MFA in Media Arts Production
Create bold work that redefines media
The MFA program has a long history of teaching and researching independent and experimental media forms. Our faculty is committed to preparing students to engage with the new media forms and formats of the 21st century with courses about: film studies, film and video production, media studies, interactive media, computational media and physical computing, media networks and web-based media.
The Department of Media Study is nationally recognized for experimental and independent media. Faculty are award-winning artists and scholars working across film, video, sound art, games, robotics, interactive fiction, documentary practice, digital poetics and critical spatial practices.
At UB, you will:
- Work closely with faculty mentors who are active artists and researchers
- Engage experimental and radical approaches to media
- Study both production and theory
- Develop work that responds to new media forms and formats of the 21st century
- Join a community of artists committed to thoughtful, critical practice
As part of a flagship public research university, you gain access to interdisciplinary collaboration across the arts and sciences while living in an affordable city with a strong arts community.
Degree type: Master of Fine Arts
Field: Media Arts Production
Program length: Designed to be completed in three years
The MFA culminates in a thesis that includes:
- A substantial media project
- A written component that situates your work within the field
Early in the program, you select a primary faculty mentor who guides your coursework and artistic direction. At the end of the first year, you present your progress to faculty and receive structured feedback. As your thesis develops, you build a committee that supports your creative and scholarly work.
Funding Opportunities
Graduate education is a significant investment, and funding can play an important role in making it possible. Graduate students at the University at Buffalo have access to a range of funding options that support coursework, teaching, research and professional development. Opportunities vary by degree level and stage of study.
Students gain exposure to multiple forms of media production while developing deep expertise in one or more areas. Production courses build technical, aesthetic and methodological skill. Media history and theory courses help you situate your work within broader artistic and cultural conversations.
The curriculum includes:
- Production coursework
- Media history, theory and interpretation
- Graduate seminars
- Directed electives
- Required coursework outside Media Study
- Thesis and project credits
Students track their progress through UB’s Academic Advising Report and work closely with advisors to ensure requirements are met.
The MFA is structured to give you independence while maintaining close mentorship. This balance prepares you to sustain a professional artistic practice beyond graduate school.
Graduates of the MFA in Media Arts Production will:
- Demonstrate the ability to work productively as an artist in university, local, national and international contexts
- Master knowledge and technologies in the field and apply theoretical concepts to their own artistic research
- Develop strong critical research and writing skills
- Produce a significant media arts project that demonstrates advanced expertise
- Sustain artistic productivity through exhibitions, performances and professional participation
- Build professional foundations through teaching, internships, fellowships and grant applications
These outcomes prepare you for long-term creative practice and leadership in the field.
The MFA is a terminal degree in media arts. Graduates pursue careers as:
- Independent media artists
- Filmmakers and media producers
- Creative professionals in studios, networks and nonprofits
- Faculty members and instructors in colleges and universities
The program is especially suited for artists whose primary focus is media art making, with a secondary focus on critically situating their work within the field.
If you are ready to produce ambitious work, challenge conventions and join a serious community of media artists, the MFA in Media Arts Production offers the structure and mentorship to move your practice forward.
