Earn you MFA in Film and Video Production
Iowa has a long and venerable tradition of university-level film production stretching back to the 1930s. The first graduate courses in film and television production started in the early 1950s, when the Division of Radio, Television and Film was founded, along with state-of-the-art film and television studios, and we have had a strong reputation for experimental film since the 1970s.
Today, our program offers a three-year MFA in film and video production, which typically includes full funding for all three years. The program seeks to help students to develop an artistic vision informed by theoretical knowledge; to hone their technical skills in image design, sound, editing and more; to accumulate a strong portfolio; and to acquire essential professional skills (grants, film festivals, etc.) in view of further employment either in academia or in professional settings. All students in our program also gain the teaching experience essential for anyone wishing to enter academia. Strengths in our program include 16mm film, art-house cinema and documentary cinema in various forms.
Our students also enjoy a rich graduate student community. Film and video production students regularly collaborate with graduate students from film studies and take graduate seminars both in film studies and other departments at Iowa.
For a good overview of what your trajectory might look like, consult our Graduate Student Handbook of Policies and Procedures, especially the section outlining the MFA timeline with milestones by semester.
For any further questions, you may also contact our Director of Graduate Studies or the head of film and video production.
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Where do our graduates end up?
View a sampling of where our recent MFA graduates have ended up.
Requirements and program planning
Degree requirements
The following are the general categories of coursework required to earn the degree; for more specific information on courses, curriculum, and requirements of the Master of Fine Arts in Film and Video Production, visit the UI General Catalog.
| Title | Hours |
|---|---|
| CINE:4890 Media Production Workshop | 4 |
| CINE:5890 Colloquium in Film and Video Production | 8 |
| Advanced production courses | 12 |
| Two mid-level graduate courses in film theory/history | 6 |
| Two courses from related areas outside the Department of Cinematic Arts | 6 |
| Additional upper-level electives | 5 |
| MFA thesis project | 12 |
| Additional electives (after thesis clearance) | 6 |
| Total hours | 59 |
MFA thesis project
Looking forward to the final year, the committee reviews the candidate’s work to date along with a written proposal for the MFA thesis project. This year-long project should both extend the candidate’s artistic concerns and contribute to a coherent body of work.
Create your academic path
You'll find degree overviews, requirements, course lists, academic plans, and more to help you plan your education and explore your possibilities.
Current course list
The MyUI Schedule displays registered courses for a particular session and is available to enrolled students. The list view includes course instructors, time and location, and features to drop courses or change sections.
Learn more about the program through our FAQ
MFA in Film and Video Production FAQ
How many applicants do you accept each year into your graduate program?
We are a small program focused on close mentoring of students and small-group critique. Due to this, we typically admit between 2-4 film production graduate students per year. There will be roughly 7-10 students in the program during a standard year.
Do I need to connect with one faculty member and have them agree to supervise me before I submit my application?
While an applicant does not need to find a faculty member to study with before applying, MFA students will work with an advisor from our pool of tenure track production professors in the department during their time in the program. They are encouraged to study with professors from all three disciplines (film production, film studies, and screenwriting) during their time in the program as well. That being said, in evaluating applications, we do take into consideration the fit between an applicant’s areas of interest and the department’s areas of strength and faculty research areas.
Which faculty are available to supervise MFA theses?
Tenure-track faculty (currently Hope Tucker) in cinematic arts are the principal faculty available to direct theses. Additionally, instruction-track faculty (currently Laura Gede) may be available to serve on thesis committees.
How long does the program take to complete?
The program is three years.
What funding opportunities exist for MFA students?
MFA students in Film Production are typically funded through teaching for three years. Some students can also receive a year-long fellowship called the Iowa Arts Fellowship once during the three year period that allows them to remain fully funded, while having no teaching load. This fellowship is determined through nomination from the faculty and not by separate application.
In addition to this funding, students in the MFA program can apply and be nominated for various other funding opportunities through the Graduate College and university including, but not limited to, a Summer MFA Fellowship, a Student Impact Grant, Presentation Travel Grants, Small Grants for the Arts and Humanities, Student Government Research and Travel Grants, and Thesis Travel Grants. In addition to these internal grants, there are also many opportunities within the Iowa City and greater eastern Iowa area to secure funding for productions, research, and projects.
What are the program's areas of strength?
Our program has a long and valued history of experimental and analogue filmmaking, but we are open to many modalities and forms of media creation. We encourage students to explore different techniques and practices to help strengthen their artistic voice. With three production studio spaces, a green screen space, an audio recording studio, a full equipment cage, HD editing labs, 16mm editing labs, and more; Iowa’s facilities and faculty allow students to hone their practice through experimentation. We encourage applicants to look at our faculty profiles to learn more about our areas of specialty.
What types of careers do your MFA graduates go into after graduation?
Our MFA students gain employment in diverse professions, including higher education and many different artistic fields and practices. Students and alumni have also premiered their films at top festivals (Cannes, Slamdance, TIFF, Berlinale, Locarno, SXSW), have won Student Academy Awards, and have their work shown on major platforms (PBS, Netflix, Amazon Prime).
Iowa City FAQ
What is Iowa City like?
Iowa City consistently ranks near the top of lists about best college towns and most livable cities. It has been designated a “City of Literature” by UNESCO–one of only 20 in the world.
What is there to do in Iowa City?
There are lots of options for dining, entertainment, and nightlife in Iowa City. The city has a thriving arts scene with spaces like Public Space One, The Englert, Riverside Theatre, and an excellent non-profit art house cinema, FilmScene that is closely linked to the Cinematic Arts program, just to name a few! Iowa City also boasts multiple internationally renowned film festivals including the Refocus Film Festival and Cinematic Art’s very own Iowa City Documentary Film Festival (ICDOCS).
Where do graduate students live while they are in your program?
Depending on their preferences and budgets, our students live all over the Iowa City/Coralville/North Liberty area.
Have additional questions?
