Master of Fine Arts in Documentary

Students who join the M.F.A. program in Documentary take advantage of the combined focus on both cinematic arts and journalistic approaches. You benefit further from the School’s many strengths such as Interactive Media, Strategic Communication, and Communication for Global Social Change.

This program is like no other because it promotes experimentation with the goal of producing content that best serves each story you want to tell.

We know that documentary is comprised of a variety of styles, such as observational, expository, reflexive, performative, participatory, and poetic, and our goal is to immerse students in a wide range of approaches.

You will learn techniques of cinema, photojournalism, reporting, broadcasting, and podcasting while having the opportunity to take coursework in topics that interest you across the university. We emphasize the social responsibility of the storyteller, knowing that journalistic standards and ethics are the bedrock of public discourse. By the time you graduate with an M.F.A. in our Documentary program, you will be an expert at casting light on under-represented issues or topics of social relevance in ways that are visceral and impactful.

Awards

Our faculty count among their awards Emmys, Tellys, Peabodys, a national Edward R. Murrow Award, and a Pulitzer Prize.

Faculty work has screened at HotDocs, DOC NYC, Docaviv, Berlin Film Festival, Moondance, Mexico International Film Festival, Sundance, Imagen, Harlem International Film Festival, London International Filmmakers Festival, and Busan International Film Festival.

Student films have been recognized by Sundance Documentary Lab, Sundance Film Intensive Fellowship Program, Suncoast Regional Emmys, Miami Film Festival, Palm Springs International Film Festival, New York Latino Film Festival, and Oaxaca FilmFest.

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.