PARTICIPATING COLLEGES
If you are serious about pursuing a career in film, you'll need to know what higher education opportunities are available. Our College Corner is here to help! Film and Media have become immensely popular areas of study and there are literally hundreds of schools offering a diverse range of programming. This page offers an organized and expansive list of schools that focus on creative arts education so that you can make informed decisions about your future as a creative. Take some time to check out each school and their unique approach to film and media education. Invite your parents and guidance counselors to review the material with you. This will help you feel confident that you're finding a fit that will recognize your talents and help you fulfill your dreams. The schools featured here support our festival because they value your passion and talent.
If you are a representative of a college, school or program and would like to be a part of the AAHSFF College Fair please register HERE
Built on story, the Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts immerses students in the art of filmmaking. Whether specializing in live-action, animation, or visual effects, students learn how to write and direct films that utilize the various tools they need to tell their stories from script to screen. The College, ranked #13 by The Hollywood Reporter, teaches the craft of filmmaking, but more importantly, the scalable skills to tell stories effectively, artfully, and authentically – regardless of background, capital, or circumstances.
The Film School puts additional emphasis on collaboration by training students to be renaissance filmmakers and unselfish collaborators. Instead of renting or competing for resources, every student is guaranteed equal access to a full range of industry-standard equipment and facilities. Additionally, the College provides funding for each student production.
Website:
Contact:
Paige Roberts
Head of Admissions
proberts@fsu.edu
850-644-8524
The Media School combines decades-long traditions of journalism and communications with a commitment to preparing students for 21st-century media careers. Our graduates are journalists and marketing professionals, advertising executives and public relations experts, filmmakers and directors, scholars, game designers, researchers and more. Together, we’re creating the media landscape of the future.
Website:
Contact:
SCAD is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering 100 graduate and undergraduate degree programs in more than 40 majors across locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCADnow. The School of Film and Acting offers degrees in acting, film and television, production design, and sound design.
With resources that rival Hollywood studios, award-winning professors, stunning locations, a professionally run casting office, and stellar film and television festivals, the SCAD School of Film and Acting is the ideal place to launch into the film and television industry. Students are prepared to command roles onstage and on screen through live performances, sitcoms, dramatic series, music videos, commercials, and more.
SCAD's undergraduate and graduate degrees in film and television are available in both Atlanta and Savannah, and beginning Fall 2024, SCAD is offering M.A. degrees in editing and cinematography in Atlanta and Savannah.
Website: https://www.scad.edu/academics/programs/film-and-television
Contact:
Savannah College of Art and Design Admission
admission@scad.edu
For over 50 years, Five Towns College (FTC) has been the ONLY four-year college on Long Island dedicated to the Art, Business, and Craft of entertainment and creativity. In Film and Television, from Day One, students have access to industry standard, professional quality equipment, similar to what is used in the industry, as well as attentive and accomplished faculty providing superb instruction. Directing, producing, screenwriting, editing, lighting, camera operating, production design and sound recording – Earn your B.F.A. at Five Towns College and learn it all!
Website:
Contact:
Michael Prywes
Chair, Film & Television
Five Towns College
Description:
New York Film Academy (NYFA), is a regionally accredited College of Film, Media, and Performing Arts, is designed for a new generation of storytellers - artists who share a driving passion and want to learn by doing, creating their own projects in a hands-on, intensive environment.
Students can choose from a rich variety of Degree programs, 1- and 2-year conservatories, and workshops, as well as teen and kids camps in the visual and performing arts. NYFA has campuses in New York City, Los Angeles, and South Beach, Miami; Gold Coast, Australia; and a year-round location in Florence, Italy. Summer workshops are offered at numerous international locations including Harvard University, Paris, and more.
Website:
Contact:
Roger Del Pozo, Senior Executive Enrollment Specialist
+1-212-674-4300 ext. 624 or 917-472-0222
roger@nyfa.edu
In the B.S. in Television and Digital Media Production, you’ll be learning the tools needed to innovate and create in a digitally evolving world. Courses will have you creating media productions, film style television series, producing, screenwriting, editing, animating, developing content for every screen, analyzing industry trends, and examining media history that will prepare you for your new career in the television and digital media industry.
Contact Information:
Chrissy Guest, Program Director, Television & Digital Media Production
Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College
607-274-3331
Ithaca.edu
Website:
Champlain College is a small, not-for-profit, private college overlooking Lake Champlain and Burlington, Vermont, with additional campuses in Montreal, Canada, and Dublin, Ireland. Our Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Filmmaking provides excellent instruction, access to the latest technology, and a hands-on approach to learning, that allows our students to graduate with an impressive résumé and portfolio. Through our Upside-Down Curriculum, you'll take relevant courses in your major—including Audio Production, Screenwriting, and Introduction to Filmmaking—in your first year. Connect with your Champlain College admissions representative contact us today to learn more about what Champlain has to offer.
Website:
https://www.champlain.edu/filmmaking
Contact:
Emily Rudolph
erudolph@champlain.edu
802-891-4182
The Rutgers Filmmaking Center provides students with a rigorous technical and theoretical foundation for the BFA degree program, which Variety named “one of the top programs in the United States.” With resources and training such as the Documentary Film Lab, intensive production classes, advanced technical workshops, and groundbreaking curriculum, students discover their personal aesthetics and express themselves intellectually and creatively.
Website:
https://www.masongross.rutgers.edu/degrees-programs/filmmaking/
Contact:
Peg Barbarite
Associate Director of Recruitment
Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University
848-932-9190
SMU Meadows Division of Film and Media Arts is devoted to training and mentoring students to become artists in film and media. Students can gain hands-on access to equipment the very first semester and have numerous opportunities to hone their craft in scriptwriting, directing, producing, lighting, audio recording and more, whether it be for class projects, film festivals or for the Division’s biennial full-length feature film project, produced entirely by students with the mentorship of industry-respected faculty. Alumni enjoy careers as directors, screenwriters, producers, cinematographers, media executives and artistic directors, with work ranging from documentaries and shorts and feature-length films to television series and online digital videos. Alumni awards are many, including the 2012 Oscar for Best Animated Short (William Joyce, ’81); a 2013 Oscar nomination for Best Sound Mixing on the film Lincoln (Ron Judkins, ’75); and numerous Emmy, Telly and Peabody awards.
Website:
https://www.smu.edu/meadows/areasofstudy/filmmediaarts
Contact:
Phone – (214) 768-2129
Email - film@smu.edu
Overview
In Drexel’s comprehensive and rigorous Film & Television program, we want you to tell stories. In your first week, we will give you cameras and send you out searching; you’ll learn to use sound to draw in viewers, and the craft of editing to connect them with characters.
The Westphal College Screenwriting & Playwriting program guides students in their pursuit of a career writing for the stage or screen; emphasizes the principles of dramatic writing through a practical hands-on approach to instruction.
Website URL
https://drexel.edu/westphal/academics/undergraduate/
Contact details
•Film & Television
John Avarese, MPSE, CAS
Program Director, Film & Television
•Screenwriting & Playwriting
Matthew J. Kaufhold
Program Director, Screenwriting & Playwriting
•Request for information :
Huntington University's Digital Media Arts Department is the heartbeat of film, animation, and television production. Utilizing top of the line professional equipment and facilities, Huntington's program trains students to tell stories which reflect the human experience, from an honest and engaging perspective.
The department’s goal is to continually challenge students to examine their art, faith, work, and personal life so that such refinement will gain them adaptive skills that will last a lifetime. Alumni from the department have started their own successful studios, work in the Hollywood industry, and impacted countless audiences with their stories.
Website:
https://www.huntington.edu/digital-media-arts/programs/film
Contact:
Sherina Hewson
Digital Media Arts Assistant
260-359-4325
Description:
The Department of Film and Media Arts is a top tier production and studies program, offering bachelor of arts, bachelor of fine arts, master of arts, and master of fine arts degrees. With an enrollment of over 500 undergraduates and about 40 graduate students, the Department of Film and Media Arts trains students from a fine arts perspective with an original vision through learning and developing professional industrial film industry skills such as Directing, Screenwriting, Cinematography, Post-Production and more.
Our students have received top prizes in every major student competition in the United States and abroad, as well as major professional recognition, including Hollywood’s coveted Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting, several Oscar nominations, and awards from both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Students also have received nationally competitive University Film and Video Association production grants, National Endowment for the Arts media fellowships, Eastman Kodak Scholarships, and the Princess Grace Award, among other awards.
Website: https://tfma.temple.edu/fma
Program Contacts:
Josette Todaro
Assoc. Director of Admissions and Recruitment
215-204-3209
Professor Chet Pancake
Associate Professor
Chair of Film and Media Arts
Description:
Temple University's Klein College of Media and Communication is an innovative hub for aspiring media professionals, offering hands-on experience in media production, television, and digital media. With state-of-the-art facilities and a strong focus on real-world skills, students get the opportunity to create impactful content and build a dynamic portfolio. Whether you are interested in storytelling, production, or media management, Klein College prepares you for a successful career in the ever-evolving media landscape.
The Media Studies and Production department has earned recognition for its outstanding contributions to TV production through various awards and accolades. Known as the "Student Emmys," the College Television Awards celebrate exceptional work by students in TV production. Klein College students have received accolades in categories such as Best Drama, Best Comedy, and Best Documentary, showcasing their creativity and technical skills. In 2022 and 2023, TUTV (Temple University Television) was honored by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) as the nation's top college TV station. Quinta Brunson, creator, and star of the hit TV series "Abbott Elementary", attended Temple and got her start on TUTV's first student-produced comedy-variety show, Temple Smash.
Website: https://klein.temple.edu/visit
Program Contact:
Frank Bowman, Director for Enrollment Management, frank.bowman@temple.edu, 215-204-5712
Pursue your passion for filmmaking just miles from New York City. Learn what it’s like to direct your own film using Hollywood-quality equipment. Master the ins and outs of film production. See why the Hofstra film program has been recognized by Variety as both a top school for media and entertainment professionals and as a "stellar" film program worldwide.
SEE WHAT OUR ALUMS ARE DOING NOW
https://www.hofstra.edu/communication/
https://www.hofstra.edu/undergraduate/film.html
Curriculum
Four distinct degree options allow you to choose a course of study based on your interests:
BA in Film Studies and Production
Designed for the student who is interested in the creation and production of narrative or documentary feature or short films; you'll study writing, designing, directing, and editing films in traditional and digital formats.
BS in Video/Television and Film
Prepares students for careers with a more technical, specialized approach to television, video, and film production; courses include advanced theatrical production, television technologies, multi-camera production, and a production practicum.
BFA in Filmmaking
Allows students to take a wider range of specialized courses in various aspects of the craft—such as cinematography, sound design, editing, digital post-production, and screenwriting.
BFA in Writing for the Screen
Provides instruction for dramatic writers across all platforms, offering deep study in professional writing practice in pre-professional settings to prepare our graduates to excel in “writing rooms” for all manner of screen media, new and old.
Contact Us
Rodney Hill, PhD
Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Radio, Television, Film
William Jennings, MFA
Associate Professor and Film Area Coordinator
Program Description:
Dodge College offers a complete array of undergraduate and graduate degrees for students interested in all facets of film and media arts. The Sodaro-Pankey Undergraduate School of Media Arts offers bachelor degrees in Animation and Visual Effects, Broadcast Journalism and Documentary, Creative Producing, Film and Media Studies, Film and Television Production, Public Relations, Advertising and Entertainment Marketing, Screen Acting, and Writing for Film and Television.
Website: https://www.chapman.edu/dodge
Contact information:
Chapman University
Dodge College of Film and Media Arts
dodgeadmit@chapman.edu
(714) 997-6996
Program Reel: https://youtu.be/l_bTDbu4xzo?si=p8hyXsmyNdFUouHV
We know that deciding how and where to pursue your professional acting career is one of life’s biggest decisions. The New York Conservatory offers small class size and a collaborative learning experience to transform you from a student into an actor who works. We believe the sooner you can start your career, the better.
Website: https://www.nycda.edu/
Contact info:
Admissions Office
212-812-4080
The Newhouse School is the most comprehensive standalone school of communication in the country, offering programs that span the communications industry. At the Newhouse School, we’re training the next generation of communications leaders—professionals who are prepared not only to enter a rapidly-changing media industry, but also to shape its future.
Website: https://newhouse.syr.edu/
Program Synopsis: The Department of Film and Media Studies at Hunter College is designed to engage students analytically and creatively with social, cultural, and aesthetic issues in contemporary media practice.
The Film major combines theoretical perspectives and practical production experience to provide students with a thorough understanding of the cinema and of their creative potential as filmmakers. Film program consists of coursework in film and video production, film studies, and introduces students to the aesthetics of filmmaking, the historical background of the film industry, alternative filmic practices, current critical theories, and various national and multicultural perspectives on cinema.
Production courses include screenwriting, screen directing, producing the film, sound, editing, and cinematography. Consonant with the department’s overall mission, the program in Media Studies fosters media literacy in the belief that the ability to understand and make use of the tools of the mass media is essential in a democratic society. The program offers a concentration in Media Analysis and Criticism, Documentary and Television Production, Journalism, and Emerging Media, allowing students to explore coursework in reporting, news-making, media representation, or media industries and technologies.
Contact info: https://hunter.cuny.edu/students/admissions/undergraduate/contact-us/meet-your-admissions-counselor
Website Link: https://fm.hunter.cuny.edu/undergraduate/
Program Reel: https://youtu.be/JMsy5stjDcU
Ranked among the best film schools in the country, the filmmaking school at UNCSA knows that you won’t become a filmmaker by just sitting in a classroom. In your first two years at UNCSA, you will direct and shoot numerous digital projects as you take hands-on courses in every facet of modern film production. Then you’ll choose a concentration—animation, cinematography, directing, editing & sound design, producing, production design, or screenwriting—and collaborate with classmates on original short films, submitted to festivals around the world.
Website Link: www.uncsa.edu/filmmaking
Program Reel: https://youtu.be/cA5q3ZKlkDc
Film Admissions Contact: Channon Burroughs, Film Admissions Liaison
Phone: 336-631-1547
Email: Burroughsc@uncsa.edu
The Department of Journalism and Creative Media encompasses a wide range of disciplines from broadcast journalism to documentary storytelling to narrative filmmaking. JCM explores all aspects of creative media with a focus in film production. Screenwriting, directing, and producing are just a few of the variety of courses offered in creative media. The JCM alumni network spans across the country including Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta. Whether you want to work in sports production, Hollywood or live broadcast the Department of Journalism and Creative Media offers media production in all fields.
Please visit our website, JCM.UA.EDU, for more information.
Website: www.unlv.edu/film
Description: Our degree programs combine the latest industry practices, traditional storytelling, and a scholarly film context to help you build a strong foundation for graduate study and careers in the dynamic worlds of film, television, and digital media.
Website: https://www.pointpark.edu/academics/schools/copa/index
Contact: conservatory@pointpark.edu or (412) 392-3451
Description:
As a Cinema Arts student at Point Park, you begin producing creative work right from the start. You’ll work with state-of-the-art equipment in a dynamic, collaborative educational environment and we’ll equip you with the tools and know-how needed to thrive in your chosen field.
Over the past 10 years, Point Park University’s downtown Pittsburgh location has become a magnet for feature film and television productions, giving you the opportunity to gain industry-based experience just steps from campus. We offer B.F.A. degrees in Animation, Cinema Production and Screenwriting, a low-residency M.F.A. in Writing for the Screen and Stage, and a B.A. in Cinema Studies w/concentrations in Animation, Cinema Production and Screenwriting.
University of the Arts’ School of Film, nestled in the bustling heart of Center City Philadelphia, offers a personal, boutique educational experience for the motion picture artist. With small class sizes and individualized attention, the School of Film houses BFA programs that include Animation (2D, 3D and stop-motion/experimental), Game Art, Film (narrative, documentary, experimental), Film and Animation (a hybrid major that allows students to explore both disciplines), and Screenwriting.
The School of Film - which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary - is a thriving and proudly independent arts community that is inclusive of diverse ideas, perspectives, and people. The faculty are award-winning, passionate, working artists and filmmakers, who encourage and cultivate creative collaboration, self-expression, and professional preparation. Our coursework melds technical instruction with the latest animation and technologies. Students have ready access to the 4K “Netflix-approved” cameras, the full Adobe Creative Suite and professional software for the creation of 2D and 3D animation.
Beyond building technical skills and fostering individual vision, UArts offers distinct opportunities to work with students across the university—including actors, dancers, illustrators, composers, set and lighting designers, and other artists, which means students graduate knowing how to collaborate and communicate with other professionals in any kind of production environment
The School of Film prepares students for careers in the film and entertainment industries via internships, networking events and an on-campus speaker series with professional alumni. Our graduates become directors, editors, animators, game artists, cinematographers, art directors and screenwriters, working in the region and around the world. Alumni include renowned Hollywood directors and recipients of Guggenheim and NEA fellowships, as well as producers, production designers, animators, writers and executives working in all aspects of the industry.
Website Link: www.uarts.edu/academics/about-school-of-film
Contact Info:
Diana Grater, School of Film Administrative Assistant, dgrater@uarts.edu
Hannah Burke, School of Film Assistant Dean, hburke@uarts.edu
Description:
The Undergraduate Film & Television program at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts offers a curriculum renowned for its collaborative, hands-on experiences. Tisch students begin hands-on production coursework in their first semester of study, providing young artists with rigorous preparation in their chosen field and invaluable opportunities to pursue their artistic development. Our program mentors students in the traditions and innovations of an evolving media landscape that is deeply rooted in visual storytelling. Together, our faculty and students create more than 5,000 films per year.
Contact information: admissions.ugftv@nyu.edu
Program Description:
With a curriculum that combines media production and creativity with media history and theory, the Division of Film & Media Arts prepares students for careers in film, television and other media-related fields. Students learn and work in small classes that develop their creative and collaborative skills and enhance their understanding of the art and business of media.
Website: https://www.smu.edu/Film
Contact Information:
SMU Meadows School of the Arts, Division of Film & Media Arts
PO Box 750113, Dallas, TX 75275-0113
film@smu.edu
214-768-2129
Program Description:
Located in the heart of downtown Chicago’s Cultural Mile, Columbia College Chicago is a private, nonprofit college offering a distinctive curriculum that blends creative and media arts, liberal arts, and business for nearly 6,700 students in more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Dedicated to academic excellence and long-term career success, Columbia College Chicago creates a dynamic, challenging, and collaborative space for students who see the world through a creative lens.
Contact info: Admissions@colum.edu
Program Description:
In the Film, Television and Media Arts (BA and BFA) programs, students combine storytelling skills with the ability to create compelling digital content for both large and small screens. From day one, students will learn how to project a creative vision to a wide range of audiences.
The first-year curriculum introduces students to basic concepts of production including cinematography, editing, and sound acquisition. Students will explore the fundamentals of screenwriting alongside introductory coursework in film history and theory.
In their second and third years, students branch out into a concentration of electives that delve into the technical points of filmmaking. Courses such as advanced visual effects, advanced post-production techniques and advanced sound productions supplement upper-level courses in film and television theory.
The program culminates in an intensive senior capstone production. Our advanced students work in teams of six to ten members to produce and deliver industry-ready short films with budgets averaging between $15,000 and $20,000 per film. The students participate in a gala screening event at our 250-seat facility after which they submit their films to national and international film festivals.
Program Website: https://www.qu.edu/schools/communications/programs/bachelors-degree/film-television-and-media-arts/
Please reach out with any questions to Quinnipiac University’s Admissions Counselors at: https://www.qu.edu/admissions/undergraduate/connect-admissions-counselor/ They will answer any admissions related questions and help you navigate the admissions process. For program specific questions, please feel free to reach out to Prof. Frederick Staudmyer, Chair of the Film, Television, and Media Arts department, at Frederick.Staudmyer@qu.edu. Thank you for your interest and we hope to see you on campus for an Open House or Preview Day!
Whether stories are told on the biggest screen, or the smallest stage, stories have to power to shape the world we live in. At WCU's School of Stage and Screen, the power of storytelling is what brings our students, faculty, and our educational experiences together. In everything from documentaries, short films, and stage classics, our students are bound together by the collaborative power of storytelling to change lives.
Our mission is to educate and empower the storyteller within our students. We do this by creating an immersive experiential learning environment both inside and outside the classroom. Performance and production opportunities begin in the first semester of study, and our rigorous classroom experiences are enhanced by a faculty who are active and dedicated educators and practitioners of their craft.
The WCU experience doesn't end at graduation. Ourtightly knit web of students, faculty, and alumni create an invaluable network to launch our students into the professional world.
We celebrate the stories we tell here, the stories that we tell after and beyond WCU, and most of all the stories that have not yet been told.
Website:
Contact information:
Office:
828-227-7491
Description: Rider University’s dynamic Film & Television program allows students to start making films and studio projects from day one! Your experience will be small classes with individualized attention by working cinematographers, editors, screenwriters and directors. Your time at rider will culminate in your senior year with our Semester in LA Program - where you will live and work in Los Angeles for an entire semester gaining real industry experience and networking with top Hollywood talent! We are preparing students for real, tangible careers in Film & Television.
Rider University Website: https://www.rider.edu/
For more info on Rider’s Film & TV Program please contact Chairman, Dr. Shawn Kildea at (609) 571-5625 or skildea@rider.edu
As a cinema and television arts major at Elon, you will unleash your creativity as you build a skill set in storytelling, producing, directing and new media techniques.
Our rigorous curriculum, supported by faculty members with experience as filmmakers, documentarians and editors, provides the necessary foundation in writing, visual aesthetics and industry best practices needed to succeed in creative fiction and nonfiction storytelling.
Our school strongly encourages its cinema and television arts majors to get involved in campus organizations, study in our Elon in Los Angeles program, and take advantage of the equipment in our Gear Room, which houses a fleet of more than 150 video cameras available for free checkout.
Website:
https://www.elon.edu/u/academics/communications/academics/cinema-television-arts/
Want to tour the School of Communications?
We offer 11:30 a.m. weekday tours by appointment to prospective students who want to see our facilities and student media operations. Please fill out this form to schedule your tour.
PREVIOUSLY PARTICIPATING COLLEGES
All colleges below have participated in the AAHSFF college fair and are listed in alphabetical order. We encourage you to visit their websites and dig into their information to find the right college for you!
