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Academy of Art University · School of Motion Pictures & Television

MA in Writing & Directing for Film

MAMaster of Arts in Motion Pictures & Television (Writing & Directing for Film)Funding not verified

Overview

A 36-unit on-campus MA in writing and directing, in which students develop and are mentored through preproduction, production and postproduction of a thesis project, ending in a final portfolio review.

Official program name
MA in Writing & Directing for Film
Awarded degree
Master of Arts in Motion Pictures & Television (Writing & Directing for Film)Master's · Master of Arts
Source: academyart.edu · verified October 12, 2026
School
Academy of Art University — School of Motion Pictures & Television
Location
San Francisco, CA
Delivery
On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Source: academyart.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Required attendance
Not verified
Study intensity
Not published
Duration
Not verified
Required credits
36 units (33 major, 3 graduate liberal arts)
Source: academyart.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Fields of study

FieldClassificationEvidence
Film DirectingDedicated degreeThe degree itself is in this field.Source: academyart.edu · verified October 12, 2026
ScreenwritingDedicated degreeThe degree itself is in this field.Source: academyart.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Why this degree is listed

MA focused on writing and directing an original short film.

Source: academyart.edu · verified October 12, 2026

We list verified film degrees only — no certificates, workshops or generic degrees with a few film electives. Eligibility rules

Curriculum, pathways and faculty

Thesis, film or capstone

Thesis filmThesis project/scene mentored through preproduction, production and postproduction; final portfolio review.

Source: academyart.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Production projects

  • Fall Production Central: a two-semester portfolio course in which students write, direct or produce an assessment scene and a thesis film.
    Source: academyart.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Faculty listed by the program

Faculty list: not verified. We publish this only when the school states it on an official page.

Production costs and equipment

Production and equipment costs are separate from tuition. Tuition does not include cameras, crew, actors, locations, software or thesis-film budgets unless the school says so.

Equipment and facility access

Equipment loans
Camera room lends lighting equipment, digital and film cameras, and grip and electric equipment.
Source: academyart.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Published production and equipment costs

Published production and course fees

Per-course fees
Individual courses carry course fees listed in the Course Fees & Prerequisites schedule (PDF).
Source: mediacenter.academyart.edu · verified October 12, 2026

We never estimate a total cost when key expenses are unpublished. Compare production costs

Admissions

Each submission item is shown exactly as the school states it. Anything not listed is not verified — never “not required”.

Portfolio and submission materials

Portfolio requirements: not verified. We publish this only when the school states it on an official page.

Other requirements

Prior degree
RequiredBachelor's degree before the start term
Source: mediacenter.academyart.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Application fee
Required$50 — $50 application fee
Source: mediacenter.academyart.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tests

Test policy: not verified. We publish this only when the school states it on an official page.

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate competitiveness. Build an application checklist

Deadlines

Dates are shown with the year and intake the school printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Application deadlines: not verified. We publish this only when the school states it on an official page.

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its applicant category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-year and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other. Production costs are listed separately above.
CategoryAmountBasis and year
Graduate, domestic studentsFrom the school's rate table for this level$1,551per unit · 2026-2027Estimate$55,836 = 36 units × $1,551 per unit. Excludes mandatory fees, production and equipment costs, travel, and any rate change during the program.Source: academyart.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Funding

We have not verified an official funding policy for this program. That does not mean funding is unavailable. “Fully funded” never means every personal or production expense is covered. How we classify funding

Funding not verified

Funding policy: not verified. We publish this only when the school states it on an official page.

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 12, 2026.
  1. mediacenter.academyart.edu/link/9406/play?player=0 — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  2. mediacenter.academyart.edu/link/9940-course-fees-prerequisites.pdf/play?player=0 — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 12, 2026
  3. academyart.edu/academics/motion-pictures-television/ — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  4. academyart.edu/academics/motion-pictures-television/degrees/motion-pictures-television-ma/ — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  5. academyart.edu/admissions/cost-financial-aid/cost-of-attendance/ — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 12, 2026

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Similar programs

Same degree level and field. Listed for discovery, not ranked.

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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
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

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)

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