MFA in Film and Media Art
Boston, USA
DURATION
2 up to 3 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
05 Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
USD 1,402 / per credit *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* additional fees may apply. Scholarships are available
Key Summary
Introduction
Program Highlights
- Explore a variety of media production genres and develop expertise in the use of media technologies, criticism and theory, and media business
- Learn from faculty members who are themselves working artists (and whose ranks include Guggenheim and Fulbright fellows) and build a network of creative partnerships that will inspire and support you in your artistic career
- Using our state-of-the-art facilities, immerse yourself in your specific area of interest, producing an ongoing body of work within a collaborative, creative environment
- 2–3 year-long program with advanced standing opportunities available for those with prior experience
- No GRE requirements to apply
- Day and evening classes offered
Curriculum
Emerson College’s on-campus Film & Media Art graduate program consists of a 64-credit curriculum. Housed in the School of the Arts, the program is full-time and students take 8 to 12 credits per semester.
Advanced Standing
We offer three distinct entry points into the Film & Media Art Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program. The majority of our students begin the program at Phase I; however, we recognize not all students require foundational courses. To ensure students of all levels find a place in our program, you have the opportunity to apply for Advanced Standing during the application process. The faculty MFA Committee will review your application holistically and place you in the appropriate phase based on your previous professional and academic experience.
Advanced Standing allows you to begin the program in Phase II or Phase III, waiving 12 or 24 credits from the required 64 credits.
Program Outcome
Film & Media Art Alumni
Our award-winning alumni built careers as artists, teachers, and artists-in-residence who create different forms of film and media. Some of our recent alumni include:
- Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Director, Producer, and Cinematographer, and Jeff Soyk, Art Director and Web Designer, of Hollow, their award-winning, interactive thesis project. Hollow has been awarded a Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship, Peabody Award, the Tribecca New Media Fund, and was nominated for an Academy Award and an Emmy.
- Keely Kernan, Director of her interactive thesis documentary The Mississippi: The Story of America’s River. Her project was awarded the Princess Grace scholarship.
- Georden West, Director of their thesis project Patron Saint. Their project was awarded the Student Academy Award in the alternative/experimental category.
- Shaka Dendy, summer 2019 Artist in Residence for the Boston Center of the Arts.
Scholarships and Funding
Financial Aid
Emerson College is proud to offer students and families financial aid options and resources. For a full list of our financial aid offerings, visit our Financial Aid page.
Scholarships
Upon applying to an Emerson Graduate Program, the Graduate Admission team automatically reviews every accepted student’s scholarship eligibility. For more information about scholarships, please visit our Scholarships & Grants page.
Admissions
Ideal Students
Who Should Apply?
Housed in Emerson’s School of the Arts, the on-campus Film and Media Art graduate program attracts students from diverse backgrounds who share a mutual passion for creating film and media works that inspire, challenge, and move audiences. Most of our students have majored in, currently work in, or independently pursue fiction narrative and/or documentary filmmaking, experimental and/or interactive media, installation art, photography, sound design, writing, and journalism. Regardless of the format they choose to work in, they each have a deep understanding of their artistic vision and the themes they want to express in their work. After graduation, our students go on to become directors, producers, cinematographers, and educators, among various other roles in the industry.
Career Opportunities
Career Outlook for Film & Media Art Graduates
Students interested in a film or media art career can expect yearly job growth of 7%. Employees with a master’s degree earn up to $12,000 more per year with a master’s than those with a bachelor’s and from 2020 to 2021, arts and cultural goods in the US added $1 trillion to the US economy alone. The School of the Arts’ Film & Media Art program offers you direct access to industry leaders, alumni, and faculty.
Our students have graduated and gone on to successful careers as:
- Narrative Film Production;
- Documentary Filmmaking;
- College Professors;
- Exhibition Curators;
- Post-Production and Sound Design.
Student Testimonials
Program Tuition Fee
English Language Requirements
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