University of Michigan Stamps School of Art and Design

Overview

The Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor offers film and video production within an interdisciplinary art school context. Stamps is not a dedicated film school. It is a broadly based art and design school where students can concentrate in time-based media, including video, animation, sound, and performance art, alongside courses in painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and digital fabrication.

Stamps offers two graduate degrees: an MFA in Art and Design and an MDes (Master of Design). Both programs are housed in a 33,000-square-foot graduate facility with individual studios, faculty studios, project spaces, wood and metals shops, a digital media studio, and shared working areas. Graduate students have 24/7 access to state-of-the-art studios across multiple disciplines.

For the 2025-26 academic year, in-state undergraduate tuition and fees are $18,346 (lower division) or $20,648 (upper division). Out-of-state tuition and fees are $63,962 (lower division) or $68,444 (upper division). Total cost of attendance including living expenses, books, transportation, and personal expenses is $38,548 for in-state lower-division students and $84,164 for out-of-state lower-division students. The university's Go Blue Guarantee covers full tuition for families earning up to $125,000.

Students who want to make experimental, documentary, or art-oriented moving image work within a research university environment should consider Stamps. Students seeking commercial film industry training (Hollywood-style directing, producing, or cinematography) should look at dedicated film schools like USC, NYU, or Chapman instead.

Programs Offered

Undergraduate:

• BFA in Art and Design - a 4-year undergraduate degree requiring 120 credit hours. Students complete foundational studio courses in 2D, 3D, and 4D (time-based) media, then concentrate in specific areas including video, animation, sound, and performance. Film and video courses include:

- ARTDES 125: Studio 4D - required introductory course covering video, animation, sound, and performance/live art

- ARTDES 265: Intro to Video: Digital Cinematography and Editing - covers camera operation, shot composition, camera movement, depth of field, motion clarity, time-lapse recording, and editing in Premiere Pro

- Reeltime: Documentary Video - documentary production course

- Moving Image: Experimental - experimental film and video course

- Animation - animation production course

Stamps students can also take film and media courses through the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA), which offers a Department of Film, Television, and Media (FTVM) with a separate BS degree.

Graduate:

• MFA in Art and Design - a graduate creative practice degree with individual studio space in the 33,000-square-foot graduate building. Students have 24/7 access to metals, fibers, ceramics, sculpture, wood, printmaking, digital media, and digital fabrication studios, plus university-wide resources including audio engineering booths, robotics labs, VR studios, and specialized libraries.
• MDes (Master of Design) - a collaborative design program in a shared 33,000-square-foot facility with flexible, reconfigurable workspaces.

Facilities and Equipment

Stamps operates several specialized facilities for film and video work:

• Animation/Video Lab - a quiet space with high-resolution displays for video editing, animation desks, multiplane cameras, a stop motion table, and Dragonframe workstations. Mac and PC workstations with 3D imaging software.
• Photo/Video Studio - a studio for documenting large-scale work, photo/video shoots, and temporary installations. Features skylights with controllable shades, retractable seamless backdrops, and LED lighting equipment.
• Duderstadt Center - located across the street from Stamps, this facility provides electronic media labs, a large video and performance studio, an audio recording studio, and a library with extensive art and design collections.
• ECHO (Equipment Checkout Office) - provides audio/visual equipment to Stamps students, faculty, and staff at no cost. Inventory includes cameras, lighting, audio recording equipment, and animation tools.
• Digital Fabrication - CNC machine, 3D printers, and rapid prototyping equipment available to all Stamps students.

Graduate students additionally have access to university-wide resources including the Institute for the Humanities, botanical gardens, specialized libraries, and research institutes.

Tuition and Financial Aid

For the 2025-26 academic year:

Upper division (junior/senior) tuition is $20,648 in-state and $68,444 out-of-state, with total cost of attendance at $40,850 and $88,646 respectively.

2 out of 3 U-M students receive financial aid, including grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study awards. The Go Blue Guarantee covers full tuition and mandatory fees for in-state students from families earning up to $125,000 with assets under $50,000. 59% of resident undergraduates receive grant or scholarship aid, and 5,730 resident undergrads (33%) pay no tuition at all.

All Stamps students are considered for merit-based scholarships at the time of application, with no separate scholarship form required. The Rogel Scholarship, available to Early Action applicants, meets a student's remaining unmet need after financial aid and grants.

Students should also file the FAFSA (school code 002325) and CSS Profile (school code 1839) for need-based aid consideration.

Ann Arbor's cost of living is high relative to the national average. Fair market rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $1,346 per month, and a two-bedroom is $1,607 per month (2025 HUD data). University housing for 2025-26 ranges from $15,544 per academic year (double economy) to $21,834 (single premium), including a meal plan.

Notable Alumni

University of Michigan alumni in film and media include:

• Lawrence Kasdan - Screenwriter and director of The Big Chill (1983), Body Heat (1981), and co-writer of The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). One of the most commercially successful screenwriters in Hollywood history.
• James Earl Jones - Actor with a career spanning over 60 years. Voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King. Also starred in Dr. Strangelove, Field of Dreams, and Fences.
• Lucy Liu - Actress in Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Charlie's Angels, and the Elementary TV series.
• Gilda Radner - Original cast member of Saturday Night Live (1975-1980).

Note: These alumni attended the University of Michigan but not necessarily the Stamps School specifically. The university's broader alumni network in entertainment is substantial, with graduates working across film, television, and media industries.

Faculty

• David Chung - Professor and Director of the MFA Graduate Program at Stamps. Teaches Studio 4D, Reeltime: Documentary Video, Moving Image: Experimental, and Animation. His work has been exhibited at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Asia Society, the Walker Art Center, the Gwangju Biennale, and the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

What Students Should Know

Stamps is an art school, not a film school. The curriculum values artistic experimentation, critical inquiry, and interdisciplinary exploration over commercial industry training. Students interested in Hollywood-style directing, producing, or cinematography should consider dedicated film schools or the university's separate FTVM department in LSA.

The BFA program requires foundational coursework across multiple art disciplines. Students do not specialize exclusively in film/video from day one. The first year includes studios in 2D, 3D, and 4D media. This produces graduates with broader artistic foundations but means fewer total hours dedicated specifically to film production compared to dedicated film school programs.

Ann Arbor hosts the Ann Arbor Film Festival, one of the oldest experimental and independent film festivals in North America (established 1963). The festival screens 100+ short films each March and provides student networking opportunities with visiting filmmakers.

The University of Michigan is one of the top public research universities in the United States. Film students at Stamps can cross-register for courses in the FTVM department, the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, the School of Engineering, and the Ross School of Business. This interdisciplinary access is a significant advantage for students who want to combine filmmaking with other fields.

Stamps does not offer a dedicated film BFA. Students concentrating in film/video graduate with a BFA in Art and Design. Prospective students who want a degree specifically in film should consider the FTVM department's BS in Film, Television, and Media, which is a separate program with different admission and curriculum.

See Also

For comparing art school film programs with dedicated film schools, see Choosing a Film School. To estimate the total cost of a film degree including living expenses, see Film School Costs Explained. For visual storytelling tools, use the Aspect Ratio Calculator.