MFA in Film and Television Studies

What is film and television studies?

Movies and television don’t just reflect culture—they shape it. They influence politics, identity, memory, technology, and the way we understand ourselves.

If you’ve ever finished a film or series and couldn’t stop thinking about it—or wondered why one story resonates across generations while another disappears—you’ve already started asking the kinds of questions film and television scholars explore.

Film and television studies asks why those stories matter, how they work, and what they reveal about the societies that create them.

Rather than creating films or television shows, you’ll develop the historical, theoretical, and critical tools to ask deeper questions about media, and produce original scholarship that advances the field and helps others see media in new ways.

What makes this MFA different

• Study what interests you: With only four required courses, the program is highly customizable. You’ll focus on the areas of film and television that most interest you, and you can take up to two courses from outside the program entirely.
• Contribute something new: Great scholarship begins with a question no one else has answered. Working one-on-one with faculty mentors, you’ll develop original research that adds new perspectives to the study of film and television. Recent theses explore everything from A24 prestige television branding to post-revolutionary Egyptian cinema and the evolution of the American gaslight film genre.
• Work alongside scholars shaping the field: BU COM’s film and television studies faculty are widely published across both prestigious academic journals and popular press outlets. They bring current conversations about film, television, and media directly into the classroom.
• Start building an academic career: Students who want classroom experience, especially those considering PhD programs, can take on teaching assistantships as part of their time in the program.
• Immerse yourself in Boston’s film culture : For students interested in festivals, archives, criticism, programming, and media culture, Boston is one of the country’s great cities for film culture. Home to the Boston Film Festival, the Roxbury International Film Festival, Independent Film Festival of Boston, Wicked Queer, and WGBH, one of the largest producers of public TV in the country, it’s a city with a serious film culture, not just a campus with a screening room.

What will you study in the MFA in Film and Television Studies?

Your courses begin with questions, not answers. Why do certain stories endure? How does media shape public opinion? What can a sitcom, horror film, or streaming platform reveal about culture, politics, technology, or identity? Using history, theory, and criticism, you’ll investigate film and television as artistic, cultural, historical, and industrial forms.

• Film + television history: Trace major artistic movements, industry shifts, and influential filmmakers from silent cinema to today’s streaming era.
• Media, culture + power: Examine the sociopolitical role of media in shaping collective identity, politics, fandom behaviors, meme culture, and public discourse.
• Film + television industries: Analyze how major studios, independent distribution companies, regulatory policies, and economic forces shape what gets financed, how it gets distributed, and what succeeds.
• Independent + international cinema: Study American independent film, global cinema, avant-garde filmmaking, and emerging digital forms.
• Spotlight genre seminars: Participate in deep-dive thematic courses covering comedy, horror, sports media, faith on screen, queer cinema, and targeted cultural topics.

Areas of particular curricular depth:

• Television history and the business of series production
• Global cinema, with particular emphasis on Latin America, Europe, and Asia

Recent thesis topics

The best scholarship starts with curiosity, and every thesis contributes something new to the field. Here are just a few of the questions our students have explored through their thesis research.

What can you do with an MFA in Film and Television Studies?

Whether your future is in academia, criticism, archives, festivals, publishing, or cultural leadership, you’ll graduate with the research, writing, and analytical skills to deepen our understanding of film, television, and media.

Doctoral placements

• Boston University (American Studies)
• Indiana University
• Temple University
• University of Illinois
• University of Iowa
• University of Oregon
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Southern California
• University of Texas
• University of Wisconsin–Madison

Common career paths

• Academic + research tracks: PhD Student, College Instructor or Lecturer, Curriculum Developer, Film and TV Researcher.
• Curation, programming, + marketing: Film Festival Director, Film Curator, TV Programming Manager, Film Marketing Specialist, Theater Marketing Coordinator.
• Archives, consulting, + research: Script Analyst, Film Archivist, Audience Researcher, Content Consultant.
• Media + publishing: Film or TV Critic, Archivist, Art & Culture Writer, Media Columnist, Podcaster / Digital Media Producer.

Where our alumni work

Our graduates work at international film festivals, media companies, and cultural organizations around the world, including: El Gouna Film Festival (Egypt), Taiwan Film Festival (Boston), Live Nation Entertainment, Satellite Films, Split Tooth Media, Westwood One, GFH Financial Group (Bahrain).

Research beyond the classroom

Cinemathèque: Regular private screenings and conversations with leading filmmakers and television creators.

Krasker Film and Video Resource Center: Located in BU’s Mugar Memorial Library, students draw on an extensive archive of 16mm prints, rare films, and specialized collections for primary research.

National conference presentations: MFA candidates regularly present original research at leading discipline conferences, including the Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS) and the Popular Culture Association (PCA).

Global internships: Students secure internships at institutions like the Hamptons Film Festival, Women Make Movies, and the Sydney Film Festival through BU Study Abroad.

Learn from leading film + television scholars

The most interesting questions about film and television don’t have simple answers. Our job is to help students develop the research, analytical, and critical skills to explore those questions in meaningful ways.

Craig Shepherd, Chair and Professor, Department of Film and Television; EVP, New Business Development and Affairs, TV/Film/Brands for Zero Point Zero Production Inc.

You’ll study with internationally recognized scholars whose research regularly appears in leading academic journals, books, and public-facing media. Their work doesn’t just examine film and television—it influences how the field understands them.

National rankings

BU COM is consistently recognized among the country’s leading film schools, including rankings from the Hollywood Reporter, Variety and The Wrap.

Boston: where media becomes conversation

Film and television don’t exist only in the classroom. In Boston, you’ll become part of one of the country’s most vibrant communities for film scholarship, criticism, preservation, and public conversation.

From independent film festivals and filmmaker conversations to renowned archives and repertory cinemas, Boston offers an intellectual and cultural environment that’s uniquely suited to film scholarship. Attend screenings at the Harvard Film Archive and the historic Brattle Theatre, experience film programs at the Museum of Fine Arts, explore rare collections at BU’s Krasker Film and Video Resource Center, and engage with visiting filmmakers through COM at BU’s Cinemathèque series. Throughout the year, festivals including the Boston Film Festival, Independent Film Festival Boston, Roxbury International Film Festival, and Wicked Queer bring global cinema and new voices to the city. You’ll also have access to GBH, one of the nation’s top public media organizations, where decades of groundbreaking television continue to shape the industry.

Your education won’t end when class is over. It will continue in theaters, museums, archives, festivals, and conversations across one of the country’s great film cities.

Program details at a glance

• Degree: MFA
• Format: On campus
• GRE: Not required
• Teaching assistantships: Available
• Scholarships: Merit scholarships available—no separate application required
• Double Terrier: Scholarship available for current BU undergraduate students and alumni

Frequently asked questions about the MFA in Film and Television Studies

Is this a production MFA or a critical studies MFA?

Critical studies—meaning you’ll analyze, contextualize, and write about film and television at a scholarly level rather than produce it. If you’re looking for a writing program, consider our MFA in Screenwriting program. If you’re looking to be a TV producer, our MS in Television might be a good fit.

What’s the difference between film production and film studies?

Film production focuses on creating films and television. Film studies focuses on researching, interpreting, and evaluating media as artistic, cultural, historical, and industrial institutions. This MFA is designed specifically for students pursuing criticism, academic research, teaching, and cultural sector analysis.

What careers does this program prepare me for?

Graduates pursue careers across higher education, publishing, and the cultural sector. Career paths include PhD study, college teaching, film and television criticism, festival programming, curation, archival work, media or audience research, and script analysis. Whether they continue into doctoral study or launch careers in media and cultural organizations, graduates leave with the research, writing, and critical thinking skills to deepen our understanding of film, television, and media.

Is this program a good foundation for a PhD?

Yes, it’s one of the premier preparatory tracks in the country. The thesis, faculty mentorship, conference presentations, and teaching opportunities provide an outstanding foundation for competitive PhD applications.

What is the thesis?

The MFA thesis is a substantial scholarly contribution to the field of cinema and media studies. Developed through close faculty mentorship, it explores a topic of your choice and often becomes the writing sample students use when applying to PhD programs.

Do I need a film studies background to apply?

No. While a passion for media is essential, what matters most is exceptional analytical writing capability, critical thinking skills, and a commitment to exploring media as cultural forms. We welcome applicants from all humanities and social science disciplines.

How do teaching assistantships work?

Students interested in gaining university-level classroom experience can apply for structured, paid teaching assistantships. This provides hands-on pedagogical training that is valuable for PhD selection committees.

See all MFA in Film + TV Studies frequently asked questions.

Also worth exploring

Learn more about our other graduate programs in communication and media, including:

• MS in Television: For students focused on the executive, creative, and business infrastructure of television—developing, line-producing, budgeting, and selling ideas to networks and streaming platforms.
• MFA in Screenwriting: For narrative writers committed to mastering long-form storytelling. Write a minimum of seven scripts across four semesters, including a guaranteed industry semester in Los Angeles.