MA in Film and Media Studies Overview
Columbia University has the distinction of being the first university in the United States to recognize the importance of Film Studies as an academic discipline, when Victor Freeburg launched the first screenwriting class in 1915. Today, our Film and Media Studies Program remains committed to evolving with moving-image media, preparing students to think critically and creatively about the future of film and media.
Our students explore cinema's historical place as both an American and an international phenomenon, alongside the study of emergent media such as video games, virtual reality, social media, and artificial intelligence. Students have the opportunity to study under world-class faculty, composed of leading scholars and talented creatives, while living in one of the leading cities for film research and filmgoing.
Above: Associate Professor Elizabeth Ramírez-Soto speaks at the 2024 conference, Cine-Memoria: Past and Present in Latin American Cinemas.
Curriculum and Requirements
We offer two concentrations: Cinema/Media and Emergent Media. The Cinema/Media track focuses on history, theory, and critical approaches to the study of cinema and media, including social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Twitch, TikTok, and more. The Emergent Media track examines new forms and technologies of moving-image media in the digital present, such as social media, video games, interactive fiction, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Students are required to take 30 credits of coursework over 3 semesters (full-time) or 5 semesters (part-time). In the third semester, students complete a 50- to 60-page thesis on a topic chosen in consultation with the faculty. This culminating project allows students to define their own scholarly contribution to the field and demonstrate the research, critical thinking, and writing skills developed during their time at Columbia. Browse through previous thesis titles to get a better sense of our students’ work!
View detailed coursework and degree requirements to learn more.
Seminars & Lectures
Thesis
Electives
Why pursue your MA in Film and Media Studies at Columbia University?
Our Film and Media Studies students work with pioneering experts in multiple fields of film and media scholarship. Among our faculty are leading figures in feminist film studies, scholars working at new frontiers of film philosophy, specialists in Black and queer media studies, historians of American and international film and media, and more.
Pursuing your degree at the School of Arts means the doors of the greater University, and all of NYC, are open to you. Students can choose electives both from the School of the Arts and from Columbia University departments. They do so, furthermore, in a world capital of film and television culture, where they are afforded the advantages of research in New York area film and television archives and libraries: New York Public Library, The Paley Center for Media, and have held internships at Museum of the Moving Image, Museum of Modern Art, and Film Society of Lincoln Center.
Zoom-In is an event organized each spring by our MA students and held at the Lenfest Center for the Arts. Zoom-In gives students essential practical experience in organizing, producing, and presenting in a large-scale event filled with screenings, keynote speakers, panel discussions, and more. In addition, students also gain experience in academic symposia by participating in a yearly MA conference in the fall of their first year.
Another distinctive aspect of our Program is the Digital Storytelling Lab, a next-generation media lab harnessing the arts, humanities, and emergent technology to tackle some of the world’s intractable problems through collaboration, creativity, exploration, and design-based research. The DSL exposes students to creative work from industry innovators exploring the future landscape of digital storytelling.
Finally, our three-semester structure allows students to apply to PhD programs while they're beginning to conceptualize their theses. This means that they have a clearer sense of who they are academically, making their applications stronger.
International Students
The School of the Arts is home to a global community of artists, scholars, and storytellers. In Fall 2025, students from 58 countries comprised 32 percent of our student body, bringing perspectives that enrich every classroom, studio, and stage. We welcome applications from international students and value the unique experiences they bring to our community.
Learn more about attending the School of the Arts as an international student ==>
Career Opportunities
We offer advice and mentorship on PhD applications, making our Program a launchpad for students to transition into successful careers in academia and beyond.
In addition to internships at leading art institutions, our Program also offers limited Teaching Assistantships, which give students pedagogical training and practical classroom experience. Student Service positions also employ students as Programming Assistants and Research Assistants.
Our alums go on to publish cutting-edge scholarship, curate exhibitions at renowned art institutions, and more. Check out some of our recent news to hear more about our alums’ success stories!
How do I apply?
Applications open October 1, 2026 for Fall 2027
Fall 2026 Admissions Deadline
Information Sessions
Upcoming Events
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who should consider an MA in Film and Media Studies?
There is no one path that leads to graduate studies. Our students arrive from across the globe, bringing diverse life experiences with them. The one thing they all share is a passion for cinema and media–as art forms, institutions, objects of philosophical study, and international socio-cultural phenomena. The MA in Film and Media Studies provides an opportunity for deep academic study and research, meaningful collaboration, and experimentation that pushes our students to become experts of the discipline.
How long is the MA in Film and Media Studies at Columbia?
Students take the required 30 credits of coursework over any 3 semesters (full-time) or 5 semesters (part-time). All MA in Film and Media Studies candidates who have completed 30 credits of coursework and have not completed the degree requirements may register for one additional semester of MA Extended Residence.
Can I take courses outside of my concentration?
Absolutely! Each of our concentrations has a small number of required classes, but these are not restricted to the students within those concentrations. We also allow students to take courses across the Arts and Sciences–not just the School of the Arts.
What careers do MA in Film and Media Studies graduates pursue?
There are no limits to what our students accomplish after graduation. The MA in Film and Media Studies provides a platform from which students have gone on to complete PhDs, publish essays and books on film and media, curate exhibitions at leading art institutions, lead non-profit arts organizations, write and direct their own films, and more.
Check out our recent news to see what our alums are up to!
Is there financial aid available?
Columbia University School of the Arts and Columbia University Student Financial Services work carefully with students to arrange the financing of their degrees. Loan packages, jobs, fellowships, scholarships and other options are available for eligible students. Please see Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid for information and important financial aid application procedures and deadlines.
Faculty Publications
