Format: Format not verified
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Cinematography (Cinematography concentration) · Film Studies (Screen Studies concentration) +2
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $22,128 per academic year · In-state — Undergraduate, Theater, Film, Media Arts, PA resident, full-time annual · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View program
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (Production – Narrative Directing concentration) · Cinematography (Production – Cinematography concentration) +2
Duration: Four years (first-year entry); two years (transfer)
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $15,588 per academic year · In-state — UC Systemwide Tuition (undergraduate, new students 2026-27) · 2026-2027
Deadline: December 7, 2026 · Fall 2027
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus. · Full-time
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (Production/Directing – Narrative; Production/Directing – Documentary concentration) · Cinematography (Cinematography concentration) +1
Duration: Three years
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $15,066 per academic year · In-state — UC Systemwide Tuition (graduate students) · 2026-2027
Deadline: November 1, 2026 · Fall 2027
View programSelected in: Top Film Directing Schools

University of Iowa

MFA in Film and Video Production

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Film and Video Production
Location: Iowa City, IA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Cinematography (broader film degree) · Editing (broader film degree)
Duration: Three years
Funding: Fully funded (conditions apply)
Tuition: Tuition not published
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Top Film Schools in the USA
University of Miami logo

University of Miami

Motion Pictures, M.F.A.

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Motion Pictures
Location: Coral Gables, FL
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Production (Production concentration) · Screenwriting (Screenwriting concentration) · Producing (Producing concentration) +3
Duration: Three years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $2,763 per credit · All students — Graduate tuition per credit hour · 2026-2027
Deadline: February 1, 2027 · Fall 2027
Location: Winston Salem, NC
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus. · Full-time
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (Directing concentration) · Cinematography (Cinematography concentration) +3
Duration: Four years
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $6,691 per academic year · In-state — Undergraduate In-State 2026-2027 · 2026-2027
Deadline: October 15, 2026 · Fall
View programSelected in: Top Cinematography Schools
University of Southern California logo

University of Southern California

BA in Film & Television Production

BABachelor of Arts in Cinematic Arts, Film & Television Production
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (broader film degree) · Cinematography (broader film degree) +1
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: Tuition not published
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View program
University of Southern California logo

University of Southern California

MFA in Film & Television Production

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Cinematic Arts, Film and Television Production
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (broader film degree) · Cinematography (broader film degree) +2
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $2,700 per unit · All students · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View program

What cinematography covers

  • Camera systems, lenses and exposure
  • Lighting design and grip/electric practice
  • Visual storytelling and image design
  • Color and image workflow in collaboration with post-production

This is a practical field: expect production coursework, equipment use and collaborative projects. Many programs combine film and television; profiles note when they do.

Dedicated degree, concentration or broader film degree

  • Dedicated degree (4): The degree itself is in this field.
  • Named concentration (21): An officially named concentration, specialization or track inside the degree.
  • Broader film degree (13): A broader film degree whose official curriculum substantially covers this field.

A single elective is never counted as a concentration or as substantial curriculum. One program can appear in several fields; it is still one listing.

Admissions and portfolios

Cinematography pathways commonly ask for a cinematography reel or still photography that shows how you work with light and composition.

Requirements are recorded item by item on each program profile — required, optional, pathway-specific or explicitly not required. If a school does not publish its policy, we say so. Admissions hub and checklist

By level: Bachelor's (18) · Master's (20)

Related fields and guides