Film & Media Arts Schools
With one of the largest entertainment industries in the world, it should be no surprise that the United States has several film and media arts colleges. Given the film and TV industries have two great hubs -- Los Angeles and New York -- it makes sense that these two cities are home to those institutions. Among these film schools, you might find some cross-country and cross-town rivalries. But in the end, going to any of them will bolster your resume, give you a formative education, and offer you connections and opportunities in the "biz."
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University of Southern California
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Besides being a prestigious private school, the University of Southern California has a film school that's more than 80 years old. During this time, it has used the latest technology and continues to expose students to changing equipment, approaches, and styles in modern film and TV production. USC School of Cinematic Arts students can earn both undergraduate and master's degrees in fine arts and learn about diverse topics including acting, script writing, directing, financing, production, post-production, and distribution. Then they have the opportunity to take their skills to internships throughout Los Angeles' entertainment industry. Tuition for both graduate and undergraduate students is approximately $18,500 per semester as of January 2011.
University of California at Los Angeles
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UCLA is one of the few media arts programs that is also a public university. While that doesn't mean cheap tuition, at roughly $20,500 per year for California residents as of January 2011 it's lower than most of its private counterparts. UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television offers two bachelor of arts degrees: theater and film, TV and digital media. It offers a large assortment of master's in fine arts degrees including producing, directing, animation, and screen writing. Highly academic students can advance to doctorate programs in theater and performance studies, and film and media studies.
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New York University
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Amid the excitement and energy of lower Manhattan, adjacent to Washington Square, New York University's Tish School of the Arts offers respected education in film and media arts. Undergraduates can study film and TV while graduate students can expand into specialties such as dramatic writing, photography and imaging, cinema studies and art and public policy. Tisch also has serious and well respected acting programs in both the graduate and undergraduate levels. NYU comes with private school tuition of roughly $21,000 per semester and Manhattan living costs.
Columbia University
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Uptown in Harlem, Columbia University School of the Arts emphasizes a focus on independent film as well as Hollywood and commercial genres. The Ivy League school started its Masters in Fine Arts for film in 1966 and today also offers undergraduate degrees. Specialty studies include specialties with Columbia's own special spin such as creative producing and screenwriting/directing. A small school like Columbia carries significant prestige, but has limited admission -- making entrance highly competitive. Columbia MFA tuition is approximately $24,500 as of January 2011.
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- Photo Credit film image by saied shahinkiya from Fotolia.com
