Cinematic Arts, MFA
Overview
The Master of Fine Arts in Cinematic Arts is designed for passionate and ambitious students eager to explore filmmaking as an artistic practice. This program nurtures creativity, critical dialogue, and professional growth, providing the guidance and resources you need to develop your unique artistic voice.
From day one, you’ll benefit from personalized mentorship—not only from your major thesis advisor but also from the entire graduate faculty and your cohort of peers. Our community is deeply collaborative, fostering connections that inspire and elevate your creative journey.
Choosing an MFA in Cinematic Arts through the Department of Film, Video, Animation & New Genres means becoming part of a welcoming and supportive community—one that values artistic exploration, research critical inquiry, formal explorations, innovative storytelling, and engagement with contemporary film art. We look forward to supporting you and your creative research.
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Faculty and Staff
Our inspirational faculty and staff make sure students feel welcome and empowered to think outside the box and explore all possibilities of making art at UWM. Visit the Peck School of the Arts directory to meet these artists, explore their biographies and engage with recent work.
Scholarships and Aid
Financial constraints shouldn’t hinder your artistic dreams. Our comprehensive range of scholarships and aid programs is designed to empower and support artists like you.
Study Abroad
We believe that a complete education in the arts should take you beyond the classroom and the local community. By studying abroad, you’ll gain more than a change of scenery. You’ll embark on a transformative educational experience and bring a global perspective to your field of study. Explore upcoming trips offered in partnership with the Center for International Education.
Admission Requirements
Graduate applicants must meet general Graduate School admission requirements in addition to specific Peck School of the Arts requirements.
To learn more, request a remote audio or video appointment with the UWM Graduate School.
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.
Admission
In order to be considered for admission to the program, an applicant must meet Graduate School requirements, submit a reason statement as well as submit original media-related work that demonstrates technical competence and creative promise.
An applicant whose grade point average or quality of work does not meet Graduate School and Department of Film, Video, Animation and New Genres program standards may be considered for admission on probation. Each student is expected to satisfy deficiency requirements within three enrolled semesters. The Graduate School and the Department of Film, Video, Animation and New Genres graduate program monitor the deficiencies. No course credits earned to make up deficiencies may be counted as program credits required for the degree.
Transfer of Credits
With the approval of the Department of Film, Video, Animation and New Genres graduate program and the Graduate School, an applicant from another institution may be permitted to transfer up to 19 credits toward the total of 48 graduate credits required for the MFA degree.
Individual Peck School of the Arts graduate advisors are assigned upon admission. Your advisor will work closely with you during your time here. To connect with your graduate program representative, please visit the Graduate tab on the Peck School of the Arts apply page.
Master of Fine Arts in Cinematic Arts
In addition to a series of graduate seminars, students can choose from an array of elective options that include graduate production studios, conceptual studies courses, complementary studies from outside the department, professional practice opportunities in the field and U/G or G electives. Students are expected to originate and produce finished projects on a regular basis, culminating in a thesis presentation.
Credits and Courses
The minimum Film-MFA degree requirement is 48 graduate credits (33 cr required, 15 cr elective). It is recommended that students earn 12 credits each semester by attending classes full-time on campus.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Coursework | ||
| FILM 710 | Graduate Workshop I | 3 |
| FILM 712 | Graduate Workshop II | 3 |
| FILM 714 | Graduate Workshop III (Repeatable up to two times 6 cr. max.) | 6 |
| FILM 720 | Graduate Seminar I (Repeatable up to two times 6 cr. max.) | 6 |
| FILM 722 | Graduate Seminar II (Repeatable up to two times, 6 cr. max.) | 3 |
| FILM 730 | Advanced Research in Film I | 3 |
| FILM 732 | Advanced Research in Film II | 6 |
| FILM 900 | Graduate Studio (Repeatable up to two times in first year, 6 cr. max.) | 3 |
| Elective Courses | 15 | |
| Professional Practice: Production | ||
| Landscape Cinema | ||
| Experimental Documentary | ||
| Observational Documentary | ||
| Advanced 16MM Film Production | ||
| Visual Effects | ||
| Independent Graduate Study: | ||
Complimentary studies in other UWM unit, must be graduate level. | ||
| Total Credits | 48 | |
Additional Requirements
Major Professor as Advisor
Each student chooses a major professor from the Department of Film, Video, Animation and New Genres graduate faculty to advise and supervise studies. In addition to the major professor, each student’s committee must contain a minimum of two Department of Film, Video, Animation and New Genres graduate faculty members.
Thesis Presentation
Upon recommendation of the major professor and advisory faculty, the student presents a thesis exhibition program of work executed since admission to the program. The exhibition may be held either during the semester in which the student completes coursework for the degree or during the following semester.
Time Limit
The student must complete all degree requirements within seven years of the initial enrollment.
International Students
On completion of graduate studies, international students are eligible to apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT) for an additional year of practical work experience. If you are interested in OPT, please see an Immigration Coordinator at International Student and Scholar Services in the Center for International Education.
Sample Plan of Study
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| FILM 710 | Graduate Workshop I 1 | 3 |
| FILM 720 | Graduate Seminar I 2 | 3 |
| FILM 900 | Graduate Studio 3 | 3 |
| Elective 4 | 3 | |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| FILM 712 | Graduate Workshop II 1 | 3 |
| FILM 720 | Graduate Seminar I 2 | 3 |
| FILM 900 | Graduate Studio 3 | 3 |
| Elective 4 | 3 | |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| FILM 714 | Graduate Workshop III 1 | 3 |
| FILM 730 | Advanced Research in Film I 5 | 3 |
| FILM 720 | Graduate Seminar I 2 | 3 |
| Elective 4 | 3 | |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| FILM 714 | Graduate Workshop III 1 | 3 |
| FILM 732 | Advanced Research in Film II 5 | 6 |
| Elective 4 | 3 | |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 48 | |
- 1
Graduate Workshop will be taken every semester while in the program. Led by rotating members of the Cinematic Arts Graduate Faculty, the course provides students with the opportunity to interact and respond to each other's works-in-progress on an ongoing basis.
- 2
Graduate Seminar will be taken three of four semesters while in the program. The course offers a sustained exploration of a particular theme or area of study through a curated set of weekly readings, screenings, discussions, and creative projects. The course is led by rotating members of the Cinematic Arts Graduate Faculty.
- 3
Graduate Studio - 6 cr. required
Graduate Studio is required for graduate students in both semesters of their first year. The aims of the course are to facilitate greater development of the student’s creative work and to better prepare students for critique—a fundamental aspect of both academia and art practice more generally.
- FILM 900 - Taken in both fall and spring semester, Year 1, can be repeated up to 2x for 6 cr. total
- 4
Department Electives
- Courses regularly offered by the department include topic-based courses and areas of study such as 16mm film and video production, screenwriting, lighting, cinematography, audio production, animation, installation, and performance.Students should enroll in 700-level course numbers connected to advanced courses.
Complementary Studies (maximum of 12 credits)
- A complementary studies course is a graduate or undergraduate course offered outside the film department that is relevant to a student’s proposed course of study. Students interested in complementary studies are encouraged to discuss their options with the Director of the Graduate Program in Film before enrolling in these courses.
FILM 799: Independent Study (maximum of 9 credits)
- An independent study is a course where the graduate student works one-on-one with graduate faculty to produce new studio work and develop research.
- Independent studies should be pursued only when the area of proposed research is not covered by existing classes within the Cinematic Arts curriculum.These courses should be considered infrequently, are granted on a case-by-case basis, and must be approved by the department chair.
- 5
Advanced Research in Film I and II
These courses are to be taken during the candidate’s second year of graduate study. The work produced during this time constitutes the student’s thesis project, (or group of smaller projects), worked onwith the guidance of the student's Major Thesis Advisor.
Cinematic Arts, MFA Learning Outcomes
Students graduating with the MFA in Cinematic Arts will be able to:
- Synthesize and grow existing knowledge of artistic principles, conventions, methods, and practices through creating and producing films and/or moving image works of art.
- Conceive, develop, produce, and revise an original and substantive thesis project.
- Apply critical and creative thinking skills in a variety of contexts.
- Analyze the relationship between film and other art forms and intellectual disciplines.
- Communicate effectively, in a style appropriate to the discipline; produce projects individually and collaboratively; and engage fully in the entire production process, from concept to distribution.
- Show commitment to personal and professional development through engagement in professional exhibitions, festivals, and related opportunities within the field.
Policies & Regulations
Please review the Graduate School policies and regulations and refer to each specific program for any additional items.