DePaul University School of Cinematic Arts

Overview

The School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) at DePaul University is a film and television production school within the Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media (CDM). The school graduated its first class in 2005 and has been named a top film school by The Hollywood Reporter, Backstage, Variety, and MovieMaker. Its defining feature is a nearly 60,000-square-foot professional production facility at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios, the second-largest production studio in North America, where students learn filmmaking steps away from active productions including Chicago Fire, The Bear, and The Chi.

DePaul's Cinespace facility includes six shooting stages with professional-grade sets, lighting, and design; a Virtual Production Stage with an LED Volume Wall; a green screen cyclorama; a Scene Shop; dressing rooms with hair and makeup stations; editing suites; and classroom and collaboration spaces. The school also operates an Equipment Center at its Loop campus housing camera, audio, and portable lighting stock, plus an Advanced Camera Check Out (the "Camera Vault") at Cinespace with stage lighting, rigging, and grip equipment.

The school offers over 30 programs across undergraduate and graduate levels. Students have access to professional-grade camera gear including ARRI Alexa, ARRI Amira, and RED cameras, plus two sprinter vans and professional lighting equipment. The school also runs Project Bluelight, a professional motion picture production company within SCA where students get hands-on experience on independent films.

Programs Offered

Undergraduate Programs:

• BFA in Film and Television: A specialist degree where students concentrate in one of 11 specific film and television areas and build professional portfolios. This is the core production program.
• BA in Film and Television: A broader, less specialized degree option covering the same discipline areas with more flexibility.
• BFA in Screenwriting: Dedicated writing track for film and television.
• BFA in Animation: 2D and 3D animation, including stop-motion studios.

Graduate Programs:

• MFA in Film and Television Directing: A highly selective 3-year (96-credit-hour) program covering every discipline in the filmmaking process plus the business facets of the industry. Graduates emerge with a portfolio including multiple short films and a complete thesis film.
• MS in Film and Television: Emphasizes technical and creative proficiency in cinematography, editing, sound, and visual effects. Designed for career-changers and experienced professionals adding new technologies.
• MS in Cinema Studies: A scholarly program in film theory and history.

The school also offers an LA Quarter program, a 10-week immersive experience in Hollywood where students live in student housing, hold internships at companies like The Jim Henson Company and The Montecito Picture Company, and take DePaul classes on a studio lot in the evenings. Over 60 students have participated, with most landing jobs in the film, television, and gaming industry.

Admission and Costs

Undergraduate Admission (2026-27 Academic Year):

• Tuition (Jarvis CDM/CDM programs): $48,180 per year ($16,060 per term for 12-18 credit hours)
• Minimum GPA: 2.5
• TOEFL: 80 iBT / IELTS: 6.5 / DET: 110 (for international applicants)
• SAT/ACT not required for students applying from outside the U.S.
• Intake: January and September

Graduate Admission (2026-27 Academic Year):

• MFA in Film and Television Directing: Full-tuition scholarship available (DePaul Cinema Studios Scholarship) covering the entire 3-year, 96-credit-hour program
• MS in Film and Television: Tuition charged per credit hour through Jarvis CDM ($1,003/hour for 2026-27)
• Graduate admission requirements vary by program; check the CDM Graduate Admission Office for specific deadlines and materials

Financial Aid:

DePaul offers merit and need-based financial aid for undergraduate students. Graduate students can access scholarships, assistantships, and funded research opportunities. The DePaul Cinema Studios Scholarship covers full tuition for the MFA program, making it one of the most competitive film school financial aid offers in the United States.

What Students Should Know

DePaul's film program is smaller than the major LA and New York schools, which has practical benefits. Students get more individualized faculty attention, greater equipment access, and a less competitive internal environment. The program's size means students often fill multiple crew roles on productions, building versatile skill sets that are valuable in the independent film and commercial sectors.

Chicago's cost of living is substantially lower than Los Angeles or New York. Estimated annual cost of attendance (tuition plus living expenses) is approximately $74,491 per year for undergraduates, compared to $115,000+ at Columbia or $90,000+ at NYU. Illinois film tax incentives (30% tax credit on qualified production expenditures) have driven increased production activity in the city, creating more local crew opportunities.

The school's ties to the Chicago production community are strong. Graduates regularly find work in the city's commercial, documentary, and independent film sectors. Students who plan to work in Los Angeles should know that DePaul's alumni network on the West Coast is smaller than those of LA-based schools, though the LA Quarter program helps bridge that gap. DePaul alumni have found opportunities working on shows including Empire, Fargo, The Bear, Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Chicago PD, and Shameless.

The school's downtown Loop campus places students near Chicago's production companies, post-production houses, and the advertising and commercial production industries that form a significant part of the city's media economy. The Cinespace facility is a separate location where production classes and hands-on work take place.

Standout Faculty

DePaul's SCA faculty are working filmmakers and editors based in Chicago, with the MFA in Film and Television Directing program led by Student Academy Award winners.

• Anuradha Rana - Professor and Director of the School of Cinematic Arts. Independent documentary filmmaker whose work has been supported by Kartemquin Films, Tribeca Film Network, PBS, and DOC NYC. Teaches storytelling, directing, and cinema production.
• Daniel Klein - Associate Professor and Chair of the MFA in Film and Television Directing. Writer-director of It's Just A Gun (Student Academy Award winner) and Esta Es Tu Cuba (Student Academy Award winner, College Television Award). AB- premiered at Tribeca. Teaches directing and screenwriting.
• Gary Novak - Associate Professor. Producer, writer, and director of commercials, documentaries, television series, and independent features. MFA from AFI. Teaches screenwriting and cinema production.
• Chi Jang Yin - Professor. Filmmaker with expertise in experimental and documentary forms. Teaches cinema production, theory, and interactive media.
• Brad Riddell - Professor. Writer of American Pie: Band Camp and Crooked Arrows. Director of Ten More and Later Days. Teaches screenwriting.
• John Psathas - Associate Professor. Director of MILWAUKEE (Student Academy Award regional finalist), Happy Birthday Kev (50+ festivals), and Rise Up (Best Documentary at Reel Sisters). Teaches editing and directing.
• Shayna Connelly - Professor and Chair of the Directing Program. Developed courses in Creative Methodologies in Film and Television, The Supernatural in Film, and Psychotic Women in Horror Cinema. Teaches directing, cinema production, and storytelling.

Notable Alumni

Since graduating its first class in 2005, DePaul SCA alumni have built careers across independent film, documentary, television, commercial production, and streaming. Notable alumni include:

• Alexis Auditore (BA '05): Director of Physical Production at Marvel Studios Streaming, overseeing shows including WandaVision and Loki. Part of the first SCA graduating class. Previously managed physical production at Marvel Studios for 9 years on films including Thor and Black Panther.
• Alex Thompson (MFA '17): Independent film director. Saint Frances won the SXSW Audience Award and Breakthrough Voice Award (2019). Ghostlight premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim.
• Linh Tran (MFA '20): Director. Waiting for the Light to Change won the Narrative Grand Jury Prize at the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival and was acquired by Freestyle Digital Media.
• Vera Drew (BA '11): Emmy-nominated editor (Who Is America?) and Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award nominee for The People's Joker.
• Daniel Willis (MS '12): Television director on The Blacklist, So Help Me Todd, Grey's Anatomy, and Matlock.
• Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan (BFA '19): Director. The Headhunter's Daughter won the Sundance Film Festival Short Film Grand Jury Prize.
• Zoe Lubeck (MFA '17): Director and BAFTA award winner for Lucy.
• Sam Campos (BA '12): Vice President of Drama Development at CBS Studios.
• Kevin McGrail (MS '11): Sports Emmy-winning producer for The Shop.
• Brian Lannin (BA '08): Cinematographer on High Maintenance, Dave, and Dying for Sex.

Student Film Examples

DePaul student films screen at the school's annual Premiere Film Festival. The MFA in Film and Television Directing program produces thesis films that have won Student Academy Awards and screened at Sundance, SXSW, and Slamdance. Notable recent thesis outcomes include The Headhunter's Daughter (Sundance Short Film Grand Jury Prize, directed by Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan, BFA '19) and Waiting for the Light to Change (Slamdance Narrative Grand Jury Prize, directed by Linh Tran, MFA '20). DePaul student films are typically hosted on Vimeo during their festival run rather than YouTube.

See Also

For understanding regional production markets outside LA and NYC, see [Regional Filmmaking]. To calculate your student film's storage needs, use the Storage Calculator. For evaluating the financial return on a film school investment, use the Ad Spend Break Even Calculator.