Film and Media Arts Major | Temple University

Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Arts

Cultivate your voice as an independent filmmaker and gain advanced production skills with the Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Arts in Temple’s School of Theater, Film and Media Arts. Develop a specialization by focusing on one of four degree concentrations within this major, including Cinematography, Post-Production, Producing and Screen Studies. This 121-credit bachelor’s degree prepares you for independent project-based film work, a professional career in media production or related graduate-level coursework.

Within the Film and Media Arts program, you will develop both theory- and practice-based skills. Coursework covers, among other topics, the major theories of image making and new technologies as well as the social, political, and economic forces that shape media arts and culture. You’ll also refine your creative vision through hands-on courses in all aspects of media production and have access to state-of-the-art professional cameras.

Film and Media Arts BA students enjoy an energetic campus culture located in central North Philadelphia. A prime city for filmmakers and enthusiasts, Philadelphia is home to top-of-the-line production facilities, such as SunCenter Studios. The Philadelphia Film Society hosts an annual Film Festival premiering critically acclaimed films ranging from local artists's works to larger-scale productions.

Courses are taught by esteemed faculty who have been honored with Oscar, Emmy, Guggenheim, Rockefeller, Fulbright, Sundance and international awards. Graduates have gone on to become cinematographers, editors and screenwriters, among other roles. Learn more about potential careers for Film and Media Arts BA students.

Choosing between a BFA and a BA in Film and Media Arts

Deciding whether a BFA or BA is right for you depends on your academic needs and professional goals. The BFA in Film and Media Arts offers an intensive, arts-based degree program concentrating on Directing, Media Arts or Screenwriting. The BFA focuses on developing students’ creative voices and powers of personal expression. The BA in Film and Media Arts provides a more general approach to the field, giving students the option to focus their studies in one of four concentrations—Cinematography, Post-Production, Producing and Screen Studies.

A student in a film studio carefully handles a camera while another student looks on.

Concentrations

You can focus on Film and Media Arts or you can take one of the following concentrations.

Cinematography

Earn a liberal arts degree that prepares you for graduate film programs or professional careers in film and TV production with a focus on cinematography. The program includes courses in cinematic and theatrical lighting, filmmaking, history of photography, making documentaries, moving camera, and videography. Read more about the Cinematography Concentration in the Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Arts.
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Post Production

Earn a liberal arts degree that prepares you for graduate film programs or professional careers in film and TV production with a focus on post-production. The program includes courses in 3-D modeling, compositing, digital animation, making documentaries, screenwriting, three levels of editing, two levels of audio and videography. Read more about the Post-Production concentration in the Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media program.
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Producing

Earn a liberal arts degree that prepares you for graduate film programs or professional careers in film and TV production with a focus on producing. The program includes courses in distribution and exhibition, fundraising, producing, a producing internship, screenwriting, and videography. Read more about the Producing concentration in the Film and Media Bachelor of Arts program.
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Screen Studies

Study the aesthetics, cultural significance and history of moving-image media. This program draws upon the fields of cinema studies, media studies and media arts theory, while encouraging you to approach screen cultures from neighboring disciplines, such as area studies, art history or visual studies. Read more about the Screen Studies concentration in the Film and Media Bachelor of Arts program.
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Classes & Curriculum

As a Film and Media Arts major, you will develop your technical and expressive skills through coursework and hands-on projects. After completing the general academic requirements for the major, students can design their own plan of study with the help of an academic advisor. You’ll choose from a range of middle- and upper-level courses in one of the four concentrations. A few courses you can anticipate exploring are the following.

Introduction to Film and Video Analysis
Media Culture
Survey of New Media

Learn more about Film and Media Arts BA courses.

Related Graduate Degrees

Related Graduate Certificates

Documentary Arts and Ethnographic Research

Tuition & Fees

In keeping with Temple’s commitment to access and affordability, the Bachelor of Arts offers a competitive level of tuition with multiple opportunities for financial support.

Tuition rates are set annually by the university and are affected by multiple factors, including program degree level (undergraduate or graduate), course load (full- or part-time), in-state or out-of-state residency, and more. You can view the full Cost of Attendance breakdown on the Student Financial Services website.

These tuition costs apply to the 2024–2025 academic year.

Pennsylvania resident: $20,616.00 per year
Out-of-state: $35,712.00 per year

Our Academic Advisors

Program Contact

Faculty Mentoring

Faculty are an invaluable resource for specific information about your major. They can also help you to prepare for both graduate school and your future career.

Students in the Theater Department select a faculty advisor within their first year, while those in the Department of Film and Media Arts are assigned faculty mentors. Students can sign up for advising sessions with faculty mentors throughout the semester. For more information, contact the following faculty member.

Chet Pancake
Phone: 410-258-8853
Email: chet.pancake@temple.edu

Student Clubs & Organizations

Student clubs and organizations give you the opportunity to gain stage performance or production experience, express yourself without classroom restrictions, and network with other film and theater professionals. In addition, you can make friends and enhance your social life. Consider joining one or more of the following clubs.

Delta Kappa Alpha is a selective national organization whose mission is to foster lifelong character, collaborative and creative storytelling, ethical and productive business practices, philanthropic action, and fraternal bonds by and between students of the cinematic arts.
Film in Color is an organization geared toward creating a welcoming space for students of color within Temple’s Film Department, affording the opportunity to come together to create, discuss, learn from and network with one another.
The Greater Philadelphia Film Office Next connects Philadelphia-area students, recent graduates and rising content creators with industry leaders.
Mise-en-Femme is a production organization aimed at encouraging women to work together to gain knowledge and hands-on experience in the art of filmmaking. They also run Temple Women’s Fest, which is a showcase of the efforts of some of the most influential female filmmakers.
The Queer Film Collective’s mission is to empower queer filmmakers and explore queer film both in theory and practice. Both queer and straight students are welcome to join.
Temple Film Collective is a group of Temple student independent filmmakers who produce their own films and host an online film festival.
The University Media Screening Society meets once a week to screen a film from Temple's Media Library. Sometimes, screenings are substituted with special events.
Wandering Studios is a student film organization focused on helping students create short films throughout the semester.

Learn more about Film and Media Arts student clubs and organizations.

Study Away

Temple’s study away programs offer you the opportunity to study and experience life beyond Main Campus. Spend an academic year, semester or summer earning academic credit while immersing yourself in the culture, history and people of your host city.

Spend a semester or a summer studying in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Study Away Program provides students with direct learning insights and professional work experience in the media and entertainment industries. The lots and soundstages of historic Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, California, serve as the backdrop for academic coursework and a guest lecture series with notable alumni.

Spend four weeks in Venice for a unique opportunity to travel abroad and earn academic credit while exploring first-hand the Venice Biennale, a major international art exposition. Courses, classroom discussion, and guest lectures are enhanced by tours designed to provide unique insights into the international art scene. Learn more about the Venice Biennale Program.

Explore Temple’s other study abroad options, including opportunities in China, Italy, Japan and the UK.

Accreditation

CA-FMA-BA