For more than 50 years the School of Film and Photography has prepared students to be professionally-trained creative artists. Our curriculum encourages students to develop their own voices in film and photography and explore their individual interests with close faculty guidance and mentoring.

The Film Option combines technical production skills with film history and theory. Our Film program emphasizes storytelling in both narrative and documentary forms. We provide students with a solid foundation in writing, cinematography, editing, directing, lighting and sound. Understanding the filmmaking process from conception to distribution helps prepare students for careers in the highly competitive film and television industries.

Graduates of our School work in every level of the industry: from camera operators to studio executives. Our alumni have won three Oscars, numerous Emmys and & have worked on hits like Walking Dead, Dexter, Star Wars Episode VII, and many others. Our graduates have also continued their film education at prestigious schools such as NYU, AFI, and UCLA.

Students learn from our award winning, nationally and internationally acclaimed faculty. Collectively, our faculty Dennis Aig, Bob Arnold, Nancy Cornwell, Cat Dale, Theo Lipfert, Lucia Ricciardelli, Cindy Stillwell, and Tom Watson have exhibited their work in various film festivals, have published books, and have won Emmys, Fulbrights, Tellys, Webby, and numerous other awards.

Student Work

The Film program culminates in a senior capstone project where students create a 10 minute film. During their junior year, students have the opportunity to pitch a film (fiction, non-fiction, or experimental). The faculty decides which pitches will move into production, and seniors have the opportunity to join the crew of any selected films.To see the current senior Films that are in production, please visit our Student Films webpage.

The Curriculum

The Film Program is a four year Bachelor of Arts degree. With an emphasis in hands-on experience, students have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience using professional equipment provided by the department. This immersive experience begins in their freshmen year with film and photo production courses, and continues through their senior capstone.

To view the current cirriculum for the Film Program, please visit the Undergraduate Program website