The 6 Best Online Bachelors in Film Production Degree Programs

We live in a culture where millions of people turn towards the digital realm for work, leisure, and entertainment. And with so many stories to tell and many ways to tell those stories, film is a medium that utilizes a myriad of artistic forms and modalities through which and by which to tell those stories. Whether you’re creating a narrative for a V-logger, writing a screenplay for a television commercial, or have dreams to work on a feature length production, there are a number of skills you will need to turn your story into a film. We selected the best online bachelor’s degrees in film production to help you get started in the career of your dreams. These programs are now possible online simply because technology finally caught up. Just like at a brick and mortar campus, you will be able to work on teams with your peers to create projects. You’ll learn about film history, the psychology of play, and how to light a set. These programs will guide you through all of the steps of production and you will never once have to set foot on campus. Some programs will equip you with a camera and laptop as well. The following online bachelor’s degrees were selected because of their affordable tuition rates, flexible format, and their high levels of academic prestige.
Methodology:

• Affordability (1/3): the estimated out-of-state (if applicable) tuition per credit hour.
• Flexibility-enhancing components (1/3): The number of flexibility-enhancing elements specific to the degree program including teaching philosophy concentrations, degree specialties, prior learning or life experience crediting options, accelerated or self-paced courses, personalized student advisement/guidance, and competency-based credit options.
• Academic Quality (1/3): The academic prestige of the parent institution operationally defined through the analyses of the rankings/reviews of prominent education review entities such as US News & World Report and The Princeton Review.

1.)Arizona State University

Arizona State University is a public research university that is a trail blazer when it comes to online education and has five campuses located across the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area. U.S. News ranked Arizona State #1 for Most Innovative School above Stanford and MIT! Additionally, it ranks 61st for top public schools and 129th in the nation for the best graduate school. A number of both faculty and students are Fulbright scholars. Other accolades include their top accounting programs, international business, high school counselor degree, management degree, undergraduate engineering programs, and many more. We love ASU for it’s internationally recognized Nobel Prize-winning faculty, great value, and endless flexible online opportunities. The online degrees are vast and unique and including fields of study like anthropology, communications, global leadership, social policy, and film. The Wall Street Journal recognizes ASU for the quality of graduates that emerge from their programming.

Arizona State University offers a B.A. in Film & Media Studies. There are 39 classes in total and each is 7.5 weeks long. ASU utilizes a liberal arts curriculum which is embedded withint the film and media studies course. Students begin their degree with an introduction to film and continue with a introduction to new media and film history as well as television and cultural studies, and race and gender in American film. We selected this program for the flexability afforded in its design. Students are encouraged to take a number of elective courses to further tailor this degree to suit their interests and passions. Students are encouraged to join professional organizations as well as explore internships. We also like the high value education you receive with an online degree from Arizona State. The cost for tuition is $518 per credit hour and this course requires 120 credit hours for completion.

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• Estimated out-of-state tuition per credit: $518

2.)Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a private non-profit university with more than 3,000 on-campus students and more than 80,000 online students. SNHU is one of the fastest-growing institutions in the country. The New England Association of Schools and Colleges accredits SNHU to award hundreds of associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees as well as professional certificates. G.I. Jobs regularly recognizes its military friendly status, and U.S. News ranks SNHU as the 101st best university in the region and the number 1 “most innovative school. Fast Company named Southern New Hampshire University the 12th most innovative organizations in the world. Online degree are offered in fields that rage from business graphic design. SNHU continues to evolve and grow by providing flexible and affordable quality education. Students not only have access to myriad of online options, they also have access to a wide variety of online student support services that help make graduation a reality.

Southern New Hampshire University offers a BA in Creative Writing and English with an emphasis in Screenwriting. This program will focus on story structure, character development and how that incorporates in the the visual medium of film. Student will learn to write full length feature films, as well as short films, television, and more. If transferring in, SNHU offers a generous 90 credit transfer allowance. The curriculum is comprehensive and includes an introduction to the humaniteis, creative writing, a course on Shakespeare and several intermediate and advanced screenwriting workshops. We selected this program for its high quality academics and flexible format. Students of this program may take as many as 33 elective credit hours. This program is also affordable. The cost is $380 per credit hour and requires 120 credit hours for completion.

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• Estimated out-of-state tuition per credit: $320

3.)Academy of Art University

The Academy of Art University (AAU) is a private 4-year institution located in San Francisco, California. There are 12,608 students enrolled and the student-to-faculty ratio is 14:1. The Western Association of Schools and College and the National Association of Schools of Arts and Design accredits AAU to award associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. Originally founded in 1929 as a school for advertising AAU now includes a number of the other visual and performing arts like acting, art education, animation, fashion, industrial design, visual development and more. When it comes to online fine arts programs, it is difficult to find an institution that offers more fully online degrees. In fact, there are over 80 degrees and certifications available online including journalism, animation, cinematography and film/video production, costume design and more. A new component to their programming is the inclusion of design and its place in social media. We like AAU for its unique online design-centric offerings.

The Academy of Art University offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts in from their famous School of Motion Pictures and Television. The core components of this program include cinematic storytelling, editing, light, Avid fundamentals, cinematography, production, sound design concepts, directing and more. Student will learn to craft a short film and learn to write shorts for production. Embedded within the core curriculum are the general education requirements like writing, composition, and more. These courses are engaging and work in tandem with the core film courses. All students culminate their BFA with a studio-standard filmmaker portfolio. We selected this program for is quality, flexibility and affordability. The cost for this program is just $219 per credit hour and requires 132 credit hours for completion.

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• Estimated out-of-state tuition per credit: $219

4.)Grand Canyon University

Grand Canyon University is a for-profit Christian research university that is based in Phoenix, Arizona. There are 75,834 students enrolled and the student to faculty ratio is just 19:1. The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission to offer bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. There are eight colleges that offer academic programming in areas like business, education, nursing and health care, fine arts and production, theology, and doctoral studies. Online, Grand Canyon University offers an impressive number of degrees that range from the bachelor’s to doctoral level including a PhD in psychology among several others. There are also a large number of theology degrees offered completely online. We like Grand Canyon University for its accelerated online programming, and affordable flexible offerings.

Grand Canyon University offers a B.A. in Digital Film with an Emphasis in Production. Online classes are just 7-weeks in length and up to 90 credit hours may be transferred. Students who select this program learn and experience the art of film production both theoretically and though a hands-on approach. A number of projects are completed in teams of learners where you’ll learn the art of film in cohorts. The core curriculum includes film history, digital video production, music video/ documentary production, cinematography, cinema directing and more. We selected this program for its great comprehensive academic offerings, flexible format, and affordable tuition rates. The cost for this program is $470 per credit hour and requires 120 credit hours for completion.

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• Estimated out-of-state tuition per credit: $470

5.)Los Angeles Film School

Los Angeles Film School (LAFS) is a private 4-year institution located in Hollywood, California. There are 3,128 students enrolled and the student to faculty ratio is 23:1. The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges accredits LAFS to award associate and bachelor’s degrees. As a film school LAFS focuses on a number of degree programs specific to the industry. Located in Hollywood means that students have access to professors with real world experience that is current and cutting edge. LAFS provides course material in audio production, music production, film, animation, entertainment business, and more. There are 4 great online options available as well in fields like film, design, and management. The online Learning Management System is state-of-the-art and is used to view course content and remain in collaboration with peers.

LAFS offers a B.S. in Digital Film making. Students are equipped with a camera package as well as an Apple computer containing selected Apple Pro Apps like Final Cut Prof and the entire Adobe Creative Cloud. Your camera will be a a Sony FS-5 Digital Cinema Camera. In this program you’ll receive training in directing, screenwriting, cinematography, sound design, editing and more. The curriculum is sequenced so that students begin with digital literacy, the psychology of play, and film history and then moves into writing lighting and cinematography. The course continues with production including directing post production and story development, documentary production, and more. All students will learn to develop a creative portfolio as their final experience. We like this bachelor’s for the relevant exciting quality academics that are offered, its flexible online format as well as the affordable tuition rates. The cost of this program is $425 per credit hours and requires 120 credit hours for completion.

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• Estimated out-of-state tuition per credit: $425

6.)Full Sail University

Full Sail University began as a recording workshop in Dayton, Ohio before moving to Orange County, Florida to become a career school for the creative arts. There are 19,443 students enrolled and the student-to-faculty ratio is 23:1. The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges accredits Full Sail to offer associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees in film computer animation, design audio engineering and others. Technology and creativity go hand-in-hand at Full Sail with a program developed in 2010 knowns as the Sports Lab a program with ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World. There’s also a new VR/AR Lab focused on emerging technologies. Education at Full Sail is accelerated and programs are known to be completed in as little as half the time of traditional universities. Some bachelor’s degrees may be completed in as little as 20- 36 months.

The Film & Television School at Full Sail University offers a B.S. in Digital Cinematography. Don’t let the name fool you, this is a comprehensive film studies undergraduate degree that includes a portfolio project on digital cinematography. This program is designed to equip students for a career in entertainment and media. The program will look at script development all the way to post production. The delivery format is online and will take 29 month to complete. This accelerated online bachelor’s is best suited to full-time students. The curriculum is sequenced so that students first learn about creative presentation and the psychology of play and move on to visual arts and media. Components of a liberal arts curriculum like art history and English composition are embedded within the course material. Students continue to learn about fundamentals of production, lighting location and more. We selected this course for its comprehensive and high quality film-specific academic courses and affordable rate. The cost for this program is $534 per credit hour and requires 120 credit hour for completion.

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• Estimated out-of-state tuition per credit: $534