This demanding MFA program equips aspiring documentary filmmakers with both a deep understanding of the documentary genre and strong skills in film production. The curriculum integrates knowledge of documentary’s history, styles, traditions, affinity for research and development, and varied approaches to storytelling and production with high production values, effective post-production, and the ability to take creative work to its audiences.
| Program Requirements | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|
| Degree Requirements | 64 |
| Total hours required | 64 |
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Describe cinematic contentions utilized in the making of feature length and short documentary films.
- Assess the strengths and weakness of written non-fiction proposals to include visual approaches, as well as fundraising, marketing, exhibition, and distribution plans.
- Communicate a clear vision to a team of collaborators.
- Apply key concepts in areas of documentary media production, including: producing, directing, cinematography, sound, and editing.
- Critique creative work, synthesizing theory and practice.
- Analyze the ethical and moral decisions inherent in representing individuals, lifestyles, and cultures.
- Evaluate legal considerations regarding content and characters present in their work, whether domestically or abroad.
Degree Requirements
First Year
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Quarter | ||
| FILM 410 | PRODUCTION WORKSHOP | 4 |
| DOC 405 | NON-FICTION STORYTELLING | 4 |
| Winter Quarter | ||
| POST 400 | EDITING | 4 |
| DOC 452 | DOCUMENTARY CINEMATOGRAPHY | 4 |
| Spring Quarter | ||
| DOC 414 | INTRO TO DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION | 4 |
| DOC 433 | DOCUMENTARY SOUND WORKSHOP | 2 |
| DOC 472 | DOCUMENTARY LAW AND ETHICS | 2 |
Second Year
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Quarter | ||
| DOC 424 | DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION II | 4 |
| 1 Major Elective | 4 | |
| Winter Quarter | ||
| DOC 412 | EDITING THE DOCUMENTARY | 4 |
| DOC 482 | THE PERSONAL DOCUMENTARY | 4 |
| Spring Quarter | ||
| DOC 426 | DOCUMENTARY PRODUCING | 4 |
| 1 Major Elective | 4 | |
Third Year
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Quarter | ||
| DOC 484 | ADVANCED DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION | 4 |
| DOC 496 | ADVANCED TOPICS IN DOCUMENTARY | 4 |
| Winter Quarter | ||
| 1 Open Elective | 4 | |
| 1 Major Elective | 4 | |
Major Electives
Major electives may be selected from the following list:
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| VIDEO ART | ||
| STORYTELLING ACROSS MEDIA | ||
| TOPICS IN DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION WORKSHOP | ||
| FILMING WITH CHANGE AGENTS | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN DOCUMENTARY | ||
| TOPICS IN STUDY ABROAD | ||
| ADVANCED MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM | ||
| AUDIO DOCUMENTARY | ||
| TOPICS IN DOCUMENTARY STUDIES | ||
| ETHNOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTARY FILM PRODUCTION |
Open Elective
Open electives may be selected from any graduate level CP, DOC, FILM, POST, SCWR, or VFX course.
MFA Thesis
The most important form that program assessment will take is the MFA thesis project. This project is the culmination of the eight quarters of study and practice. We expect the thesis projects to find funding, screen at film festivals, create an impact in their respective communities, with their anticipated audiences, and find wide avenues of outreach and distribution. Specific requirements include:
- Documentary film under 30 minutes in length is required.
- Complete final proposal.
- Complete Rough Cut.
- Prepare for Public Screening after the thesis defense.
MFA Thesis Committee
Students will be assigned a faculty advisor upon acceptance into the MFA program. The advisor will monitor the student's work and progress at the end of each quarter during their first year. Students will form a thesis committee at the beginning of their second year. During this second and third year, the thesis committee will evaluate the student's work, making sure that each student is progressing at the pace with the quality required to earn the degree upon completion of their courses and thesis project. The MFA in Documentary allows students to nominate the chair of their thesis advisor committee in conjunction with the following rules:
- The committee must include three faculty advisors.
- One advisor must be assigned to the MFA Documentary Committee.
- Two advisors will be nominated by the student.
- Of the three advisors, at least two should be fulltime faculty members. One advisor may be an adjunct faculty member.
MFA Thesis Screening
A major component of the MFA degree is the public screening of the MFA thesis. It is the student's responsibility to organize, schedule, promote and publicize this event.
MFA Thesis Defense
A minimum of thirty days prior to the public screening, the student will schedule a thesis defense with his/her MFA Thesis Committee. At this defense the student's MFA Thesis Committee will discuss, evaluate, and critique the thesis and make a determination on the awarding of the MFA degree.
MFA Thesis Timeline
Students will have a maximum of five years from the first enrollment in the program to complete, defend, and screen their MFA Thesis. Time spent in the MS program will count toward this limit. Students may petition their MFA Thesis Committees for a one-time extension.
DOC 701 THESIS CONTINUATION
This zero-credit course is for students actively working to finish their thesis projects. A student's MFA Thesis Committee Chair may enroll a student in 701 a maximum of eight times. Enrolling in 701 requires students to declare goals for the quarter with regard to finishing their thesis. Students who do not meet these goals may not be eligible to enroll in another 701 until those goals are met.
Degree Requirements
Students in the MFA Documentary degree program must meet the following requirements:
- Complete a minimum of 64 graduate credit hours in the designated degree program.
- Complete all graduate courses and requirements listed in the designated degree program.
- Earn a grade of C- or better in a graduate courses of the designated degree program.
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.
- Satisfactorily complete the MFA thesis as determined by the student's MFA Advisor Committee.
- Students cannot count credit earned towards a previously awarded master's or MFA degree toward the completion of this MFA program.
For DePaul's policy on repeat graduate courses and a complete list of academic policies see the DePaul Graduate Handbook in the Course Catalog.