Emerson College School of Film, Television, and Media Arts

Overview

Emerson College is a private institution in Boston focused exclusively on communication, the arts, and the liberal arts. In July 2025, the college established the School of Film, Television, and Media Arts (SFTMA), consolidating its film and media programs under a single academic unit. The Hollywood Reporter named Emerson the 6th best film school in the US for 2025, citing new facilities, equipment, endowments, and alumni successes.

Undergraduate tuition for 2025-2026 is $57,984 per year, rising to $60,160 for 2026-2027 (for students entering in Fall 2020 and later). Graduate tuition for the Film and Media Art MFA is $1,495 per credit (2025-2026). The estimated total cost of attendance, including housing, food, and fees, exceeds $80,000 per year for undergraduates living on campus in Boston. Emerson offers merit scholarships and need-based aid.

If you are a filmmaker who wants hands-on production training within a communications-focused college, with the option to spend a semester in Los Angeles immersed in the entertainment industry, Emerson is designed for you. The school balances production coursework with liberal arts requirements, making it suited for students who want both practical skills and a broader academic foundation. Review the official tuition and expenses page for the current breakdown.

Programs Offered

The School of Film, Television, and Media Arts houses four undergraduate majors and two graduate programs, plus four minors.

Undergraduate Programs

• BFA in Film, Television, and Media Arts - The primary undergraduate production track, covering directing, cinematography, editing, sound, and television production. Students get hands-on production training with access to soundstages, editing suites, colour grading rooms, and a professional-grade sound mixing stage.
• Global BFA in Film Art - A program spread across Paris (France), Kasteel Well (the Netherlands), Los Angeles (California), and Boston (Massachusetts) over three and a half years. Annual tuition for the Global BFA is approximately $48,816 (Fall 2025-Summer 2026).
• BA in Media Arts Production - A broader program encompassing film, television, and digital media, with more elective flexibility than the BFA track. Includes the option of a semester in Los Angeles.
• BA in Media Studies - A less production-intensive track focused on media theory, criticism, and analysis.

Graduate Programs

• MFA in Film and Media Art - A graduate program for working artists and emerging filmmakers, offered in 2-year and 3-year tracks. Tuition is $1,495 per credit. Priority application deadline is February 1, 2026.
• MFA in Writing for Film and Television - A low-residency program with two residencies in Los Angeles and two in Boston. Regular application deadline is May 1, 2026.

The Los Angeles Semester

Emerson operates a satellite campus in Los Angeles. Undergraduate students can spend a semester immersed in the entertainment industry, with internship placements, industry networking events, and access to production facilities in Hollywood. The LA program is a significant draw for students who want direct industry exposure while maintaining a Boston-based academic home. Students who complete the LA program report stronger industry connections than those who stay in Boston for the full four years. The LA campus charges an additional Student Services Fee of $274 per semester and a parking fee of $625 per semester.

Facilities and Equipment

Emerson's Boston campus includes soundstages, editing suites, colour grading rooms, and a professional-grade sound mixing stage. The college's location near other Boston-area universities creates opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. The Los Angeles campus provides additional production facilities and industry-facing programming.

In 2025, the college highlighted new facilities and equipment investments as part of the SFTMA launch, including the appointment of faculty like Cristina Kotz Cornejo, who was promoted to full professor in 2014, making her the first Latina full professor of media production in the United States.

What Students Should Know

Application deadlines (undergraduate): Early Decision I is November 3, 2025. Early Action is November 3, 2025. Early Decision II is January 5, 2026. Regular Decision for fall start is January 16, 2026. Spring start Regular Decision is November 3, 2025.

Application deadlines (graduate): Priority deadline for both MFA programs is February 1, 2026. Regular deadline for the Writing for Film and Television MFA only is May 1, 2026.

Tuition breakdown (2025-2026 undergraduate): $57,984 tuition per year. Housing ranges from $21,944 (triple) to $22,984 (single) per year. The undergraduate student services fee is $1,100 per year. Health insurance is $3,029 (fall) plus $1,769 (spring) if not waived. Tuition insurance is $208 per year. Summer 2026 undergraduate tuition is $1,026 per credit.

Tuition breakdown (2026-2027 undergraduate): Tuition rises to $60,160 per year ($30,080 per semester for full-time, 12-16 credits). Per-credit rate is $1,880. Overload credits (beyond full-time) are $1,880 per credit.

Strengths and limitations: Emerson's strength is its undergraduate program. Students who want a strong BFA in film production without committing to a conservatory model will find Emerson well suited. The graduate MFA program is smaller and less well known than its undergraduate offerings. Students considering an MFA should compare Emerson's program against dedicated graduate film schools before committing.

Emerson's alumni network in LA, while smaller than USC's or NYU's, is active and supportive. The college's 2025 Hollywood Reporter ranking (6th in the US) reflects recent investments in facilities and the high-profile success of alumni like The Daniels (Daniel Kwan '10 and Daniel Scheinert '09), who won the Oscar for Best Director for Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).

Standout Faculty

Emerson's SFTMA faculty combines working writer-directors with cinematographers and editors who teach alongside their professional work. The school's 2025 Hollywood Reporter ranking (6th in the US) cited new faculty hires as part of the consolidation under the SFTMA banner.

• Shaun Clarke - Interim Dean of the School of Film, Television, and Media Arts. Director of Photography on narrative films, documentaries, music videos, and commercials, with dance films that explore movement through cinema. Teaches directing, documentary media, and cinematography.
• Ekwa Msangi - Assistant Professor. Her debut feature Farewell Amor premiered at Sundance 2020 and won the Sundance Amazon Producer's Award. Television directing credits include Disney+'s Growing Up, STARZ's Three Women, and Hulu's Saint X. Teaches filmmaking, directing, and African film.
• John Gianvito - Professor. Feature films include The Flower of Pain, Address Unknown, and The Mad Songs of Fernanda Hussein. His documentary Profit Motive and the Whispering Wind was named one of the 50 Greatest Documentaries of All Time by Time Out. Teaches film production and film history.
• Ougie Pak - Associate Professor. His debut feature CLYTAEMNESTRA was a New York Times Critic's Pick, named to The New Yorker's Best Films of 2022, and is on the Criterion Channel. Teaches screenwriting and directing.
• Harlan Bosmajian - Faculty. Director of Photography on 30 feature films and TV series, with an Independent Spirit Award nomination for La Ciudad. Shot Strangers with Candy and Lovely and Amazing, with additional photography on Mad Men. Teaches cinematography.
• Julia Halperin - Faculty. Her feature Barracuda premiered at SXSW 2017 in Narrative Competition. Co-directed and edited Now, Forager (NYFF). Teaches filmmaking.
• Allyson Sherlock - Assistant Professor. Has taught film editing and motion graphic design for 20 years. Teaches editing for film and video and motion graphics.
• Daniel Gaucher - Faculty. Television editor and documentary producer for 20 years. Original editor for Blind Date, with credits on NOVA and Extreme Engineering. Teaches post-production and documentary media.

Notable Alumni

Emerson alumni include Oscar winners Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (The Daniels, directors of Everything Everywhere All at Once), Jennifer Coolidge (two-time Emmy winner for The White Lotus, and Emerson's 2025 commencement speaker), Pamela Abdy '95 (Warner Bros. film chief), Adele Lim '96 (co-writer of Crazy Rich Asians, director of Joy Ride), Seth Grahame-Smith '98 (writer/producer of It, The Lego Batman Movie, novels adapted into films), Kevin Bright (executive producer of Friends), Norman Lear (producer of All in the Family, oldest Emmy winner at age 98 in 2020), Jay Leno (television host), Denis Leary (actor/writer/producer), Henry Winkler (actor, Emmy winner for Barry), Bill Burr (comedian), and Mario Cantone (actor/comedian).

In 2025, Emerson alumni won multiple Emmy Awards. Opus Moreschi '00 won his second Emmy as executive producer of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (Outstanding Talk Series). Christopher Salerno '17 won his first Emmy for Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming for SNL50: The Anniversary Special. Over two dozen Emerson alumni were nominated across the Creative Arts and Prime Time Emmy Awards in 2025.

Student Film Examples

Emerson student films screen at the Emerson Film Festival and the LA Showcase. The school's Student Academy Award-winning film Patron Saint (2019) by Georden West is available on Vimeo. The MFA in Film and Media Art program produces thesis films that regularly screen at festivals including SXSW, Tribeca, and Slamdance.

See Also

For guidance on choosing between undergraduate and graduate film programs, see Film School Decision Guide. To plan a student short film production, use the Production Budget Calculator. For help calculating the return on investment of a private college film education, use the Ad Spend Break-Even Calculator.