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.