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MFA Programs in Film

Master of Fine Arts degrees in film, kept separate from MA and MS degrees. Practice-based filmmaking MFAs and screenwriting MFAs are collected separately because they ask for different portfolios and end in different thesis work. All film master's degrees are in the master's directory.

72 programs · page 1 of 4

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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

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
Academy of Art University logo

Academy of Art University

MFA in Writing for Film, Television & Digital Media

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Writing for Film, Television & Digital Media
Location: San Francisco, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: 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
American Film Institute Conservatory logo

American Film Institute Conservatory

MFA in Cinematography

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Cinematography
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus. · Full-time
Fields: Cinematography (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 Cinematography Schools, Top Film Schools in the USA, Top MFA in Filmmaking Programs in the USA
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

Asbury University

MFA in Screenwriting

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
Location: Wilmore, KYSchool location; coursework is online.
Format: Online · Limited visitsMostly online, with some required visits to campus. · Full- or part-time
Fields: Screenwriting (dedicated 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, Best Online MFA Screenwriting Programs
Boston University logo

Boston University

MFA in Film & Television Studies

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Film & Television Studies
Location: Boston, MA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Studies (dedicated degree)
Duration: Four terms
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $2,282 per unit · All students — COM master's tuition, billed per unit · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View program
Boston University logo

Boston University

MFA in Screenwriting

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
Location: Boston, MA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Screenwriting (dedicated degree)
Duration: Two years (four terms)
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $2,282 per unit · All students — COM master's tuition, billed per unit · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Top Screenwriting Schools
California Institute of the Arts logo

California Institute of the Arts

MFA Film and Video

MFAMaster of Fine Arts - Film and Video
Location: Valencia, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Studies (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 Schools in the USA, Top MFA in Filmmaking Programs in the USA
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
California State University-Northridge logo

California State University-Northridge

MFA in Screenwriting

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
Location: Northridge, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Screenwriting (dedicated degree)
Duration: Two years
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $4,274 per semester · In-state — CSU graduate basic tuition, 6.1 or more units · 2026-2027
Deadline: March 1, 2027 · Fall 2027
View programSelected in: Top Screenwriting Schools
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
Chapman University logo

Chapman University

Screenwriting (MFA)

MFAMFA in Screenwriting
Location: Orange, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Screenwriting (dedicated degree)
Duration: Two years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $28,018 per semester · All students · 2026-2027
Deadline: November 15, 2026 · Fall 2027
View programSelected in: Top Screenwriting Schools
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 Creative Producing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Producing
Location: Chicago, IL
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Producing (dedicated degree)
Duration: Two 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 program

Comparing filmmaking MFAs on their structure

Filmmaking MFAs differ less in name than in structure: how many years, how many films you make and in which roles, whether you specialize (directing, cinematography, producing, editing, documentary), how equipment is allocated, and who pays for the thesis film. Tuition covers instruction; it does not by itself cover cameras, crew, actors, locations or a thesis budget unless the school says so.