Johns Hopkins University Film and Media Studies

Overview

Johns Hopkins University offers a Film and Media Studies program through the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences in Baltimore, Maryland. The program combines critical studies of cinema with production coursework in narrative, documentary, experimental film, and animation. It is housed in a dedicated 20,000-square-foot facility that includes a sound stage, recording studio, computer lab, editing suites, a screening room, and classrooms.

Undergraduate tuition for the 2026-27 academic year is $68,670, with total on-campus cost of attendance estimated at $94,858. Starting in the 2026-27 academic year, JHU's expanded Tuition Promise program covers full tuition for students from families earning up to $200,000 per year, with $0 parent contribution for families earning up to $100,000. Over 80% of undergraduates graduate debt-free under this program.

The MA in Film and Media, offered through JHU's Advanced Academic Programs division, costs $5,770 per course across 11 required courses, totaling approximately $63,470 to $64,570 depending on modality.

Students who want a rigorous academic education at a top-tier research university, with access to professional filmmaking equipment and a study-abroad semester at FAMU in Prague, should consider this program. Students whose primary goal is intensive production training in a conservatory environment should look at dedicated film schools instead.

Programs Offered

• BA in Film and Media Studies - an undergraduate degree blending film history, theory, criticism, and production. Courses cover critical studies, screenwriting, and filmmaking across narrative, documentary, experimental, and animation formats. The curriculum is designed to foster critical understanding and historical knowledge of cinema as a cultural form.
• MA in Film and Media - a graduate program offered through the Advanced Academic Programs division. The degree requires 11 courses at $5,770 per course. The program can be completed fully in-person or with a combination of online courses (with a $100 technology fee per online course).
• Minor in Film and Media Studies - available to undergraduate students in any major at JHU.

Undergraduate FMS majors and minors have access to filmmaking grants and funding opportunities available only to Film and Media Studies students.

Facilities

The Film and Media Studies program is housed in a 20,000-square-foot facility that includes:

• A large sound stage for production work
• A recording studio for audio capture and post-production
• A computer lab for editing and digital post-production
• Multiple editing suites
• A screening room for critical viewing and presentations
• Classrooms and production spaces
• An extensive catalog of filmmaking equipment available for student checkout

The facility provides professional-grade tools comparable to what working filmmakers use, giving students hands-on access to industry-standard production and post-production equipment.

FAMU Prague Study Abroad

JHU students can study abroad at FAMU (Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague), one of Europe's oldest and most respected film academies, ranked by The Hollywood Reporter among the top 10 international film schools.

The CET Film Production at FAMU program costs $23,290 per semester (as of 2026), with approximately $19,290 covering tuition and fees and $4,000 covering housing and student life fees. Students work in groups of three to four to produce a 7-to-10-minute film on 16mm or 35mm film, going through every stage from pitching to filming to color grading in post-production.

Core courses include Narrative Film: Pre-Production and Production (6 credits, 130 hours) and Narrative Film: Post-Production and Final Product (3 credits, 65 hours). Students also take a Czech language course and can enroll in FAMU International electives covering topics such as film sound, cinematography, and editing. The program is taught in English by FAMU faculty.

This study-abroad opportunity gives JHU students direct exposure to European filmmaking traditions and production methods. FAMU played a central role in the Czech New Wave of the 1960s and counts multiple Oscar winners among its alumni. Student work from the FAMU program has competed at major film festivals and been a finalist for the Student Academy Awards.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Undergraduate (2026-27 Academic Year)

JHU's Tuition Promise program, effective for the 2026-27 academic year:

The program covers full tuition for families earning up to $200,000. Families earning up to $100,000 pay $0 toward tuition, housing, dining, and most personal expenses. International students who applied for and received financial aid at admission are also eligible.

Graduate (MA in Film and Media)

The MA program costs $5,770 per course, with 11 courses required for graduation. Total tuition ranges from $63,470 to $64,570 depending on whether any online courses are taken (each online course carries a $100 technology fee).

Notable Alumni

JHU alumni connected to film and media include:

• Wes Craven - Director of A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, and The Hills Have Eyes. Craven earned a master's degree in philosophy and writing from Johns Hopkins before transitioning to filmmaking.
• John Astin - Actor known for The Addams Family television series. Astin attended JHU and later taught acting and filmmaking at the university.
• John Waters - Director of Pink Flamingos, Hairspray, and Serial Mom. Waters grew up in Baltimore and is closely associated with the city, though he attended NYU briefly before leaving. His films are deeply rooted in Baltimore's culture and neighborhoods.

The program's graduates work as directors, screenwriters, producers, editors, actors, cinematographers, entertainment lawyers, agents, film scholars, and curators. Many students go on to attend graduate film school or enter the film and media industries after graduation.

What Students Should Know

JHU's Film and Media Studies program is not a production-intensive conservatory. The curriculum balances critical studies, theory, and history with production coursework. Students who want to focus exclusively on directing, cinematography, or editing should consider dedicated film schools like AFI, NYU Tisch, or USC.

The program's strength is its position within a major research university. Students have access to interdisciplinary faculty, research infrastructure, and academic resources that dedicated film schools cannot match. This makes the program well-suited for students interested in documentary, film criticism, media policy, film scholarship, or careers that combine creative work with academic rigor.

Baltimore provides a distinct production environment. The city's neighborhoods, history, and artistic communities offer location-based filmmaking opportunities. Proximity to Washington, D.C. (about 40 miles away) gives students access to documentary subjects, federal archives, and media organizations. The cost of living in Baltimore is lower than New York City or Los Angeles.

The FAMU Prague study-abroad program is the most production-intensive component available to JHU film students. The semester at FAMU gives students conservatory-style training in 16mm or 35mm film production under the guidance of working European filmmakers. Students serious about production should plan to take advantage of this opportunity.

See Also

For exploring the relationship between film studies and film production careers, see Paths into Filmmaking. To explore filmmaking concepts in depth, visit the Filmmaker Glossary. For calculating production budgets for student films, use the Production Budget Calculator.