Master of Fine Arts in Motion Pictures

The M.F.A. in Motion Pictures guides students to advance their technical proficiency and critical thinking while learning innovative narrative skills. Students are encouraged to concentrate on more than one area of specialization: production, producing, and/or screenwriting.

The M.F.A. in Motion Pictures program offers a comprehensive curriculum in the creative uses of technology for narrative and documentary creation, positioning students with the business practices needed to bring their work to the expanding marketplace.

The M.F.A. program in Motion Pictures emphasizes a critical understanding of moving image practice in diverse social and cultural contexts for the creation of work that is relevant and impactful. We encourage feature-length filmmaking for the capstone thesis project. The mission of the Motion Picture Program is to nurture individual creative voices and independent thinking through the creative collaborative motion picture process for careers in both screen arts and the moving image profession. This also is the preferred degree for those who wish to teach at the university level. The Department of Cinematic Arts provides distinctive opportunities for production experiences abroad in Greece, Spain, Japan, and Prague, multi-specialization, professional networking opportunities, national festival exposure, and the LA field experience.

The Department of Cinematic Arts, Miami's Center for Teaching and Scholarship in film production, history, and Theory, offers an undergraduate major and master’s of fine arts degrees in narrative and documentary practice. In the undergraduate major, cinema is taught in the context of a media arts education, emphasizing the complex interrelationship between audiovisual arts, society, and technology.

The Curriculum for the master’s in fine arts degrees emphasizes film expertise in the context of narrative innovation, social change, and emergent technologies. Cinema is understood as a cultural practice involving both speculative intelligence and practical know-how. Each student constructs a personal course of study around a core of required courses that represent the knowledge essential to the education of a media maker today.

The Department also provides curricular support and supervision for the elected emphasis in Film Studies for doctoral students in the School of Communication and other academic units in the university. Students at the Department of Cinematic Arts benefit from its small size, its thorough integration with local arts institutions, and its extended Los Angeles alumni community.

In recent years, the School has developed a robust semester in Los Angeles program as well as partnerships with arts organizations (Oolite Arts, MDC Museum of Art and Design, Knight Foundation) and film institutes (Sundance and Prague). With several members of the standing full-time faculty simultaneously maintaining careers as practicing filmmakers, students are provided with first-hand knowledge of the rapidly evolving industry.

The Department of Cinematic Arts is also fortunate to have the support of visiting professionals from around the world to teach film. Our study abroad opportunities (Greece, Japan, Czech Republic) introduce students to aspects of international practice and a diverse set of media methodologies.