Film and Electronic Media (MFA)

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Offered by the School of Communication .

Admission to the Program

Applicants must meet the minimum university requirements for graduate study. Admission to the program requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with at least a 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) grade point average in last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework. International students whose first language is not English should take the TOEFL examination to demonstrate proficiency in written as well as spoken English. The Graduate Record General Examination (GRE) is required, but may be waived by the division director.

An undergraduate degree in one of the visual media is desirable, but applications from candidates who have majored in other fields will also be considered. Applicants with prior experience in the visual media should submit a portfolio illustrating relevant professional experience. Students without prior experience in film, video, photography, or digital media production or who do not demonstrate through their portfolio a level of minimum proficiency in media production will need to reconcile their deficiencies with additional coursework.

Official transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and a 1,000-word essay on the applicant’s commitment to pursuing graduate study in the program are submitted with the application.

Degree Requirements

51 credit hours of approved graduate work
Capstone experience: production of a portfolio of original creative work in the areas of scriptwriting, film, or electronic media production under the supervision of a faculty committee and in conjunction with COMM-702 Master’s Portfolio Capstone , with grade of B or better
A grade point average of 3.00 maintained during all work toward the degree

Course Requirements

* Courses offered in Prague, Czech Republic. Students may enroll in the film and theatre curriculum at the Prague Film Academy (FAMU). Courses taken at FAMU receive full credit toward the MFA in Film and Electronic Media.

Core (26 credit hours)

Note: With the advisor’s approval, students with comparable prior experience or coursework may substitute other courses in production and writing or media studies.

COMM-513 Producing Film and Video (3)
COMM-630 Principles of Photography (3)
COMM-631 Film and Video Production and Direction I (4)
COMM-634 Film and Video Production and Direction II (4)
COMM-650 Digital Imaging (3)
COMM-682 Writing for Visual Media (3)
COMM-701 Graduate Seminar in Film Theory and Practice (3) (must be taken in the first year)
COMM-711 Teaching Seminar in Communication (3)

Portfolio Requirement (6 credit hours)

COMM-702 Master’s Portfolio Capstone (1-6) (6 credit hours required) with grade of B or better

Media History (6 credit hours)

Complete 6 credit hours from the following:

COMM-511 History of Documentary (3)
COMM-516 Topics in Film and Media Arts (3) :
Masters of European Cinema

The Radical Image
COMM-517 History of Cross-Cultural Cinema (3)
COMM-520 History of Animation (3)
COMM-527 History of Photography (3)
COMM-558 Survey of American Cinema (3)
COMM-747 AU-FAMU Exchange Program (1-12) *

Production and Writing (6 credit hours)

Complete 6 credit hours from the following:

Media Studies and Producing (3 credit hours)

Complete 3 credit hours from the following (see note below):

COMM-511 History of Documentary (3)
COMM-512 Social Documentary (3)
COMM-514 Censorship and Media (3)
COMM-515 Children, Youth, and Digital Culture (3)
COMM-516 Topics in Film and Media Arts (3) : Masters of European Cinema
COMM-517 History of Cross-Cultural Cinema (3)
COMM-520 History of Animation (3)
COMM-524 Producing Environmental and Wildlife Films (3)
COMM-527 History of Photography (3)
COMM-552 Social Media Strategies and Tactics (3)
COMM-558 Survey of American Cinema (3)
COMM-589 Communication, Culture, and the Environment (3)
COMM-601 Communication Law (3)
COMM-661 Developing Nonfiction Productions (3)
COMM-747 AU-FAMU Exchange Program (1-12) *

Note:

One media studies elective may be taken in a related subject area with the approval of the faculty advisor. Related media studies courses include the following:

Electives (4 credit hours)

4 credit hours in approved coursework
Note: With the guidance of their advisor, students may further develop an area of concentration or expertise using the above course listings. COMM-690 Independent Study Project in Communication , COMM-691 Graduate Internship , and COMM-716 Advanced Topics in Film and Media Arts may also be used with permission of the student’s advisor.