Film and Media BFA, BA & Minor

About this Program

Develop your filmmaking skills through Film & Media BFA, BA and minor pathways as you study directing, screenwriting, cinematography, editing and sound design while building a professional portfolio through collaborative productions.

Create compelling stories using industry-standard tools and technologies in professional film production spaces, editing labs, sound stages and screening facilities. Through a blend of creative practice and critical study, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of filmmaking while producing original work that reflects your artistic vision.

Learn from practicing filmmakers and media professionals in a collaborative environment where you’ll develop skills across every stage of the filmmaking process. Through workshops, guest lectures, critiques and hands-on productions, you’ll work individually and in teams to create films while building the experience and portfolio needed for professional opportunities. Internships, student showcases and connections with film studios, production companies and media organizations further prepare you for the industry.

Whether you’re seeking an intensive production-focused education or a flexible interdisciplinary pathway, Film & Media offers degree options that support a wide range of creative and professional goals. You’ll graduate with experience in storytelling, collaboration and creative problem-solving, preparing you for careers in filmmaking, documentary production, television, digital media, content creation and other evolving media industries.

Quick Facts

Program Type

Major or Minor

Degree

Bachelor of Fine Arts
Bachelor of Arts
Minor

School

Cornish College of the Arts

Campus

South Lake Union

Learning Format

In-Person

Duration

4 years

Start Date

August, January

Credits

120 semester credits

Find YOUR Creative Path

Our Film & Media programs are designed with flexibility in mind. Students can explore different academic and creative paths early in their studies and, if their interests evolve, easily transition between the BFA and the BA without losing progress toward their degree. BA students benefit from the freedom to study across disciplines by pursuing a double major or minors, while students pursuing a BFA receive specialized training. This structure helps you find the program that best supports your artistic and professional goals as they evolve through your course of study.

Film & Media BFA

The Film & Media BFA is an immersive, production-focused program designed for students who want to develop their creative voice through every stage of the filmmaking process. You’ll build expertise in directing, screenwriting, cinematography, producing, production design, editing and sound design while creating original narrative, documentary and experimental films. Working with professional cinema equipment and industry-standard software, you’ll gain the technical and artistic skills to transform ideas into compelling visual stories.

Throughout the program, you’ll collaborate with classmates, actors and faculty on increasingly ambitious productions while refining your leadership, communication and creative problem-solving skills. Workshops, guest lectures and critiques from industry professionals, combined with opportunities to showcase your work, navigate film festivals and develop a professional portfolio, prepare you for careers across the film and media industries. You’ll also complete a capstone project, producing a professional-quality short film or documentary that demonstrates your growth as a filmmaker.

Film & Media BA

The Film & Media BA combines hands-on filmmaking with the flexibility to explore additional academic and creative interests. You’ll build a strong foundation in directing, screenwriting, cinematography, editing, sound design and film studies while choosing from production and critical studies courses that align with your goals. Through creative practice and the study of film history, theory and criticism, you’ll develop both the technical expertise and analytical perspective needed to create meaningful work.

With additional elective opportunities, the Film & Media BA makes it easier to pursue a double major or add a minor across Seattle University while tailoring your education to your interests. You’ll collaborate on film productions, learn from practicing filmmakers and media scholars, and graduate with a portfolio that reflects your creative and academic strengths. Whether you pursue filmmaking, media production, graduate study or another creative field, you’ll leave with the storytelling, communication and critical thinking skills to succeed in a changing media landscape.

Film & Media Minor

The Film & Media minor introduces you to the creative and critical foundations of filmmaking while developing skills in storytelling, visual communication and media production. You’ll explore film history and criticism alongside hands-on production experience, creating original projects that strengthen your creative and technical abilities. Whether paired with theatre, creative writing, communication, political science or another field of study, the Film & Media minor expands your understanding of moving-image storytelling and complements a wide range of academic and professional interests.

Core Skills & Techniques

Learn how to effectively communicate your vision and how to lead a crew in creating a safe and professional environment on set. Gain directing experience by working with classmates, theatre majors, and professional (SAG) actors, as well as directing individuals for documentaries.
Screenwriting: Learn to develop your voice as a screenwriter across multiple courses. You’ll learn the foundations of the craft and then learn how to fully express your ideas on the page, incorporating drama, nuance, subtext, and thematic complexity.
Cinematography: Master the elements of visual storytelling. As a film major at Cornish, you’ll explore how composition, color, movement, and light can sculpt your vision. You’ll learn the different tools and techniques for executing a director’s vision in both scripted and documentary filmmaking. Utilize a wide variety of professional cinema tools by accessing our equipment library.
Producing: Learn to make films efficiently, thoughtfully, and safely by building your skills as a producer. Understand how organization can power creativity. Prepare for a film, hold auditions, scout locations, train a crew, and facilitate creative decision-making on a set. As a Cornish film major, you’ll see firsthand the importance of collaboration to good filmmaking.
Production Design: Learn the importance of mise-en-scène, and how much the inanimate aspects of the frame (location, interior design, furniture, dressing, props, et al) can shape narrative and drive story.
Critical Studies: A crucial thread in the fabric of great filmmaking, critical studies in film allows students to not only become more fluent in the language and history of cinema, but also helps inspire and enrich students creatively through contextual knowledge and evidence.
Editing & Sound Design: Editing is the final revision of a story, and developing skills with editing reveals the power in decisions of where to cut—and when not to. In nonfiction and many forms of experimental and new media, the editor is the writer. As a film student, you’ll learn the power of the cut, the science of color correction, and creating visual and sound effects.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the Film & Media BFA, you will be able to:

Analyze film and media as a historical, aesthetic, technological and cultural product, including questions of ethics, power and ideology.
Realize voice and intent through communication of sound, image and writing, in creating films with originality, aesthetic depth and cultural consideration.
Practice safe, effective and inclusive collaboration, problem solving and leadership on complex group projects.
Generate a portfolio of creative work that demonstrates facility in one or more areas of focus.
Craft professional materials and develop career strategies informed by cultural research and analysis of the contemporary film and media industry.

Upon successful completion of the Film & Media BA, you will be able to:

Analyze film and media as a historical, aesthetic, technological and cultural product, including questions of ethics, power and ideology.
Produce a culturally informed original work of film and media, that effectively communicates ideas through sound and image.
Produce independent research about film and media through critical thinking and analysis, using primary and secondary sources.
Generate a portfolio of creative and/or scholarly work that demonstrates facility in one or more areas of focus.
Craft professional materials and develop career strategies informed by cultural research and analysis of the contemporary film and media industry.

Upon successful completion of the Film & Media Minor, you will be able to:

Analyze film and media as a historical, aesthetic, technological and cultural product, including questions of ethics, power and ideology.
Produce a culturally informed original work of film and media, that effectively communicates ideas through sound and image.
Produce independent research about film and media through critical thinking and analysis, using primary and secondary sources.

Connect Your Passion to New Possibilities

Explore purposeful academic combinations while pursuing a rigorous arts education to enhance your career preparation. At Seattle University, you can combine a Film & Media BA with a wide variety of other majors or add any minor while staying on track to graduate in four years. You can also customize a Film & Media BFA by pursuing any minor offered across Seattle University without extending your time to degree.

While this is not an exhaustive list, explore some of the many ways Film & Media can be paired with other disciplines to enhance your academic journey and strengthen your professional preparation:

Visit Cornish College of the Arts

For more than a century, Cornish College of the Arts has inspired artists, performers and designers to push creative boundaries and shape the future of their fields. Today, at Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University, you can experience that legacy firsthand while exploring the studios, performance spaces and collaborative community where creativity comes to life. Schedule a campus visit, take a virtual tour or connect with our admissions team to discover how you can make this historic creative community your own.

Film and Media BFA, BA & Minor

Film and Media BFA, BA & Minor

About this Program

Quick Facts

Program Type

Degree

School

Campus

Learning Format

Duration

Start Date

Credits

Find YOUR Creative Path

At a Glance

Film & Media BFA

Film & Media BA

Film & Media Minor

Core Skills & Techniques

Learning Outcomes

Connect Your Passion to New Possibilities

Explore Facilities

Multimedia Checkout Center

Raisbeck Auditorium

Jon and Mary Shirley Fabrication Studio

Visit Cornish College of the Arts

Film & Media Faculty + Staff