The School of Film offers two graduate degree programs: the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) and the Master of Arts (M.A.). The M.F.A. program is a professional three-year program of study for talented individuals seeking advanced training in directing, screenwriting, producing, cinematography, editing, and motion picture sound with a solid background in film history, theory, and criticism. The M.F.A. is a terminal degree and is designed for students who wish to enter the film industry, to teach at the college or university level, or to make their way as an independent film artist.
The M.A. program is a carefully structured two-year program in inter-national film scholarship for students planning continued study at the doctoral level.
The M.F.A. and M.A. programs are designed to allow the entrance of talented students with no formal film training who have demonstrated extensive experience in another medium or academic discipline. While prior achievement in filmmaking, video, or film scholarship is not necessary, acceptance to graduate study in the school requires a major commitment to these areas of study.
Graduate study in the School of Film should not be perceived in terms of a vocational or trade school; technical knowledge and skills are offered as tools to achieve creative conceptual goals. Further, because the film discipline requires full integration and knowledge of related disciplines, all graduate study in film requires a minor area of study outside the school.
The School of Film publishes Wide Angle, a quarterly journal of film; hosts the Ohio University Film Conference; and, with the Peterson Sound Studio, provides students with access to an on-site professional sound mixing facility. The School of Film cooperates with the Athens Center for Film and Video, which sponsors the annual Athens International Film and Video Festival.
The M.F.A. program involves intensive coursework in film production and film scholarship. The program requires 135 hours of graduate study, including a minor in a related discipline, a 15-credit hour second-year production project, and the completion of a creative thesis. You will determine the scope and nature of the thesis with your thesis advisor and the film faculty; a feature-length thesis can take the form of:
You are required to maintain a 3.0 average in all coursework. Your overall creative and scholastic performance is formally evaluated in three steps: advancement to candidacy, portfolio review, and thesis defense. Failure twice at any stage of the evaluation process will result in denial of further enrollment in the M.F.A. program.
You are evaluated at the end of your third quarter of study. At that time, you are required to have completed 48 hours of coursework, and must submit one completed 16mm answer print produced at Ohio University of graduate-level quality and a minimum of one research paper demonstrating graduate-level coursework, writing, and scholarship.
After advancement to candidacy and the completion of a second year of full-time study, you are required to submit a portfolio of creative work completed at Ohio University to the faculty for formal review.
After completion of the creative thesis, you must successfully defend your thesis before the thesis committee.
The M.A. in international film scholarship is a two-year program, designed to prepare students for further study at the doctoral level. The program requires 75 credit hours and a written thesis.
Coursework for the program includes film theory and criticism, international film history, contemporary issues in international film, one quarter of film production, and additional courses in film aesthetics and analysis. The program requires completion of a minor area of study in a second language or in international studies for those who already have a second language. The minor area of study is selected in consultation with a faculty advisor.
Final degree requirements include a comprehensive written examination administered during the third quarter of enrollment, evaluated by members of the School of Film faculty. Failure twice at this stage of the evalu-ation process will result in denial of further enrollment as an M.A. candidate.
Because certain core courses must be taken in sequence, admission to all graduate programs in the School of Film is restricted to fall enrollment.
To apply, you must demonstrate a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 for your undergraduate major and a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution. Your undergraduate degree may be in any discipline. Supporting documents required are:
Send transcripts, formal application, and fees directly to the Office of Graduate Student Services. Your application cannot be processed until the application fee has been received. Send all other materials to the director, School of Film, Ohio University, Lindley Hall, Athens OH 45701-2979. The normal deadline for receipt of applications is February 15.
A limited number of scholarships and graduate associateships are available. While a majority of these awards are given to students who have already been approved for M.F.A. candidacy, highly qualified students may receive scholarships or graduate associateships during their first year on campus.
Please e-mail comments or suggestions to "gcat@www.ohiou.edu."
Admission
(a) a transcript of all undergraduate work
(b) three letters of recommendation
(c) a formal application with fee
(d) a sample of your written work consisting of a paper or papers on any subject-such as a research paper, article, or critical analysis
(e) a 500-word personal essay on your goals in pursuing graduate study in film and the relationship of previous education and experience to these goals
(f) for M.F.A. applicants only, examples of creative work such as a film, videotape, or portfolio of work from another medium. GRE scores are not required.
University Publications and Computer Services revised this file (https://www.ohio.edu/~gcat/99-01/areas/film.htm) December 11, 2000.