Skip to content
FilmSchools.app

MFA in Filmmaking Programs

Practice-based MFA degrees with a verified production identity: MFAs in filmmaking, film production, film and television production, or cinematic arts with a documented production pathway. Academic film studies MAs and screenwriting-only MFAs are not included here — screenwriting MFAs have their own list. Each card shows the exact award title.

45 programs · page 1 of 3

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

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 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
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
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 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

DePaul University

MFA in Documentary

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Documentary
Location: Chicago, IL
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: Eight quarters
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

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
Emerson College logo

Emerson College

Film and Media Art MFA

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Film and Media Art
Location: Boston, MA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus. · Full-time
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree)
Duration: 5 or 6 semesters (2.5 to 3 years)
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $1,551 per credit · All students — Graduate tuition per credit · 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
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

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.