B.F.A. in Film Production
Tell your story through film.
This competitive-entry degree offers courses in theory and history, creative thinking and writing, and 19 film production courses. Our production-based curriculum gives students as many opportunities as possible to make film.
Key Benefits
Students make their own films beginning first semester, which distinguishes us-the only intensive film production program in Mississippi-from most top tier film schools. Students build professional-grade portfolio reels essential for entering the industry using a new, state-of-the-art, 6,000 square foot film production facility.
Graduate Outcomes
A liberal arts education empowers and prepares students to deal with complexity and change through a broad knowledge of the world. They gain key skills in communication, problem-solving, and working with a diverse group of people. Related careers in film production include director, cinematographer, editor, sound designer, lighting designer, production designer, screenwriter, visual effects, set decorator, and key grip, and many more.
Experiences Offered
Students can enter their film into the UM Film Festival as well as the Oxford Film Festival, providing many local opportunities to engage with the film community. Our faculty connections with the professional film industry provide many internship possibilities.
B.F.A. in Film Production Faculty
Best described as a graduate program for undergraduates, our BFA is professionally-focused and features a low student-to-teacher ratio with emphasis on individual mentorship.
Course Requirements
The major in film production for the B.F.A. degree requires 73 credit hours.
Film Production courses (36 hours)
- Thea 193 – Film Practicum I - (1 hr)
- Thea 250 – Film Production I - (3 hrs)
- Thea 253 - Cinematography I - (3 hrs)
- Thea 293 – Film Practicum II - (1 hr)
- Thea 294 – Film Practicum III - (1 hr)
- Thea 305 – Screenwriting I - (3 hrs)
- Thea 350 – Editing I - (3 hrs)
- Thea 354 – Directing for the Screen I - (3 hrs)
- Thea 361 – Sound Design for Film I - (3 hrs)
- Thea 393 – Film Practicum IV - (3 hr)
- Thea 394 – Film Practicum V - (3 hr)
- Thea 450 – Editing II - (3 hrs)
- Thea 493 – Film Practicum VI - (3 hr)
- Thea 494 – Film Practicum VII - (3 hr)
Production Electives (9 hours)
Three (or more) of the production hours must come from the--
following courses:
- Thea 306 – Writing the Pilot – (3 hrs)
- Thea 352 – Producing I – (3 hrs)
- Thea 358 – Writer’s Room I – (3 hrs)
- Thea 362 – Motion Picture Lighting – (3 hrs)
- Thea 406 – Screenwriting II – (3 hrs)
- Thea 454 – Directing II – (3 hrs)
- Thea 460 – Cinematography II – (3 hrs)
- Thea 461 – Sound Design for Film II – (3 hrs)
The six remaining Production Elective hours may come from the--
following courses:
- Thea 110 – Intro to Acting – (3 hrs)
- Thea 111 – Realism for Stage & Screen – (3 hrs)
- Thea 171 – Rendering for the Theatre – (3 hrs)
- Thea 172 – Three-Dimensional Design for Theatre – (3 hrs)
- Thea 210 – Scene Work for Stage & Screen – (3 hrs)
- Thea 240 – Makeup for Stage & Screen – (3 hrs)
- Thea 246 – Costume Crafts – (3 hrs)
- Thea 256 – Documentary Production I – (3 hrs)
- Thea 270 – Basic Lighting & Sound Technology – (3 hrs)
- Thea 271 – Introduction to Stagecraft – (3 hrs)
- Thea 272 – Introduction to Costumes for the Stage – (3 hrs)
- Thea 273 – Costume Construction – (3 hrs)
- Thea 274 – Theatre Design Graphics – (3 hrs)
- Thea 276 – Fundamentals of Computer-Aided Design for Theatre– (3 hrs)
- Thea 277 – Intro to Patternmaking – (3 hrs)
- Thea 279 – Introduction to Costume Design for Film – (3 hrs)
- Thea 306 – Writing the Pilot – (3 hrs)
- Thea 341 – Property Design and Construction – (3 hrs)
- Thea 352 – Producing I – (3 hrs)
- Thea 353 – Devised Filmmaking – (3 hrs)
- Thea 358 – Writer’s Room I – (3 hrs)
- Thea 359 – Writer’s Room II – (3 hrs)
- Thea 362 – Motion Picture Lighting – (3 hrs)
- Thea 369 – Sound Design I – (3 hrs)
- Thea 370 – Scenic Design I – (3 hrs)
- Thea 371 – Period Patternmaking – (3 hrs)
- Thea 372 – Lighting Design I – (3 hrs)
- Thea 373 – Advanced Makeup for the Stage – (3 hrs)
- Thea 375 – Costume Design I – (3 hrs)
- Thea 376 – Basic Draping – (3 hrs)
- Thea 378 – Fabric Dyeing and Modification – (3 hrs)
- Thea 379 – Theatre Production Techniques III – (3 hrs)
- Thea 381 – Advanced Rendering for the Theatre – (3 hrs)
- Thea 383 – Production Design I – (3 hrs)
- Thea 406 – Screenwriting II – (3 hrs)
- Thea 442 - Millinery – (3 hrs)
- Thea 453 – Postproduction Specialties – (3 hrs)
- Thea 454 – Directing II – (3 hrs)
- Thea 456 – Documentary Production II – (3 hrs)
- Thea 457 – Producing II – (3 hrs)
- Thea 460 – Cinematography II – (3 hrs)
- Thea 461 – Sound Design for Film II
- Thea 469 – Sound Design II – (3 hrs)
- Thea 470 – Scenic Design II – (3 hrs)
- Thea 471 – Lighting Design II – (3 hrs)
- Thea 473 – Basic Tailoring – (3 hrs)
- Thea 474 – Costume Design II – (3 hrs)
- Thea 476 – Introduction to Scene Painting – (3 hrs)
- Thea 478 – Adv Computer-Aided Design for Theatre – (3 hrs)
- Thea 479 – Costume Design for Film and Television – (3 hrs)
- Thea 483 – Production Design II – (3 hrs)
- Thea 497 – Special Topics in Film Production – (3 hrs)
Theory, History, and Literature courses (18 hours)
- One of the following: Thea 203 - Drama in Film, or Thea 204 – -- Comedy in Film (3 hrs)
- Thea 205 – Film Survey I - (3 hrs)
- Thea 206 – Film Survey II - (3 hrs)
- AH 201 – History of Art I - (3 hrs)
- AH 202 – History of Art II - (3 hrs)
One of the following (3 hrs)
- Anth 302 – Anthropological Films – (3 hrs)
- Cine 398 – Study Abroad in Cinema – (3 hrs)
- Eng 311 – Studies in Cinema/Media Genres – (3 hrs)
- Eng 314 – The Cinematic South – (3 hrs)
- Eng 427 – Shakespeare on Film – (3 hrs)
- G St 350 - Gender and Sexuality in Cinema – (3 hrs)
- G St 386 - Gender on Film – (3 hrs)
- Phil 320 - Aesthetics – (3 hrs)
- Phil 355 - Philosophy of Film – (3 hrs)
- Rel 386 – Religion and Film – (3 hrs)
- Thea 303 – Indigenous Storytelling on Screen – (3 hrs)
Other Course Requirements (12 hours)
- Eng 199 – Introduction to Creative Writing - (3 hrs)
- Thea 120 – Introduction to Theatre, Film & Dance - (3 hrs)
- Thea 121 – Creative Thinking - (3 hrs)
- Thea 499 – Senior Seminar - (3 hrs) In addition to the general education courses, the degree in film production requires elective hours chosen from any area, including theatre & film,to bring the total number of credits to 120 semester hours.
Admissions Requirements
Admission to the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is by competitive entry. Students submit writing and film samples before their freshman year for entry into the film production program. More details are found on the department website.