University of Texas at Austin Radio-Television-Film

Overview

The Department of Radio-Television-Film (RTF) at the University of Texas at Austin is part of the Moody College of Communication. The department offers undergraduate and graduate programs spanning narrative filmmaking, documentary, screenwriting, media studies, and emerging media. RTF is one of the largest media production programs at a public university in the United States.

The BS in Radio-Television-Film comprises 120 credit hours, with 39-54 hours of major-specific coursework (at least 21 hours upper-division). Students take courses in production, screenwriting, media studies, and digital media alongside university-wide general education requirements.

For the 2025-26 academic year, Texas resident undergraduate tuition has been frozen by the Texas Legislature at approximately $10,858-$13,576 per year (the range reflects different credit hour loads and program specifics). Non-resident undergraduate tuition is approximately $42,554-$51,106 per year. Total cost of attendance for residents living on or off campus is $32,508-$35,386, while non-residents face $64,204-$72,916. The tuition freeze applies to 2025-26 and 2026-27 academic years.

Students who want a university-based film education with strong production training, access to Austin's film community, and public-university tuition rates should consider UT RTF. Students seeking a conservatory-style program focused exclusively on film production from day one should look at dedicated film schools like AFI, UNCSA, or Chapman instead.

Programs Offered

Undergraduate:

• BS in Radio-Television-Film - 120 credit hours covering production, screenwriting, media studies, and digital media. Students complete foundational courses in all areas, then specialize in production tracks (narrative, documentary), screenwriting, or media studies. RTF students may not take more than 60 hours in the Moody College of Communication, ensuring substantial coursework outside the major.

Graduate:

• MFA in Film and Media Production - a 3-year, full-time program. Students direct at least 2 portfolio-quality films and own the rights to their work. The curriculum places equal emphasis on fiction and documentary. Each student directs 4 short films over the 3 years. Admission is fall only, with applications opening September 1 and closing December 1. The program is small and selective, admitting approximately 10-15 students per year. Applicants must submit a filmmaking portfolio (cumulative maximum 20 minutes runtime). The program is best suited for applicants with professional film/media experience rather than recent undergraduates.
• MFA in Screenwriting - a 2-year, full-time program. One of the most affordable and highly ranked screenwriting MFA programs in the country.
• MA in Media Studies - a scholarly program in media theory, history, and criticism.
• PhD in Media Studies - doctoral research in media and cultural studies.

Facilities and Equipment

RTF facilities are housed in the Jesse H. Jones Communication Center (CMB) on the UT Austin campus. Production facilities include:

• 6 production studios - including a 2,000 sqft film and TV production studio with switched lighting grid, catwalks, acoustical isolation, switchable HVAC, 3-camera HD TV production system, HD projection, and cinema-grade surround sound. A 1,600 sqft studio with motion-capture system. A 600 sqft studio with ProTools-grade surround sound.
• 70 x 20 green screen for compositing and visual effects work
• Editing suites - Advanced RTF Video Editing Lab with 7 workstations running Avid Media Composer, ProTools, Adobe Creative Suite, and DaVinci Resolve. Each station has a calibrated HD monitor for color correction.
• Foley stage and Dolby Atmos mix suites for sound design and mixing
• Equipment checkout - cameras, lights, audio equipment, lenses, power, tripods, and grip gear available to students enrolled in Moody College courses. Reservations required.

The Moody College also houses TV studio control rooms and 3-camera studios for broadcast production coursework.

Tuition and Financial Aid

For the 2025-26 academic year (tuition frozen by Texas Legislature):

Graduate tuition for the MFA program is based on credit hours enrolled (typically 13 credit hours first semester, approximately 10 in subsequent semesters). Graduate resident tuition is $8,684-$10,554 per semester. Graduate non-resident tuition is $17,312-$19,340 per semester. Teaching Assistant positions in years 2 and 3 may qualify students for Texas resident tuition rates.

The Texas Legislature froze all resident undergraduate academic costs (tuition, mandatory fees, academic-related general fees, and college course fees) for 2025-26 and 2026-27. This makes UT Austin one of the most affordable top-tier public university film programs for Texas residents.

Austin's cost of living has risen significantly in recent years due to the city's tech industry growth. Median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Austin is approximately $1,400-$1,800 per month as of 2025. Students living with parents have a total cost of attendance of $24,998-$27,716.

Standout Faculty

UT RTF's faculty combines working filmmakers and screenwriters with one of the most famous teaching appointments in any film school: Matthew McConaughey as Professor of Practice. The department's public-university context means faculty also produce scholarly research alongside their creative work.

• Matthew McConaughey - Professor of Practice. Academy Award winner for Dallas Buyers Club (2013). Credits include Dazed and Confused, The Wolf of Wall Street, Interstellar, and True Detective. Teaches the Script to Screen film production class.
• Cindy McCreery - Department Chair and Professor. Walt Disney/ABC Feature Writing Fellow who has sold projects to New Line Cinema, Paramount, Disney, Warner Brothers, MGM, and Lionsgate. Teaches screenwriting and television writing.
• Andrew Shea - Professor. Director of Santa Fe (Sundance/HBO, starring Gary Cole), The Corndog Man (Sundance), and Forfeit (SXSW/Showtime). Teaches directing.
• PJ Raval - Associate Professor. Director of Call Her Ganda (Tribeca premiere). Guggenheim Fellow (2015). Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Teaches filmmaking.
• Ya'Ke Smith - Associate Professor. Named one of the best film educators in the world by Variety. Teaches film.
• Nancy Schiesari - Professor. Emmy-nominated cinematographer for The Human Face (produced by John Cleese). Worked on Regret to Inform (Sundance winner). Teaches production.
• Andrew Garrison - Professor. Director of Trash Dance (double Audience Award winner at AFI DOCS and Full Frame, SXSW Special Jury Recognition). Teaches audio and is Audio Area Head.
• Charles Ramírez Berg - Joe M. Dealey, Sr. Professor in Media Studies and University Distinguished Teaching Professor. Member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers, having won every major teaching award at UT. Teaches film history, Latino Images in Film, and Mexican film history.

Notable Alumni

• Robert Rodriguez - Director of El Mariachi (1992), Sin City (2005), Spy Kids (2001), and From Dusk Till Dawn (1996). Rodriguez famously made El Mariachi for $7,000, launching his career and becoming a model for ultra-low-budget filmmaking.

• Matthew McConaughey - Academy Award-winning actor (Dallas Buyers Club, 2013). McConaughey returned to UT Austin as a Professor of Practice in the RTF department, teaching a Script to Screen production course.

• Renee Zellweger - Academy Award-winning actress (Judy, 2019; Cold Mountain, 2003).
• Owen Wilson - Actor and screenwriter, co-writer and star of Bottle Rocket (1996), Rushmore (1998), and The Royal Tenenbaums (2001).

• Wes Anderson - Director of The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Moonrise Kingdom (2012). Anderson studied philosophy at UT Austin and was embedded in the Austin film community during his time there.

• Tommy Pallotta - Animator and producer, pioneer of rotoscope animation in Waking Life (2001) and A Scanner Darkly (2006), both directed by Richard Linklater.

What Students Should Know

Austin is a defining asset for UT RTF. The city hosts South by Southwest (SXSW), one of the most important film and media festivals in the world, each March. The Austin Film Society (AFS), founded by Richard Linklater in 1985, operates a screening room and production facility and provides grants to Texas filmmakers. Directors like Linklater, Andrew Bujalski, and Jeff Nichols live and work in Austin, and students can encounter them at screenings and even in class.

The MFA in Film and Media Production is a director's program. Students direct at least 2 portfolio-quality films and own the rights to their work. The program places equal emphasis on fiction and documentary, giving students training in both forms. The program is designed for students who have professional film/media experience and are returning to graduate studies. It is rare that the program admits students directly from undergraduate studies.

The BS in RTF is a university degree, not a conservatory program. Students complete general education coursework alongside production classes. This produces graduates with broader academic foundations but means fewer total hours on production compared to dedicated film schools.

Texas offers film production incentives through the Texas Film Commission, and the state's production industry has grown with major productions shooting in and around Austin. RTF students benefit from this activity through internships, crew opportunities, and professional networking. Austin's film community has a strong DIY and independent filmmaking culture that aligns with the department's emphasis on personal storytelling.

The MFA program discourages students from working more than 10 hours per week during the first year due to the demanding curriculum. In years 2 and 3, Teaching Assistant positions provide funding and may qualify students for resident tuition rates. The department also offers competitive fellowships and partial funding for thesis films.

Student Film Examples

UT RTF student films screen at the annual RTF Longhorn Denius Student Film Showcase and at SXSW, which takes place in Austin each March. The MFA in Film and Media Production requires students to direct at least 2 portfolio-quality films, with each student directing 4 short films over the 3-year program. The program places equal emphasis on fiction and documentary. Notable recent thesis films include Skunk (2014) by Annie Silverstein, which won first prize in the Cannes Cinéfondation selection out of 1,631 entries worldwide, and Balada de un Inmigrante con Memoria by Sergio Eduardo Muñoz Esquer, a winner of the 2025 Focus Features Student Short Film Showcase. UT Austin student films are typically hosted on Vimeo or the Focus Features YouTube channel during their festival run rather than on a school YouTube channel.

See Also

For understanding the role of film festivals in career development, see Film Festival Strategy. To plan your independent film budget, use the Production Budget Calculator. For comparing public university film programs with private film schools, see Choosing a Film School.