University of Utah - Department of Film & Media Arts

The film program at the University of Utah left a lot to be desired. For a program that could leverage Utah's growing film industry and stunning locations, it felt surprisingly stagnant. The faculty skews young, which isn't inherently a problem, but when that youth comes paired with limited experience on large-scale productions, it shows in the depth of instruction. Students looking to understand how professional sets actually operate may find themselves piecing that knowledge together on their own.

One moment that stuck with me, for all the wrong reasons: a faculty member assigned Birth of a Nation (the 1915 original) without the kind of critical framework that inflammatory material demands. It was a jarring choice that raised more questions about the department's judgment than it answered about film history.

As a design student, I found myself gravitating toward the theatre department, which offered far more meaningful opportunities for growth and collaboration. The film department simply didn't serve that creative track well.

There is one genuine silver lining: designers are rare in the program. If you want hands-on experience on student films and lots of it, you'll have no shortage of projects to work on. For a certain kind of self-directed student, that access could be genuinely valuable.

But as a well-rounded program? There's meaningful room to grow.