Boston University - College of Communication
MFA in Film and Television Studies
Boston, USA
Master degree
DURATION
4 semesters
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
03 May 2026*
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
USD 69,870 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* priority deadline: February 1; applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until our final deadline: May 1
** additional fees may apply
Key Summary
Film and television endure as cultural and artistic touchstones despite rapidly changing viewing habits and technologies. What moves you to know more about the meanings they impart and the transformations they have undergone?
No GRE Required. Scholarships available.
The Boston University Master of Fine Arts in Film & Television Studies offers you a chance to study what you love -- and then turn that passion into a career.
COM’s four-semester MFA program inspires students to view the field’s changing landscape from multiple perspectives. You’ll develop a critical eye for film, television, podcasts, and online media as art forms and commodities while examining their historical, political, and sociocultural dimensions.
With only four required classes, students focus on aspects of the field that most appeal to them as they prepare for future professional and academic success. Possible topics to explore: film and television history; critical and cultural theory; the media industries; American independent film; avant-garde film and experimental media; sports media; religion and television; queer theory; and popular genres such as comedy and horror. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT A PRODUCTION PROGRAM, but rather a studies program.
Students find a special emphasis on television history and industry and on global cinema history—particularly the films of Latin America, Western Europe, and Asia—as well as courses on international movements and new waves.
Scholars and Makers
COM professors, as a group, offer a rare combination of academic rigor and industry experience -- a mix that enriches film and television student education. They are widely published in both the academic and popular press, and offer years of experience teaching and mentoring new generations of film and television enthusiasts preparing for careers and further study.
Reel Resources
Opportunities for experience abound. Students attend Cinemathèque, COM’s series of screenings and conversations with filmmakers and television-makers, and have full access to BU’s Kasker film and video resource center with 16mm prints and rarities at the Mugar Memorial Library on campus. They enjoy complimentary screenings, too, at the nearby Harvard Film Archive, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Brattle Theatre.
The program also offers a structured teaching assistantship experience with training to help you develop your skills in the classroom. If you aspire to enter a Ph.D. program, our one-on-one mentorship and professionalization workshops help prepare you for this next step.
Core Requirements 16 credits (credits)
The curriculum contains four required courses in history and theory. These are to be taken in sequence within the first year of the course of study. The remainder of the program is composed of individual selections among a wide spectrum of specialized upper-division courses (500-level and above) taught within the Film and Television Studies program. In addition, a student may petition to take a maximum of two electives (8 credits) outside the program. This includes courses in production and/or screenwriting.
The curriculum also offers an opportunity to work on directed study projects with the faculty, as well as the option to pursue a wide variety of professional internships.
Fall Semester
- COM FT 520 TV Theory and Criticism
- COM FT 722 American Masterworks
- Two Electives (8 credits)
Spring Semester
- COM FT 536 Film Theory and Criticism
- COM FT 721 International Masterworks
- Two Electives (8 credits)
Fall Semester
- Three electives (12 credits)
- Fourth elective or COM FT 953 Internship* (4 credits)
Spring Semester
- Two Electives (8 credits)
- COM FT 852 Thesis Project (8 credits)
Below you’ll find a list of elective courses from a two-year cycle of the program:
Spring 2020 Course Offerings
- FT 536 Film Theory
- FT 549 The Profane
- FT 554 True Crime
- FT 554 The Musical
- FT 554 Religion And TV
- FT 557 American Independent Film 2
- FT 570 Uncensored TV
- FT 708 Asian Cinema
- FT 721 International Masterworks
Fall 2020 Course Offerings
- FT 500 Writing Film And TV Criticism
- FT 520 TV Theory And Criticism
- FT 554 Broadcasting Horror
- FT 554 Global Queer Cinema
- FT 554 International Thriller
- FT 558 American Independent Film 3
- FT 722 American Masterworks
Spring 2021 Course Offerings
- FT 530 Bollywood And Nollywood
- FT 534 Critical TV Industry Studies
- FT 541 TV Genres And Fandom
- FT 543 TV Comedy
- FT 546 New German Cinema
- FT 554 Uk Costume Drama
- FT 554 Contemporary American Film
- FT 559 American Independent Film 4
- FT 567 Film Styles
- FT 721 International Masterworks
Fall 2021 Course Offerings
- FT 500 Writing Film And TV Criticism
- FT 520 TV Theory And Criticism
- FT 536 Film Theory
- FT 554 International Genre Film
- FT 554 International Film And Identity
- FT 554 Streaming TV
- FT 554: TV And The Home
- FT 722 American Masterworks
- FT 556 American Independent Film 1
Some courses have prerequisites that are not listed above.
Our internationally recognized faculty have diverse research interests, which results in a dynamic curriculum that allows you to study film, television, and emerging media. Although our program has an emphasis on international cinema, we have two TV Studies professors, and we’re a home for Horror Studies. In our flexible program, you’ll learn to:
- Think creatively and critically about images, messages, institutions, and consumers
- Closely and coherently analyze written and audio-visual material
- Synthesize large amounts of dense material and present that information to a group
- Conduct original research using online databases
- Answer big-picture questions by selecting and analyzing pertinent case studies
- Construct cogent arguments and support those arguments with evidence
- Use historical and contemporary contexts to evaluate the state of film and television
- Make an original scholarly contribution to the field of Film and Television Studies
- Conduct a thorough analysis of media artifacts/institutions using a clear theoretical framework
- Craft long-form, independent research projects using primary and secondary sources
- Synthesize key media studies scholarship and apply it to specific case studies
- Prepare for a Ph.D. program
- Gain experience as a teaching assistant
Benefit from Boston
One of BU’s greatest resources is its location. Consistently ranked among the most livable cities in the world, Boston is “America’s college town,” a city rich in history while remaining on the cutting edge. Boston is a Top 10 U.S. media market, and home to some of the world’s best agencies, media companies, and leading employers -- offering boundless opportunities for internships and careers.