Skip to content
FilmSchools.app

Master's Degrees in Film Directing

Directing-focused education: working with actors, visual storytelling, shot design and leading a production. This list includes master's degrees in the field itself, degrees with an officially named film directing concentration, and broader film degrees whose published curriculum substantially covers it. Each card says which.

27 programs · page 1 of 2

Sort:A–ZDeadlineAnnual tuitionStipendRecently verified

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

Academy of Art University logo

Academy of Art University

MA in Writing & Directing for Film

MAMaster of Arts in Motion Pictures & Television (Writing & Directing for Film)
Location: San Francisco, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Directing (dedicated degree) · Screenwriting (dedicated degree)
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $1,551 per unit · Graduate, domestic students · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View program
Academy of Art University logo

Academy of Art University

MFA in Motion Pictures & Television

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Motion Pictures & Television
Location: San Francisco, CA
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: $1,857 per unit · International — Graduate, international students · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Top Cinematography Schools
American Film Institute Conservatory logo

American Film Institute Conservatory

MFA in Directing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Directing
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus. · Full-time
Fields: Film Directing (dedicated degree)
Duration: Two years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $75,508 per academic year · All students · 2026-2027
Deadline: December 1, 2026 · Fall 2027
View programSelected in: Top Film Directing Schools, Top Film Schools in the USA, Top MFA in Filmmaking Programs in the USA

Asbury University

MFA in Film & Television Production

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Film & Television Production
Location: Wilmore, KYSchool location; coursework is online.
Format: Online · Limited visitsMostly online, with some required visits to campus. · Full- or part-time
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (broader film degree) · Cinematography (broader film degree)
Duration: Two years full-time; up to three years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $595 per credit · All students — Graduate Communications (MA, MFA)
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Best Online Film Schools
California Institute of the Arts logo

California Institute of the Arts

MFA Film Directing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts - Film Directing
Location: Valencia, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Directing (dedicated degree) · Film Production (broader film degree) · Screenwriting (broader film degree)
Duration: Three years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $62,954 per academic year · All students — Full-time BFA and MFA programs · 2026-2027
Deadline: December 1, 2026 · Fall 2027
View programSelected in: Top Film Directing Schools, Top Film Schools in the USA, Top MFA in Filmmaking Programs in the USA
Chapman University logo

Chapman University

Film Production (MFA)

MFAMFA in Film Production
Location: Orange, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (Directing concentration) · Cinematography (Cinematography concentration) +1
Duration: Two years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $26,414 per semester · All students · 2026-2027
Deadline: November 15, 2026 · Fall 2027
View programSelected in: Top Film Directing Schools, Top Cinematography Schools, Top Film Schools in the USA, Top MFA in Filmmaking Programs in the USA
Columbia College Chicago logo

Columbia College Chicago

Film and Television Directing (MFA)

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Film and Television Directing
Location: Chicago, IL
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Directing (dedicated degree) · Film Production (broader film degree) · Screenwriting (broader film degree)
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $1,495 (basis not stated by the school) · All students · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Top Film Directing Schools

CUNY Brooklyn College

Cinema Arts, M.F.A.

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Cinema Arts
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus. · Full- or part-time
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (Thesis as director concentration) · Cinematography (Thesis as cinematographer concentration) +3
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $5,545 per semester · In-state — New York State residents, full-time (12 credits), tuition only
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Top Film Directing Schools, Top Cinematography Schools, Top Screenwriting Schools

DePaul University

MFA in Film & Television Directing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Film and Television Directing
Location: Chicago, IL
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Directing (dedicated degree) · Film Production (broader film degree)
Duration: Three years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $1,003 per credit · All students — Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media graduate rate · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Top Film Directing Schools, Top Film Schools in the USA, Top MFA in Filmmaking Programs in the USA
Florida State University logo

Florida State University

MFA in Motion Picture Arts - Production

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Motion Picture Arts with a Major in Production
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (Directing concentration) · Cinematography (Cinematography concentration) +2
Duration: Two years (six consecutive semesters, including summers)
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $479.32 per credit · In-state — Main campus graduate resident rate · 2026-2027
Deadline: December 1, 2026 · Fall 2027
View programSelected in: Top Film Directing Schools, Top Cinematography Schools, Top Film Schools in the USA, Top MFA in Filmmaking Programs in the USA

Full Sail University

Film Production Master of Fine Arts

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Film Production
Location: Winter Park, FL
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (broader film degree) · Producing (broader film degree)
Duration: 48 weeks
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $36,000 entire program · All students — Total program tuition (campus); average cost per credit hour $621 · August - December 20
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View program
Howard University logo

Howard University

Master of Fine Arts in Film

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Film
Location: Washington, DC
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: Funding not verified
Tuition: Tuition not published
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Top Film Schools in the USA

Loyola Marymount University

MFA in Film and Television Production

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in 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 (Directing Fiction; Directing Non-Fiction concentration) · Cinematography (Cinematography concentration) +2
Duration: Three years
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $1,814 per credit · All students — Graduate tuition per semester hour, School of Film and Television · 2026-2027
Deadline: November 15, 2026 · Fall 2026 (as printed)
View programSelected in: Top Film Directing Schools, 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
View programSelected in: Top Film Directing Schools, Top Cinematography Schools, Top Screenwriting Schools, Top Film Schools in the USA, Top MFA in Filmmaking Programs in the USA
New York Film Academy logo

New York Film Academy

MFA in Filmmaking

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Filmmaking
Location: Burbank, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus. · Full-time
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (broader film degree) · Screenwriting (broader film degree)
Duration: Accelerated two years, six or seven semesters
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $20,500 per semester · All students — Los Angeles, Spring & Fall 2027 · 2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Top Film Schools in the USA, Top MFA in Filmmaking Programs in the USA
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
View programSelected in: Top Cinematography Schools, Top Film Schools in the USA, Top MFA in Filmmaking Programs in the USA
Northwestern University logo

Northwestern University

MFA in Documentary Media

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Documentary Media
Location: Evanston, IL
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (broader film degree) · Producing (broader film degree)
Duration: Two years
Funding: Fully funded (all admitted)
Tuition: $23,662 per quarter · All students — The Graduate School full-time master's tuition (covered for admitted Documentary Media students per program page) · 2026-2027
Deadline: December 7, 2026 · Fall 2027
View programSelected in: Top Film Schools in the USA, Top MFA in Filmmaking Programs in the USA
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
View programSelected in: Top Film Directing Schools, Top Film Schools in the USA, Top MFA in Filmmaking Programs in the USA
San Francisco State University logo

San Francisco State University

Master of Fine Arts in Cinema

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Cinema
Location: San Francisco, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (broader film degree)
Duration: Three years
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $4,274 per semester · In-state — Graduate, 6.1+ units (full time) · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Top Film Schools in the USA, Top MFA in Filmmaking Programs in the USA

School of Visual Arts

MPS Film Directing

Master of Professional Studies in Film DirectingMaster of Professional Studies in Film Directing
Location: New York, NY
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus. · Full-time
Fields: Film Directing (dedicated degree)
Duration: One year (nine months)
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $30,845 per semester · All students — Film Directing (12-15 credits fall and spring) · 2026-2027
Deadline: January 15, 2027 · Fall 2027
View programSelected in: Top Film Directing Schools, Top Film Schools in the USA

How master's film directing programs are classified

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

Directing pathways commonly ask for a directing sample or reel and a statement about the stories you want to tell.

See the full Film Directing field guide or every master's program.