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Film Studies, M.A.

Study the History, Theory, and Aesthetics of Cinema
  • 15

    Small Class Sizes Guarantee Close Interaction with Department Faculty

  • 1 of 4

    UNC System Schools Featured in the Fiske Guide to Colleges

  • 109

    Among Public National Universities, U.S. News & World Report

The Program Prepares Students for Careers In:

Students gain practical experience in organizing and programming events and conferences.

Learn to assemble collections for cinemas, festivals and other institutions.

Analyze, interpret and write about film as a career.

Teach film studies at the secondary level.

Oversee film production including selecting the script; coordinating writing, directing, editing; and arranging financing.

program completion feature
program completion feature

Learn To

Develop expertise in the history, theory, and criticism of motion pictures

Prepare for a wide range of professions, including teaching, publishing, librarianship, journalism and reviewing, curating, archiving and preservation, film production, academia and film festival and arts management

“ There’s so much freedom with what we can do here. We can do things traditionally or we can be innovative. Everyone’s so willing to work with us on how to best create a product that adds to film history and to film as a discipline. ”
Anna Williams, M.A. Film Studies alumna
Film Studies, M.A. Program Overview

A Comprehensive Look at Moving Image Media

The Department of Film Studies offers a two-year Master of Arts degree in the history, theory, and aesthetics of cinema. Our comprehensive curriculum provides advanced classes in film style and aesthetics, historiography, global cinema, and film production.

Applied Learning & Faculty Mentors

Students work closely with faculty to develop individualized courses of study that support their research agendas and career goals, culminating in Master's theses. Applied learning experiences, an important part of the program, offer opportunities for teaching, festival programming, conference planning, film production, curatorial practice, publishing, film education, and professional writing.

Internationally recognized faculty mentor students in their research and publishing, and the department provides MA students with opportunities to organize film festivals and conferences, program film series, and to work as research assistants, manuscript editors, and film curators.

Resources & Facilities

Front-Office Facilities

  • 175-seat high-definition digital movie theater with 7.1 surround sound, as well as 3-D projection
  • Black Box Studio with set, lighting grid, and power box company
  • Sound isolation booth / audio recording station
  • Adobe Creative Cloud suite, Pro Tools, and Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve software
  • Equipment room with a full range of camera, lighting, grip, sound recording, field mixing, and field monitor equipment

University Film Center

  • 70-seat theater with 4K digital projection, 16mm movie projection, and surround sound
  • 4000 square feet with lighting set, lighting grid, cyclorama and company power box
  • Expanded equipment room with loading dock
  • Sound recording and mixing studio
  • Adobe Creative Cloud suite, Avid Media Composer, Pro Tools, and Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve software
  • Outdoor screening and activity area

The William Madison Randall Library houses a collection of more than 468,000 monographs, 30,000 e-books, 105,000 bound periodical volumes, and over 30,000 journals.

The collection includes 143 film journals and access to several film-related databases, including Project MUSE, International Index of Performing Arts, and the Film and Television Literature Index.

Randall Library also offers a large collection of moving image media, including 34,000 videos (Blu-ray, DVD, & VHS), including over 10,400 narrative feature films, 2,400 foreign films, 9,500 documentaries, and 315 short film collections.

Professor talking with students

Explore Further into Film Studies

Sample Courses in Film Studies, M.A.

Table shows sample courses for this program
FST 540 Film Theory
FST 569 Topics in Modern and Contemporary Horror Cinema
FST 570 Film Historiography
FST 579 Studies in Film History: Hollywood Cinema of the 1970s
FST 589 Studies in Global Cinema: Contemporary French Cinema
See The Full Curriculum

How Do I Apply?

Applicants seeking admission to the Master of Arts Program in Film Studies are required to submit the following to the Graduate School before the application can be processed.

  1. An application for graduate admission
  2. Official transcripts of all college work (undergraduate and graduate)
  3. A 2-3 page Statement of Purpose that explains the candidate's educational or professional goals
  4. An example of the candidate's academic or critical writing in film studies or a related field
  5. 3 letters of recommendation
  6. Resume or Curriculum Vitae

An applicant must have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (BS, BA, or BFA). Submission of the materials above does not guarantee admission to the MA program. All application materials must be received by the published deadline.

All interested applicants will be considered for graduate assistantships, which are awarded on a competitive basis.

Admission Deadlines & Requirements

Information: M.A. Film Studies

Apply Now

  • Complete applications are considered for admission as a group, after the published deadline.
  • All application and supporting documents must be received by the published deadline.

Coordinator

Location/delivery Method

  • Main Campus

Deadlines (11:59 p.m. EST)

  • Fall 2024:
    • Priority Consideration: February 15, 2024
    • Space Available Deadline: May 1, 2024 Extended to June 15, 2024

Transcripts

  • One official transcript is required from each U.S. post-secondary institution attended. Refer to the Getting Started page for international transcript instructions.

Test Scores

  • None Required

Recommendations

  • 3 letters of recommendation

Additional Requirements

  1. Upload Supplemental Document After Submission
  2. Statement: A 2-3 page Statement of Purpose that explains the candidate’s educational or professional goals
  3. Writing Sample: An example of the candidate’s academic or critical writing in film studies or a related field
  4. Resume or Curriculum Vitae

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