The 6 Best Online Master’s in Film Programs

In the online master’s in motion media design at SCAD, students learn creative and technical skills necessary to work as art directors, 3D animators, and graphics coordinators. Known for attracting the attention of big–name recruiters like Apple, MTV, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, SCAD helps students gain the hands–on experience and professional connections necessary to land the industry job of their dreams. Students can earn their degree through the school’s eLearning program or on its campus in Savannah.

Students take a minimum of 45 hours of courses, although some incoming students may require an additional selection of courses, bringing their total to 50–70 hours. Coursework explores motion media cinematography and editing, studio business practice, and contemporary art. All graduate students also complete a final project.

The School of Communication and Arts at Regent University offers a fully online MFA in film–television studies and a fully online MA in film studies. Students earning their MFA online can concentrate in script and screenwriting, while those pursuing their MA online can concentrate in either script and screenwriting or producing. Graduate students can also pursue their degree on the school’s campus in Virginia Beach. A Christian worldview informs all Regent’s programs, including its online film degrees.

The school’s MFA, which serves as a terminal degree, requires 44 credit hours and successful completion of courses like writing the short film, story structure for stage and screen, feature film scriptwriting. The MA requires a minimum of 30 credit hours and completion of courses like lighting and cinematography, the business of film, and a film–television equipment workshop. Students in both degree tracks complete a final project; students earning their master’s can also opt to complete a thesis.

Based in vibrant Nashville, Tennessee, Lipscomb University offers an MA and an MFA in film and creative media. Students take courses online, during weeknights, and sometimes on Saturdays.

The school’s online MA in film and creative media requires 36 hours of coursework, which students typically complete over two years. Courses consider story and structure, cinematic aesthetics, and acting for directors. At the end of their second year, students submit a portfolio.

Students earning their MFA can choose from two film concentrations: writer/producer or writer/director. Both tracks require 62 hours of coursework, which students tend to complete over three years of study. Required coursework in both tracks includes transmedia storytelling, TV writing, and a final portfolio. Students in either concentration can choose to spend their final summer in Los Angeles, taking classes and completing an internship.

Located in Tiffin, Ohio, Tiffin University offers a wide selection of fully online graduate degrees, including a handful that explores different subjects within the humanities. The school’s master of humanities with a concentration in film studies examines the artistic and historical aspects of film, preparing students to direct, produce, or teach.

In addition to courses that explore the creative and generative side of film, this degree also prepares students to teach about the history, significance, and impact of film. Students take courses like classic Hollywood cinema, cult and independent film, and world cinema and documentary film. All courses span a 15–week semester, with start dates in January, May, and August. Part–time students typically earn their degree in two and a half years while full–time students often graduate in only a year and a half. During their studies, students at Tiffin enjoy a variety of support tools like one–on–one peer tutoring, online writing tools, and professional skill–building workshops.

Tucked into the Rocky Mountains in Gunnison, Colorado, Western State Colorado University caters to students across the country who want to earn a creative degree from afar. The school’s graduate creative writing program offers a low–residency MA and MFA in screenwriting for film and television.

Students in the program take online courses, participate in video–based class discussions, and consult with their professors through video consultations or by phone. Each summer, creative writing graduate students and faculty from all disciplines and genres gather on the school’s campus for the last two weeks in July. Together, they participate in lectures, seminars, and workshops.

Students earn their degree over the course of four academic semesters and three summer residencies, completing a total of 60 credit hours of coursework, including 12 dedicated to the thesis. Other courses center on writing feature–length screenplays, creating narratives, and writing TV pilots. Students who wish to add an additional concentration may do so by taking 30 credits of coursework within that secondary area.

As a nonprofit, veteran–founded institution, National University offers more than 100 flexible programs, both online and on its La Jolla campus, to help working professionals and military members advance their careers. Its MA in film studies requires 45 quarter units of coursework, all which students can complete online.

Students earning their online master’s degree in film take eight required courses that explore topics like world cinema, the history of silent film, and international directors. Toward the end of their studies, students take a capstone course in which they develop and expand upon a written assignment from one of their earlier film courses. To round out credit requirements, students also complete two elective courses.