Film Production major
Film Production: courses, careers, and where to study
Film Production teaches the craft of making moving images, from screenwriting and directing to cinematography, editing, and sound, for students who want hands-on, collaborative creative work.
A Film Production major, usually a bachelor's degree, covers screenwriting, directing, cinematography, lighting, sound design, editing, and producing, alongside film history, theory, and analysis. Most programs are studio-based and project-driven: students rotate through crew roles on short films, build a portfolio or reel, and complete a thesis film or capstone production. Many programs let students concentrate in an area such as directing, cinematography, editing, documentary, or producing.
Graduates work on the crews of film, television, streaming, advertising, and corporate or independent productions, often starting in assistant or below-the-line roles (production assistant, assistant editor, camera assistant) and advancing with credits and experience. Producing and directing careers are typically built over years of on-set work and networking rather than entering directly after graduation. Some students pursue an MFA in film to deepen craft, build a network, or move toward teaching.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of producers and directors is projected to grow 4.9% from 2024 to 2034, and the typical entry-level education for the occupation is a bachelor's degree. Because the field is credit- and reputation-driven, many film production graduates piece together freelance and contract work early on before settling into a specialty.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Film Production maps to CIP 50.0602, Cinematography and Film/Video Production, within the VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS family. The official definition:
A program that prepares individuals to communicate dramatic information, ideas, moods, and feelings through the making and producing of films and videos. Includes instruction in theory of film, film technology and equipment operation, film production, film directing, film editing, cinematographic art, film audio, techniques for making specific types of films and/or videos, media technologies, computer image making, multi-media production, and the planning and management of film/video operations.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Film Production is awarded as
Of the 9,152 Film Production credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate13%1,217
- Associate10%937
- Bachelor's65%5,983
- Graduate11%1,015
This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 26 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 34 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2023-24, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Screenwriting and story structure for the screen
- Directing actors and on-set leadership
- Cinematography, camera operation, and lighting
- Editing and post-production workflows (nonlinear editing software)
- Sound recording, design, and mixing
- Producing: scheduling, budgeting, and managing a production
- Film history, theory, and critical analysis
- Thesis film or capstone production and building a reel
Typical careers
- Producers and directors
- Film and Video Editor
- Cinematographer / Camera Operator
- Production Assistant
- Screenwriter
- Documentary Filmmaker
Typical salary range: BLS reports a 2024 median wage of $83,480 for producers and directors; film production graduates typically start in lower-paid assistant or crew roles and earn more as credits and experience accumulate.Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Film Production, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Producers and Directors | $83,480 | 12,800 | +4.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | $80,190 | 9,000 | +1.7% | Master's degree |
| Film and Video Editors | $70,980 | 3,600 | +4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film | $68,810 | 2,900 | +1.2% | Bachelor's degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 4 of these 4 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Film Production does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Film Production major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Film Production program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Film Production department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Film Production program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Film Production credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- New York UniversityNY · 525
- Emerson CollegeMA · 470
- Savannah College of Art and DesignGA · 348
- New York Film AcademyCA · 347
- DePaul UniversityIL · 304
- Chapman UniversityCA · 274
- Columbia College ChicagoIL · 237
- University of Central FloridaFL · 235
- University of Southern CaliforniaCA · 233
- Miami Dade CollegeFL · 181
- Loyola Marymount UniversityCA · 173
- Los Angeles Film SchoolCA · 163
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Film Production credentials were awarded
16 states have a distinct enough set of Film Production colleges to be worth its own page.
Search Film Production schools by state
Related majors
Communications
Communications studies how messages move through media, combining writing, public speaking, and media analysis with hands-on training in PR, journalism, broadcasting, or strategic communication.
Photography
Photography combines technical camera and lighting craft with visual storytelling and post-production, suited to students who want to build a portfolio across editorial, commercial, or fine-art work.
Graphic Design
Graphic Design teaches students to communicate ideas visually through typography, layout, and imagery, suiting people who want to combine creativity with craft across print and digital media.
Journalism
Journalism teaches students to report, write, and verify news across print, broadcast, and digital media, suiting people drawn to research, storytelling, and the public interest.
Music
Music combines performance, theory, and history with applied study on a primary instrument or voice, suiting students who want formal training in composing, performing, or teaching music.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Film Production degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Arts, Design & Media careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Education & Library careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Film Production degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Film Production path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.