Motion Pictures, M.F.A.

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Motion PicturesPartial fundingEditorial selection: Top Screenwriting Schools Editorial selection: Top MFA in Filmmaking Programs in the USA

Overview

A 66-credit, three-year MFA in Motion Pictures with concentrations in production, screenwriting or producing. Required courses span screenwriting, cinematography, editing, directing actors and producing, and the program ends in a thesis portfolio.

Official program name: Motion Pictures, M.F.A.
Awarded degree: Master of Fine Arts in Motion PicturesMaster's · Master of Fine Arts
Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
School: University of Miami — Cinematic Arts
Location: Coral Gables, FL
Delivery: On campus
Source: com.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Required attendance: Regular campus attendanceStudents attend classes on campus throughout the program.
Source: com.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Study intensity: Not published
Duration: Three years
Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Required credits: 66 credit hours
Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Start: Fall
Source: com.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Film and television: The program covers both film and television.
Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Fields of study

Field	Classification	Evidence
Film Production	Named concentrationPathway: ProductionAn officially named concentration, specialization or track inside the degree.	Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Screenwriting	Named concentrationPathway: ScreenwritingAn officially named concentration, specialization or track inside the degree.	Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Producing	Named concentrationPathway: ProducingAn officially named concentration, specialization or track inside the degree.	Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Film Directing	Broader film degreeA broader film degree whose official curriculum substantially covers this field.	Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Cinematography	Broader film degreeA broader film degree whose official curriculum substantially covers this field.	Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Editing	Broader film degreeA broader film degree whose official curriculum substantially covers this field.	Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Why this degree is listed

MFA in Motion Pictures with concentrations in production, screenwriting or producing.

Source: bulletin.miami.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

Official concentrations and pathways

Production
Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Screenwriting
Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Producing
Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Thesis, film or capstone

PortfolioThesis portfolio; 12 credits of MFA thesis (CCA 815) in the third year.

Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Production projects

Degree expectations typically include a short motion picture project abroad and a summer internship.
Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Published areas of study

Required Writing the Short Film course: a 15-30 page script suitable for an MFA project.
Source: com.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Other

Students are encouraged to develop at least two creative projects and a secondary specialization.
Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Faculty listed by the program

Rafal Sokolowski — Graduate Program Director

As listed on the program's official page on October 12, 2026. Listing does not mean a faculty member is teaching or supervising new students in a given year.

Source: com.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026

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: School of Communication equipment room with microphones, lights, tripods, VR headsets and RED, Blackmagic and Arri Alexa cameras.
Source: com.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Published production and equipment costs

Production and equipment costs: not verified. We publish this only when the school states it on an official page.

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

Material	Status	Instructions as published
Writing sample	Required	Writing sample of 10 pages or less (screenplay, stage play, fiction or other); scripts in standard screenplay format.Length: up to 10 pagesSource: com.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Creative portfolio	Required	Sample of visual expression, one of: video (up to 10 minutes), up to 15 photographs, or an additional screenplay (up to 30 pages).Length: up to 10 minutes, up to 30 pagesSource: com.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Other requirements

Prior degree: RequiredBaccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Statement of purpose: Required500-word statement of academic and professional goals.
Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Personal statement: RequiredPersonal essay, 500-700 words.
Source: com.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Recommendation letters: Required3 letters — Three letters of recommendation.
Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Résumé / CV: RequiredTwo-page resume as part of the portfolio.
Source: com.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Application fee: Required$85 — $85 non-refundable application fee.
Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Transcripts: RequiredOfficial transcripts of all college work.
Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tests

TOEFL iBT: RequiredInternational applicants only; TOEFL or IELTS.
Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026

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.

Priority deadline
February 1, 2027 · for Fall 2027
Source: com.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Upcoming
Application deadline
July 15, 2027 · for Fall 2027
Source: com.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Upcoming

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.

Category	Amount	Basis and year
All students — Graduate tuition per credit hourFrom the school's rate table for this level	$2,763	per credit · 2026-2027Estimate$182,358 = 66 credits × $2,763 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, production and equipment costs, travel, and any rate change during the program.Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Mandatory institutional fees

Graduate mandatory fees (full time, 9 or more credit hours): $701 per semesterMandatory
Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Application fee: $85 one-timeMandatory
Source: bulletin.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Funding

Some scholarships, assistantships or awards exist for some students; full funding is not stated. “Fully funded” never means every personal or production expense is covered. How we classify funding

Partial funding

Tuition coverage: Full tuition waiver awards cover up to 12 credits per semester for M.F.A. students.
Source: com.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Stipend: Monthly stipends vary by program.
Source: com.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Separate application: Applying by the February 1 priority deadline gives top consideration; a separate financial award application with a short essay is required.
Source: com.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Other: Most programs have a very limited number of graduate assistantships.
Source: com.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Named scholarships, assistantships and production grants

Center for Communication, Culture, and Change Fellowship fellowship
$2,500 stipend plus one semester of release time
Eligibility: Current Ph.D. or M.F.A. students with a global, transnational, cross-cultural or diasporic focus.
Source: com.miami.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 12, 2026.

bulletin.miami.edu/general-university-information/university-policies/financial-payment-policies/tui — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 12, 2026
bulletin.miami.edu/graduate-academic-programs/communication/cinematic-arts/motion-pictures-mfa/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 12, 2026
com.miami.edu/admissions/funding-opportunities/ — Official funding / aid page, verified October 12, 2026
com.miami.edu/motion-pictures-mfa/ — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026

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