Program Overview

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Master of Arts in Cinema and Media Studies

The M.A. program in Cinema and Media Studies at San Francisco State University prizes the rich diversity of cinematic expression, whether critical examination of mainstream media production or independent, foreign, experimental, or other media, including televisual and videogames. The faculty strives to broaden students' experience through coursework, where faculty members bring their diverse research, theoretical, and cinematic interests to bear, as well as through extracurricular encounters, such as visiting filmmakers or scholars and community events like film festivals.

Program Description

The M.A. in Cinema and Media Studies offers students the opportunity to pursue graduate research in cinema and media scholarship. The program believes that "cinema" refers to all moving image media, from early films to emerging digital media forms. The M.A. program emphasizes the study of cinema history, theory, and criticism, as well as all "cinematic" media and related theories. The curriculum allows students considerable freedom to choose among a wide variety of course offerings, building toward producing a thesis that emphasizes focused research on a specific topic related to their interests.

Learning Outcomes

The learning objectives of the Master of Arts in Cinema and Media Studies aim to enable students to:

• Acquire a broad knowledge of cinema theory, history, and criticism.
• Analyze the role of festivals, conferences, and other film and digital media exhibition venues and options.
• Conduct independent critical research related to cinematic media that leads to a written thesis.
• Produce critical analyses of films and cinematic media.
• Gain teaching-related experience.

Career Paths

Graduates of the program have gone on to earn doctoral degrees at prestigious schools and hold tenure-track positions at universities around the world. Others have secured successful careers as managers of local and regional media arts organizations, curators at art museums and film festivals, media archivists, librarians, journalists, reviewers, studio archivists, audience analysts, producers, and creative executives.

Course Requirements

All students must complete at least 30 units for the degree, of which six are electives and three constitute the thesis requirement. Students are encouraged to select electives in consultation with a faculty adviser. Required courses include:

1. Introduction to Graduate Studies (CINE 700)
2. Master's Thesis (CINE 898)
3. Directed Experience in Film Education (CINE 852)

Typical Trajectory

A typical trajectory might look as follows, although this is not prescriptive:

First Year

• Fall Semester: Introduction to Graduate Studies, Seminar Elective, Directed Experience in Film Education
• Spring Semester: Seminar Elective, Seminar Elective, Seminar Elective

Second Year

• Fall Semester: Seminar Elective, Seminar Elective
• Spring Semester: Master's Thesis, Seminar Elective

M.A. Electives

Available electives include:

• Critical Paradigms and the Cinematic
• Cinematic Documentary
• Cinematic Forms and Aesthetics
• Cinematic Styles
• Cinema Histories
• Cinema and the City
• Sexuality in the Cinema
• Post-Colonial Cinema
• Cinema and Cultural Studies
• Critical Practices
• Seminar in Critical Theory

Thesis Project

After completing coursework in film and media theory and history and criticism, students produce a thesis based on the standard length of an article in a scholarly journal. The thesis process is initiated in the second year in consultation with an adviser.

Current and Recent Thesis Projects

Examples of recent thesis projects include:

• "The Conglomeration of Everything: Shifting Animation Production Practices due to Artificial Intelligence"
• "Tales in Motion: Archives and Anarchiving in the Media Worlds of George Lucas"
• "Locating Process: Jan Bot, Indexical AI, and the Non-Human Act of Documenting"
• "Saturn return: On binging timelines and living nightmares"

Advancement to Candidacy

Students must meet all general University requirements for advancement to candidacy, receive a "B" or better in all required courses for the M.A. degree, and successfully pass their thesis committee review.

Application Procedures

To apply to the M.A. in Cinema and Media Studies, students must complete the Cal State Apply application for graduate admission. The application opens on October 1, with a priority deadline of February 15 and a secondary deadline of March 31.

Application Requirements

• CV/Resume
• Personal Statement (Background and Research Interests Statement)
• Unofficial Transcripts
• Writing Sample
• Additional Unofficial Transcripts (if applicable)

Evaluation and Review

The application is reviewed at two levels: by the Division of Graduate Studies for general university admission requirements and by the School of Cinema for program-specific eligibility.

Admission Criteria

Applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 or better in the last two years of undergraduate study. Applicants with degrees in areas other than film or media who show exceptional potential will be considered for admission if they have completed at least three courses in cinema or media history and theory.

International Students

TOEFL scores are required by the University. Please see the Graduate Studies FAQs for International Students for more information.

Tuition Fees

Fees are subject to change without advance notice by action of the trustees of the California State University and the campus. Contact the San Francisco State University Bursar's Office for registration fees.

Program FAQs

• Can I switch between the M.A. and M.F.A. programs? No, the only way to switch degree programs is through the formal application process.
• If I am admitted to the program, but cannot attend during the semester in which I am admitted, may I defer my studies to a later date? Generally, newly admitted students may not defer their studies.
• Do the Cinema graduate programs admit students for the Spring semester? No, new students are admitted for the fall semester.