In less than a decade since the inception of the program, the University of Georgia Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Film, Television & Digital Media has solidified itself as one of the nation’s top film schools. As a hands-on program located in the best college town in America, the program offers two tracks: Writer/Director; Writer/Producer. The program will start offering teaching assistantships for 2nd year MFA Film students in the 2026-27 academic year and will be offering a dual MFA/MBA three-year degree starting in the 2027-28 academic calendar year.
The MFA Film program is a six-semester program over two years, including summers. During the first year, students learn the fundamentals of storytelling and film production. Students will direct/produce up to three short films in the first year of the program. During their second year, directing students work on their thesis films (up to 15 minutes run time) and producers will produce one thesis film and write one additional feature screenplay/television pilot.
UGA also offers a two-year, low-residency MFA in Screenwriting. Designed for working professionals, the program allows you to complete coursework online while attending intensive, 8-day residencies in Athens at the start of the Fall and Spring semesters. The program pairs you directly with working screenwriters, showrunners, and producers. It provides a balance of peer community during residencies and the solitude required to complete marketable scripts.
The MFA Film and Low Residency MFA are housed at Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication where the Peabody Awards reside. Story comes first at UGA - it's the backbone of the program. Student/Faculty ratio is 6:1. Faculty have been nominated and won Emmy Awards, Humanitas Awards, WGA Awards, Peabody Awards. Faculty includes Neil Landau (Former Assistant Dean at UCLA), Marion Dayre (Showrunner: Marvel's "Echo"; Writer: "Better Call Saul"; Showrunner: Amazon's "Wyches"), David Fortune (2025 Variety's 10 Directors to Watch), John Strauss (Writer: "Something About Mary", "David Makes Man"), Seith Mann (Director: "The Wire", "Friday Night Lights", "Blindspotting").
Athens is a film-friendly town - the culture and creative collaboration is unmatched anywhere else.
At UGA, MFA Film students create on gold-standard industry ARRI Cameras.
At UGA, MFA Film students collaborate with UGA film composers, production designers, costume designers.
At UGA, MFA Film students lead by mentoring other students.
All interested students are welcome to visit our program. Family/Alum weekend is set for October 10, 2026. Reach out to UGA Film at mfaftvdm@uga.edu.
The MFA Film program is a six-semester program over two years, including summers. During the first year, students learn the fundamentals of storytelling and film production. Students will direct/produce up to three short films in the first year of the program. During their second year, directing students work on their thesis films (up to 15 minutes run time) and producers will produce one thesis film and write one additional feature screenplay/television pilot.
UGA also offers a two-year, low-residency MFA in Screenwriting. Designed for working professionals, the program allows you to complete coursework online while attending intensive, 8-day residencies in Athens at the start of the Fall and Spring semesters. The program pairs you directly with working screenwriters, showrunners, and producers. It provides a balance of peer community during residencies and the solitude required to complete marketable scripts.
The MFA Film and Low Residency MFA are housed at Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication where the Peabody Awards reside. Story comes first at UGA - it's the backbone of the program. Student/Faculty ratio is 6:1. Faculty have been nominated and won Emmy Awards, Humanitas Awards, WGA Awards, Peabody Awards. Faculty includes Neil Landau (Former Assistant Dean at UCLA), Marion Dayre (Showrunner: Marvel's "Echo"; Writer: "Better Call Saul"; Showrunner: Amazon's "Wyches"), David Fortune (2025 Variety's 10 Directors to Watch), John Strauss (Writer: "Something About Mary", "David Makes Man"), Seith Mann (Director: "The Wire", "Friday Night Lights", "Blindspotting").
Athens is a film-friendly town - the culture and creative collaboration is unmatched anywhere else.
At UGA, MFA Film students create on gold-standard industry ARRI Cameras.
At UGA, MFA Film students collaborate with UGA film composers, production designers, costume designers.
At UGA, MFA Film students lead by mentoring other students.
All interested students are welcome to visit our program. Family/Alum weekend is set for October 10, 2026. Reach out to UGA Film at mfaftvdm@uga.edu.
- Graduate Application Requirements
- 3 Letters of Recommendation
- Official Transcripts
- TOEFL / IELTS (International Only)
- Personal Essay / Statement of Purpose
- Resume/CV
- Portfolio List
- Creative Samples
- Writing Samples
- Graduate Application Fee
- $75
More Info on Graduate Application Requirements:
Apply – Film, Television and Digital Media
mfafilm.uga.edu
Low-Residency MFA in Screenwriting | UGA Online | Online Degrees, Certificates and Courses
In just two years, write a marketable screenplay and earn your Master of Fine Arts graduate degree from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, home of the Peabody Awards and one of the top journalism schools in the country. This two-year low-residency MFA in Screenwriting Degree...
online.uga.edu
Quick Facts
Nonprofit/For-Profit?:
Nonprofit
Program Style:
Project-based
Theory + production
Collaboration Model:
Cross-discipline collaboration encouraged
Track-specific cohorts
Residency Requirements:
On-campus required
Instruction Format:
In-Person Only
Hybrid (In-Person + Remote)
Fully online
Graduate Entering Cohort Size:
~ 20
Industry Faculty Percentage:
100%
Average # of Guest Artists / Professionals per year:
~2 guest speakers
Recent Notable Guests:
Justin Hillian (Showrunner - The Chi)
David Koepp (Writer - Jurassic Park, Mission Impossible, Indiana Jones)
Davita Scarlett (Writer - The Good Fight, Evil, Queen Sugar)
David Semel (Director - Tulsa King, Watchmen, House, Goliath, Homeland)
Nick Moceri (Producer - Sovereign, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night)
David Koepp (Writer - Jurassic Park, Mission Impossible, Indiana Jones)
Davita Scarlett (Writer - The Good Fight, Evil, Queen Sugar)
David Semel (Director - Tulsa King, Watchmen, House, Goliath, Homeland)
Nick Moceri (Producer - Sovereign, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night)
Deadlines, Decisions, & Enrollment
Graduate Deadlines:
Early Deadline: December 11
Regular Deadline: February 1
Regular Deadline: February 1
Notification of Decision:
February (early decision). March (regular decision).
Waitlisted candidates will be notified in mid to late April.
Waitlisted candidates will be notified in mid to late April.
Tuition & Cost of Attendance
Graduate Tuition (Annual):
$10k to $30k
Tuition & Cost of Attendance Details:
Tuition:
In-State: $16,000/year
Out-of-State: $46,000/year
International: $48,000/year
In-State: $16,000/year
Out-of-State: $46,000/year
International: $48,000/year
Scholarships
Scholarship & Funding Types:
Merit-Based Scholarships
Need-Based Financial Aid
Scholarship Opportunities Detailed:
Academic Scholarships - UGA Student Financial Aid
Academic Scholarships Each year, UGA awards thousands of academic scholarships to incoming first-year students during the UGA admissions cycle. These awards are typically finalized by early April for all admitted first-year students. An email will be sent out once the awarding process is...
osfa.uga.edu
Copyrights & Production
Copyright Ownership:
Student owns all copyrights
Student owns all scripts written
Start of Production Classes (Undergraduate):
Unknown
Production Funding:
School covers up to a certain amount for thesis/cycle films
Limited grants available
Cycle & Thesis Film Details:
- Writer/Director Students: Thesis film run time can be between 8-15 minutes
- Writer/Producer Students: Must produce one thesis film + write one additional feature screenplay or television pilot
- Thesis films have the opportunity to use the MFA Film program’s 2 ARRI Alexa 35 cameras.
- Every 2nd year MFA Film graduate student receives $1,000 from the University of Georgia to be used for their thesis films.
- Merit based scholarships are given to select 2nd year students during Fall Semester. Scholarship funds can be used for thesis films.
- Fall – Thesis Film Development; Spring - Thesis Film Production; Summer: Thesis Film completion & defense
Equipment Access
Equipment Checkout Access:
Standard Business Hours Only
Scheduled only
Equipment Access Tiers:
High-end equipment reserved for senior/thesis projects
Production Safety & Compliance:
Intimacy Coordination Training
Professional Armorer Requirement
Production Insurance Coverage:
Full Blanket Coverage
Certificate of Insurance (COI) Provided
Facilities
Filmmaking Facilities:
ADR / Foley Stage
Dedicated Post-Production Labs
Private Editing Suites
Screening Theater
Sound Recording Studio(s)
Sound Stage(s)
Facilities & Equipment Details:
2 - ARRI Alexa 35 (New - Fall 2026)
8 - Canon C300
2 - Sony A7
14,000 sound stage (Athena Studios)
+ additional sound stage (Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication)
Private Screening Theatre (200 seats - Fine Arts Building)
5 MFA Film editing bays
ADR/VO/Foley room
Movie Magic/Studio Binder
Adobe Suite
Frame io
8 - Canon C300
2 - Sony A7
14,000 sound stage (Athena Studios)
+ additional sound stage (Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication)
Private Screening Theatre (200 seats - Fine Arts Building)
5 MFA Film editing bays
ADR/VO/Foley room
Movie Magic/Studio Binder
Adobe Suite
Frame io
Cameras & Equipment
Camera Types Available:
Digital Cinema Cameras
High-End Digital Cinema Cameras
Camera Brands Available:
ARRI
Canon
Sony
Lens Access:
Professional Cinema Primes
High-End / Full-Frame Cinema Glass
Lighting & Grip Equipment Available:
Basic Location Lighting Kits (Portable LED or tungsten kits for small-scale shoots)
Professional LED Systems (Modern, high-output color-controllable fixtures and tube lights)
Heavy-Duty Lighting (High-output Tungsten or HMI fixtures for large-scale sets)
Standard Grip Package (Stands, flags, nets, sandbags, and mounting hardware)
Advanced Rigging Support (Specific hardware for vehicle mounts, wall-busters, or complex rigging)
Manual Camera Movement (Dollies, track, and sliders)
Specialized Camera Movement (Jibs, cranes, or stabilized vest systems like Steadicam)
Software Taught
Editing & Finishing Software Taught:
Avid Media Composer
Adobe Premiere Pro
VFX, Motion & 3D Software Taught:
Unknown
Audio Post Software Taught:
Pro Tools
Writing & Production Software Taught:
Final Draft
Movie Magic Budgeting
Movie Magic Scheduling
Studio Binder
Virtual Production / Performance Software Taught:
Unknown
Internship Opportunities
Internship Opportunities:
Career Services Support
Internships for Academic Credit
Global / International Internships
Internship Opportunities Detailed:
Internships are considered electives and can be counted as a three hour course towards graduation. A graduate student can intern for credit up to two semesters.
Career Assistance
Job Placement & Career Services:
Unknown
