The Best Online Masters Degrees in Film

If any of the above online masters programs in film interest you, feel free to visit the school links to request information to learn more details about the program and admissions requirements. Read on to find more about film degrees and careers.

What is a Film Degree?

A film degree is any degree related to filmmaking, which actually includes a variety of different degrees. The study of film is actually very broad! Camera equipment, production, directing, scriptwriting, screenplay, editing, animation, lighting design, sound production, and studio television production all fall under the umbrella term of a film degree, and there are plenty more that could be included in that category. The most common areas of study that the term ‘film degree’ refers to include filmmaking, film studies, and film theory.

Film degrees are offered in a variety of fields like we already discussed. They are also offered at various levels of education. Students can earn a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Fine Arts in film; there are easily hundreds of different Masters-level degrees that are film degrees too. You could earn a Master of Arts in Film Studies, a Master of Arts in Screenwriting, or any one of the many facets of cinema. There are also Master of Fine Arts degrees in many areas, and you can even earn a doctorate film degree, like a PhD in Film Theory, and so on.

When you earn a film degree, you will cover a range of topics that are all part of the process in creating films and shows, and you will also gain skills that go beyond the camera and editing software such as marketing, distribution, legal issues, and more. At the undergraduate level, you just scratch the surface of film and explore the fundamentals like current technologies in filmmaking, the screenwriting process, directing and cinematography, and so on.

As is the case with most fields, if you would like a more specialized film degree, you will need to take the next step in your academic journey and pursue a masters degree. Masters-level film degrees offer a variety of concentrations, from art direction to animation, from writing a script to producing the finished product, and more. This allows you to gain skills that prepare you for a specific career in the film industry and cover more about the business side of things at the same time.

At the doctorate level, a PhD in Film will require very in-depth study about film, culture, and more. Typically, people who earn these will teach at universities or have other careers in academia.

How Long Does it Take to Get a Masters Degree in Film?

The amount of time that it takes to earn a masters in film is not going to be the same for every student. The average time to completion in a masters degree program is two years; however, there are many different factors that might make your situation differ from average. At the individual level, the program you choose, the amount of time you can dedicate to your studies, the pace at which you pursue your degree, and any prior experience you may have can either add to or take away from that two-year timeframe.

If you choose to study full-time, you would be taking more courses at once than you would if you studied part-time. Going the part-time route can add a few months, a year, or more to the total time it takes you to earn your master’s degree in film. If you choose a program that requires more credits for graduation, you might take some more time as well. The typical master’s program is around 30 credits, but some have 40, 50, or more. If you have more that you need to do, you might take longer as well.

Most students are interested in faster ways to earn their degree, though. If you want to earn your masters in film faster, there are a few things to consider and explore. When you’re looking for a degree program that suits your needs, look at the transfer policies if you have any credits you think might transfer. You can also check if a school offers an accelerated program of study, condensed course format, or year-round study.

Online programs can also help you to shorten the time it takes you to earn your master’s degree in film. The fastest masters degree in film can be earned online in a hybrid format from Western Colorado University. It takes a mere 13 months to complete. Tiffin University offers an online masters degree in film that takes just 18 months. So, the amount of time it takes to graduate is entirely up to you!

How Much Does an Online Master’s Degree Cost?

The cost of an online master’s degree in film is not something that is set in stone. The cost of a degree program is actually very individualized because every student is going to have a unique financial situation. Determining the average cost of a master’s degree, in general, is much too difficult because the cost varies so much between fields, but when it comes to a masters degree in film, the average cost ranges from $7,600 to $26,000 per year.

The average cost per credit hour in the United States is $594, and according to Niche.com, the average annual net cost of attendance for college is $16,910. But, there are some schools that charge much less (or much more!) per credit. The cost per credit may also vary based on the level of the course, the program of study, and how you’re taking the course. In-state students are typically going to pay a lower rate than out-of-state students, but there are a lot of universities that offer the in-state tuition rate to their online students.

Online students are still eligible for the same financial aid packages that traditional students are eligible for, too. This is something that students considering an online degree for the first time may not know. As long as you meet the course load and GPA requirements, you can get financial aid. You are also eligible for a number of grants and scholarships. In fact, most scholarships can be applied to an online degree program unless explicitly stated in their terms and conditions. If you’re unsure, you can always ask when you apply for it. You can also check out the scholarships for online students that exist to help you lower your costs.

There are too many factors that contribute to calculating the price you will pay for your online master’s degree in film for us to tell you what that might be, but we hope that these average rates and pointers have helped. We used the tuition calculator available on the Arizona State University website, since ASU offers the best online masters degree in film, and the total tuition and fees per one academic year for an online student that resides out-of-state came out to $11,284.

What Can I Do With a Masters Degree in Film?

A masters degree in film provides students with great opportunities because it covers the artistic skills they’ll use on the job, but it also covers a lot of business skills as well. Decision-making, writing, research, planning, and analyzing are all skills that you’ll pick up as you’re earning your master’s degree in film, and they are desirable throughout the entertainment industry and beyond. So, there are a lot of things you can do with a masters film degree.

There are a few main categories in the area of film production, so that is what we’re going to go into here. Firstly, there are producers and directors. This might be the most common choice for graduates with masters degrees in film. The growth rate of this career was reported by the BLS to be about average, if not slightly faster.

Producers are usually involved in the business side of filmmaking. This could include hiring crew, creating a budget, and making sure that it is adhered to, raising money for the project, and more. Directors are the perfect complement to that, and they are in charge of everything that happens in front of the camera, whereas the producer takes care of everything behind it. Directors work closely with the crew as well as the cast of the film to control the creative direction and design the finished product.

Art Director is another fairly common career path in filmmaking, but it is growing at a very slow rate of just 2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Art directors work with the director of a film. The main responsibility of the art director for a movie is to make sure that there is a consistent visual style throughout every scene of the movie. This requires a lot of tasks, like examining every aspect of the set design, costume design, makeup and special effects, and even the cinematography itself. They are crucial to creating the immersive experience of a movie.

You typically only need to hold a bachelor’s degree in order to pursue a career as an animator, but the additional skills that you can gain with a master’s degree may help you land this type of position more easily, receive better compensation, and have more room for advancement. This career requires a knack for storytelling, strong aesthetic skills, and a passion for art because that’s what you’d be doing most of the time. You would use computer programs and artistic mediums to design and create models, illustrations, animation sequences, and visual effects for movies.

Editing is another common career you could pursue. Most people who work in this position hold a bachelor’s degree, but there are advanced things that are covered in masters degree programs that will help you on the job. Your tasks as an editor would require you to work alongside the director to create scenes and to use advanced film editing software to create the desired outcomes for each shot.

Outside of those, there are tons of other options. You could be a travel coordinator, casting director, foley artist, promoter, and so much more. Depending on the area of film that you focus on in your studies, you will have a very diverse set of careers to choose from.

What Is The Average Salary After Getting a Masters in Film?

There are a lot of different things that play a role in determining your salary. Your location, your level of experience, your degree, and several other things can all come together and tip your salary higher or lower than average. The unique thing about the film industry, too, is that median salaries are very difficult to calculate. Some directors earn less than $35,000 a year, and some of them earn close to $200,000. The salary ranges are much more broad in the entertainment industry. On top of that, many positions will allow you to earn royalties on the films that you work on, which could lead to significantly higher income like the sky’s the limit income.

With that said, we’re going to list out some of the common careers you can get with a masters degree in film and their average salaries. All salary information was collected from PayScale. We’d like to note that some sources reported much higher numbers.

• Director: $60,596
• Producer: $68,151
• Set Designer: $49,154
• Director of Photography: $72,000
• Costume Designer: $35,555
• Prop Master: $44,987
• Makeup Artist: $49,263
• Editor: $44,357
• Composer: $50,241
• Art Director: $64,349
• Animators: $51,061

Didn’t Find What You Were Looking For?

If you’re an artistic person, but you don’t want to earn an online masters degree in film, some of these other creative degree programs might be more up your alley.

• 10 Best Film Schools in Los Angeles
• Top 15 Best Online Interior Design Degree Programs
• Top 20 Most Affordable Colleges for Art and Music
• Top 20 Best Music Colleges with Online Programs

If you’re still trying to decide if an online college is the right choice for you, these resources might be helpful.

• Pros and Cons of Online College
• 15 Top Tips To Make A Personal Schedule for Online College

Also, if you’re ready to dive into distance education but haven’t selected a school, we rank the Top 100 Best Online Colleges every year!