Documentary
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.
Study in Chicago
We see the world as your stage and we love our location. Chicago is home to one of the most involved and connected documentary communities across the nation and DePaul’s faculty has deep connections with production powerhouses like Kartemquin Educational Films (The Interrupters, Hoop Dreams, Life Itself), The Kindling Group (Radical Grace, The Calling, @Home) and Towers Productions. Come tour our urban campus to see for yourself the unique advantage we have in bringing the industry to you.
Curriculum Requirements
No Introductory course may be substituted for any other course at any level.
First Year
- Fall Quarter
- Winter Quarter
- Spring Quarter
Second Year
- Fall Quarter
- DOC 482 The Personal Documentary
- 1 Major Elective
- Winter Quarter
- Spring Quarter
- DOC 426 Documentary Producing
- 1 Major Elective
Third Year
- Fall Quarter
- Winter Quarter
- 1 Open Elective
- 1 Major Elective
Major Electives
Students will choose among the following (8 credit hours):
- DOC 439 Topics in Documentary Production Workshop
- DOC 496 Advanced Topics in Documentary
- FILM 480 Project Bluelight (Formerly DC 480)
- FILM 493 Topics in Study Abroad (Formerly DC 496)
- MCS 541 Audio Documentary
- MCS 544 Topics in Documentary Studies
- SOC 417 Ethnographic Documentary Film Production
- JOUR 504 Multimedia News Production
- DMA 535 Storytelling Across Media
- ART 489 Video Art
Open Electives
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 in the MFA thesis project. This project is the culmination of the 8 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 and 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 a member of the Documentary Program Committee.
- 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 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. Students will begin developing their idea in their second year. They can use their major classes to work on thesis, including DOC Producing, DOC 3 and an independent study with Thesis advisor.
FILM 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 this 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 all 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.
