The centerpiece of the department’s undergraduate curriculum is a four-year core program that emphasizes collaborative and interdisciplinary practice, innovative thinking and a critical understanding of new technologies. Students emerge from the Department of Film and Media Arts highly skilled in their individual disciplines, ready to tackle the demands of contemporary art and commerce.
Hands-On Learning Experiences
In addition to work in the classroom and studio, film and media arts students can benefit from arts organizations on campus and in the Syracuse community. The department is a sponsor of the annual Syracuse International Film Festival and closely collaborates with Light Work, an internationally recognized artist-in-residence program housed on campus, and the Urban Video Project, which commissions artists to create artworks for outdoor projection on the Everson Museum of Art in downtown Syracuse.
Global Study Programs Tailored To Your Degree
Global study programs specially designed for students in film and media arts include semester-long programs in London, England; Prague, Czech Republic; and Florence, Italy. Summer programs offer additional opportunities to study in Bologna and Venice, Italy. Students may also apply to participate in the VPA LA Semester, which offers internship-based learning in Los Angeles.
Learn from Professionals
The faculty members in film and media arts are working artists with active careers. World-wide exhibitions, from Los Angeles to South Africa, and screenings among the faculty include the J. Paul Getty Museum, Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival (France), Shanghai International Film Festival (China), Viña del Mar International Film Festival (Chile), the Museum of Modern Art, Ars Electronica, the Brooklyn Museum, Pacific Film Archive and Harvard to name a few. Grants and awards include the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the MacDowell Colony and the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA).
Where Our Graduates Work
An ever-growing network of alumni can help students succeed with careers in the film industry as producers, directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, animators and special effects design; in photography with magazine, editorial, fashion and book publication; as curators in fine art galleries and contemporary art museums; and, of course, as practicing artists.
Film and media arts alumni have leadership positions in the creative industry, including:
- DreamWorks, Pixar, Sony Pictures
- Yahoo and Apple
- Cosmopolitan, Photo District News
- Showtime and HBO
- The Museum of Modern Art
- Artsy.com and Net-a-Porter.com
- Spelman College, University of Houston, Pratt Institute
Graduates of our program have exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art, MIT List Center, the New Museum and the Houston Center for Photography and have held screenings at Sundance, MOMA, and such international venues as Oberhausen Short Film Festival, Berlin’s Transmediale Festival, Slamdance International Film Festival and the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam.
Video: Framing the Future
Get a glimpse of what you will experience in the Department of Film and Media Arts!
Watch the videoUndergraduate Programs
Art Photography B.F.A.
Develop essential skills, take risks, and find your own voice.
Computer Art and Animation B.F.A.
Explore the possibilities of digital media within a fine arts and culturally aware setting.
Film B.F.A.
Become a critical thinker and skillful filmmaker. Learn everything from scriptwriting to post-production.
Graduate Programs
Art Photography M.F.A.
Further your artistic research and unique visual voice.
Computer Art M.F.A.
Develop a strong record of professional practice in a variety of contexts.
Film M.F.A.
Integrate film production with the conceptual and critical study of the medium.
Let's Get Started
Ready to apply or need more information? The College of Visual and Performing Arts' Office of Recruitment and Admissions is here to help with any questions you may have about the Department of Film and Media Arts, including admissions requirements and opportunities to visit us.
