|
Hundreds of U.S. colleges and universities
offer programs in film. Each sets their
own admissions requirements and deadlines.
You’ll want to start early to find
the right program for you and have the best
chance at admission and financial aid, ideally
beginning your research a year or more before
you plan to start classes.
Almost all U.S. undergraduate programs
require students to have completed secondary
school (passing the GED test battery may
sometimes be substituted). Graduate programs
expect good undergraduate grades, though
study may be in a different field in the
case of many programs. All programs will
ask that you demonstrate proficiency in
English (typically by taking the TOEFL test)
Often scores on the SAT Reasoning and/or
two or three SAT Subject tests will be requested
of undergraduate applicants and GRE scores
of graduate applicants, though some schools
do not require these of international students
and others do not require them from any
applicants. More selective institutions
often have such additional requirements
as recommendations from your teachers, information
on extracurricular activities, and a written
statement of purpose or other essay.
Most selective university and professional
school programs in film require a portfolio
of applicant’s creative work. For
undergraduates, submission of an actual
film may not be necessary—some programs
may instead accept such options as drawings
or an essay. Schools will generally specify
exactly what is acceptable. Be sure to follow
instructions, which will usually be very
precise in terms of what formats are acceptable
and maximum length of submitted recordings
or videos.
While some U.S. institutions have minimum
requirements in terms of test scores or
grades, typically admissions decisions are
made on a holistic basis, looking at the
full picture to determine whether you can
succeed in the academic program as well
as what you will contribute to campus life.
As an international student you have an
advantage since U.S. programs want to provide
their students with exposure to individuals
from a variety of other countries and cultures.
A variety of types of study in film are
open to you in the United States. You can
pursue a four-year liberal arts degree or a
more tightly focused professional degree.
Or you can try a two-year (or shorter) transfer
or vocational program.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A). is a
professional degree, offered both by colleges
and universities (the terms “college”
and “university” are used synonymously
in the U.S.) and by specialized schools
of the arts. The focus of a B.F.A. program
is on developing technical and production
skills and working on creative projects.
More opportunity is typically available
for specialization than is the case with
a liberal arts degree, and typically students
participate in at least one internship.
At some universities, students apply to
B.F.A. programs on a competitive
basis after two years of more general studies,
while at other schools these programs are
open to all students accepted to the institution.
More broadly focused liberal arts programs
typically award a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. The United
States is famous for its liberal arts approach
to undergraduate higher education, which
provides students with a strong foundation
of knowledge in a range of fields beyond
their major field of specialization.
B.S. or B.A. programs include production-focused
concentrations and degree options comparable
to a B.F.A. program but typically are more
interdisciplinary and research-based than
the B.F.A. One common major is film studies,
which may also go by such titles as “cinema
studies” and “media studies.”
Film studies programs look at the cultural
context and aesthetics of film, drawing
from many disciplines including comparative
literature, art history, American studies,
and others.
U.S. community colleges typically provide
the advantages of low tuition and admissions
flexibility but usually do not offer on-campus
housing or the vibrant campus life of four-year
institutions. They offer programs leading
to the Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate
of Science (A.S.), or Associate of Applied
Arts (A.A.S.) degree as well as shorter
nondegree certificate or diploma programs.
Graduates of A.A. and A.S. programs typically
can transfer on to four-year institutions
to complete the last two years of a bachelor’s
degree, while A.A.S. and certificate/diploma
programs (also offered by technical institutions
and specialized arts schools) focus on practical
skills and will not usually transfer credits
toward other university programs. If you
want to continue on to a bachelor’s
degree, be sure to learn about transfer
agreements that the two-year college may
have and to plan your program with an academic
adviser there.
U.S. master’s degree programs usually
take two years to complete and may be professional
or research-oriented. Research-oriented
programs, which may include a production
component, typically award the Master of
Arts (M.A.) degree and attract students
interested in scholarly careers or in working
for media-focused publications or organizations.
These degrees may lead on to a Doctor of
Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree, usually intended
for individuals seeking careers in academia.
The Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) is a terminal
degree that emphasizes hands-on professional
practice in film, along with more limited
study of art history, criticism, and aesthetics.
A final project demonstrating professional
competence will be required of M.F.A. graduates.
In choosing any professional degree program,
be sure to consider your career goals carefully.
Do you want to work in the commercial film
industry? To create independent films? Documentaries?
Or are you more interested in film as an
experimental art form? Different U.S. programs
focus on different professional directions.
You can also find many specialized options
to match production roles from screenwriting
to animation and video game design.
|
