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School of Film Graduate Programs
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Film M.F.A.
Film Studies M.A.

School of Film Graduate Programs

Study Film from Behind the Camera or in Front of the Screen

Humans have been sharing stories of love and life, war and peace for ages. But moving pictures didn't show up until the late 1880s, with sound just celebrating its 100th anniversary. Now filmmakers' digital toolkit makes the future of film almost unimaginable as "film" dominates our cultural storytelling, from our phones to the big screen. 

In the School of Film, we study both films and filmmaking. If you're creative and want to improve your craft, our Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Film provides advanced training in directing, screenwriting, producing, cinematography, editing, and sound. If your passion lies mostly in front of the screen instead of behind the camera, our Master of Arts (M.A.) in Film Studies focuses on film history, analysis, theory and criticism from a scholarly viewpoint.

Our faculty are a combination of those with M.F.A. and Ph.D. degrees, and all our students and faculty unite in our love for film as the media that puts life on display.

Which Graduate Film Program Meets Your Career Goals?

  • Film Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)

    The Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Film program is a professional three-year program of study for talented individuals seeking advanced training in directing, screenwriting, producing, cinematography, editing and motion picture sound with a solid background in film history, theory, and criticism. The M.F.A. is a terminal degree and is designed for students who wish to work as independent film artists, enter the film industry, or teach at the college or university level.

    Program Learning Outcomes

    • Disciplinary Competence: Students are able to create and produce original works in film and video including but not limited to narrative fiction, documentary, experimental, new media, and hybrid forms, at a level commensurate to the requirements of the field.
    • Critical Thinking and Creative Process: Students are able to generate and express original concepts for film and video. They are able to engage with their original concepts critically and incorporate external input into the process of developing their concepts. They are able to successfully transform their ideas into finished works of film and video.

  • Film Studies Master of Arts (M.A.)

    The Master of Arts (M.A.) in Film Studies is a two-year program in film history, analysis, and theory designed to prepare students for further study at the doctoral level or for careers in which a film studies background may be relevant, including film criticism; arts-related writing fields; administration of arts, museum, or academic programs; administrative positions in film or media production; and library, archive, or film preservation work.

    Program Learning Outcomes

    • Scholarship: Students will be able to produce original scholarship in film, acceptable at a scholarly peer-reviewed level.
    • Critical Thinking: Students will gain a mastery of a broad range of critical, theoretical, and historical approaches to film, and be able to apply these to a range of films across different historical periods, nationalities, and modes of production.
    • Teaching: Students will gain experience in undergraduate teaching that addresses course learning outcomes, engages students, and employs different resources appropriately to produce a rich leaning environment.

Cutting-Edge LED Wall Supports Student Productions

“What they used to do with green screens, they now put these big LED panels up and project an image behind the actors that’s actually there and gets photographed in camera,” Director Justin Daering explained.
About the LED Wall
Professional-Grade Facilities

Master Your Craft in Our Creative Community

There may have been a lot of drama in ancient Athens, but in modern Athens we still enjoy plenty of it. Uptown Athens features a full-of-character and much beloved cinema that opened in 1915 as the Majestic. These days we call it the Athena, and it's a cultural hub for the college community and the beating heart of our film program.

For the School of Film, it's where we gather every November to view our second-year M.F.A. students' short films. From highly personal to formally daring works, we relish in films that are bold, imaginative and emotionally resonant. Sometimes we even see ourselves and our friends on the Athena's big screen, especially if we've been called on to help our colleagues in front of or behind the camera.  

For the international film community, the Athena hosts more than 200 films from upward of 60 countries during a drama-packed week in April. Our local film community has been hosting the Athens International Film + Video Festival (AIFVF) since 1973, and each spring we reaffirm the festival’s longstanding commitment to bold, independent and innovative filmmaking. AIFVF is globally recognized for its dedication to films from underground cultures and communities, and our M.A. in Film Studies students enjoy turning their critical lens on new works and engaging with the visiting artists who journey to Athens.

For our graduate students, Athens is a distinctive launchpad for their lives and livelihoods. They come from around the world to our eclectic community in the Appalachian foothills, and soon they're submitting their work to international film festivals or attending scholarly conferences. Our career development coursework and faculty mentorship ensure that the work they do at OHIO prepares them for productive careers both here and in their home countries. 

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