The primary educational objective of the Master of Fine Arts degree with a major in documentary production and studies is the academic, aesthetic and technical training of documentary production professionals. In addition, the MFA degree is now the primary terminal degree for production faculty at college and university programs in the United States. This program emphasizes documentary production and studies and allows students to consider their roles in a globalized media environment.

The MFA requires 60 credit hours and will take approximately three years to complete.

Degree requirements

Students must successfully complete a minimum of 60 semester hours: 36 hours of required courses, including 6 hours of MFA colloquium; 6 hours of prescribed electives; 12 hours of electives; and 6 hours of thesis. In addition, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.25 while in the program. Any student whose GPA drops below this level will be placed on probation for one semester. If at the end of the probationary semester, the student’s GPA has not been raised to a 3.25 or better, the student will be subject to program dismissal. While only 6 credit hours of colloquium will count toward the degree, continuous enrollment in MRTS 5804  is required until successful defense of the MFA thesis. A grade below C in any non-elective, prescribed, required course applied to the degree may result in the student’s removal from the program. A grade below C in any elective course applied to the degree will result in departmental probation, with one semester allowed for replacement of failing grade with same or different elective course applied to the degree. Failure to do so may result in the student’s removal from the program, effective posting of the degree.

Thesis production

The capstone experience for each MFA candidate, the thesis is a major creative production (6 semester credit hours). A substantial written production book is to accompany the work and should include historical/theoretical context for the production, in addition to detailed documentation of the production process. The thesis should illustrate the student’s ability to successfully execute professional-level production work of high quality, in addition to demonstrating the student’s knowledge of production techniques and historical/theoretical perspective.

Transfer credits

Policies and guidelines of the Toulouse Graduate School are followed when awarding transfer credit. Subject to approval of the graduate dean and the MRTS department, a student who holds a bachelor’s degree and has been admitted to the Toulouse Graduate School and to the Media Arts MFA program at UNT, may apply up to 12 semester hours of graduate credit toward the degree. MA students may transfer up to 9 semester hours of graduate credit toward the degree.