Best filmmaking schools in Texas 2022/23. Whether you want to be a filmmaker, or just want to know more about the industry, film school is one of the best ways to learn. You can go straight into the workforce without going to college or university, but it’s often better if you do have some formal education before entering a field that requires so much creativity and self-expression.
Best filmmaking schools in Texas 2022/23
Here are 20 universities in Texas where you can study filmmaking:-
Southwestern University, Georgetown
Southwestern University is a private, Christian liberal arts university located in Georgetown, Texas. The university has an enrollment of about 2,700 students and offers undergraduate degrees in more than 50 majors.
The school was founded in 1873 as Southwestern Presbyterian University, originally offering only a college preparatory curriculum and teacher training programs. In 1903 it changed its name to Southwestern University and began offering Bachelors degrees in Arts & Sciences. The school has grown significantly over the years with more than 5 million dollars being invested into new facilities over the past decade alone!
Southwestern is well known for their great faculty who have published numerous books on film theory or film history – here’s just one example: https://www.amazon.com/Films-Genres-Auteurs-American-Cinema/dp/1581147400
Texas State University, San Marcos
A public research university located in San Marcos, Texas State offers a BA in Media Arts and Sciences and an MS in Digital Filmmaking. The school also houses one of the biggest film festivals in the country the 46th annual Southwest International Film Festival which takes place each spring at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine – El Paso (TTUHSC at El Paso)
Offering both undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as extended medical education programs, TTUHSC at El Paso is committed to preparing future physicians for practice through hands-on learning experiences that are not available at other schools. Graduates from this program will be able to enter residency programs across the country upon graduation from medical school.
Texas A&M University, College Station
The film program at Texas A&M is located in the College of Communication and Information. The school has a strong reputation and offers undergraduate degrees in both filmmaking and broadcast journalism. The film program focuses on documentary films, but also includes courses on editing, cinematography, directing and producing. Students can take advantage of internship opportunities with local production companies during their time at Texas A&M University.
University of Houston, Houston
The University of Houston, located in Houston, Texas, is a public research university within the University of Houston System. The University of Houston is classified as a Doctoral Research University by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
UH has more than 52,000 students and awards over 4 thousand degrees every year. It has six colleges including Architecture; Law; Education; Business Administration; Engineering; Natural Sciences & Mathematics and Liberal Arts & Social Sciences.
Texas Tech University, Lubbock
Texas Tech University is a public research university located primarily in Lubbock, Texas. It is the oldest public institution of higher learning in the state, founded in 1923 as Texas Technological College. The school was originally a part of the Texas Tech University System and became a separate institution from it after growing into an independent university with multiple campuses, including locations throughout the United States and one campus in Qatar.
The main campus is home to over 34,000 students each year who enjoy studying in fields like engineering (one of its most popular majors), mathematics and business administration (two other popular degree programs). You’ll also find plenty of clubs on campus that cater to everything from arts and culture to sports activities like lacrosse or rodeo riding!
Other notable schools include: Rice University – Houston; Southern Methodist University – Dallas; St Edward’s University – Austin; Southwestern Adventist University – Keeneyville
Southern Methodist University (SMU), Dallas
SMU is a private university in Dallas, Texas. The school offers undergraduate and graduate degrees through the Meadows School of the Arts, which includes a film program. Students enrolled in this program learn to create content for film and television production, as well as digital media arts (DMA).
The DMA curriculum covers both foundational skills such as screenwriting and directing and emerging ones like virtual reality, augmented reality and 3D animation. Students can also specialize in creative producing with cross-disciplinary work available to those interested in interactive advertising or gaming design.
SMU’s undergraduate program offers an option for double majors through its co-op system; students who opt for this route take courses from both SMU’s film department as well as other fields related to their interests (such as business or communications).
The University of Texas at Austin, Austin
UT is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was established in 1883 as “The University of Texas” and is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. The institution has the seventh-largest single-campus enrollment in the nation, with over 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students and over 24,000 faculty and staff.
Sam Houston State University, Huntsville
Sam Houston State University is a public university in Huntsville, Texas. It was founded in 1879 as Sam Houston Normal Institute and has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students.
Sam Houston State University is part of the Texas State University System and offers more than 100 bachelor’s degrees and master’s degrees through its seven colleges.
Baylor University, Waco
Baylor University is a private research university in Waco, Texas. It was founded in 1845 by members of the Baptist church and currently has about 14,000 undergraduate students and 7,000 graduate students. As a Christian institution, Baylor’s mission statement is to “develop student leaders dedicated to learning and service” and its educational philosophy emphasizes freedom for students’ personal lives as well as academic pursuits.
Baylor’s film program offers two degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Digital Media or a Master of Arts in Cinema Studies (which allows you to specialize). Both programs feature excellent faculty who have worked on films like O Brother Where Art Thou? and HBO productions such as Deadwood; they also regularly host workshops with successful industry professionals to help train film majors in various aspects of their craft.
Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches
Stephen F. Austin State University is a public research university located in Nacogdoches, Texas, United States. Stephen F. Austin State University is classified as a doctoral degree-granting university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
The 2011 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” ranked it #1 for being a ‘Best Value’ among Southern regional universities and #7 nationally among public master’s universities with an undergraduate enrollment between 8,000 and 15,000 students (based on fall 2009 data).
Lamar University, Beaumont
Lamar University is a public university in Beaumont, Texas. It was founded in 1923 as San Jacinto Junior College and was part of the higher education system of the city of Houston until it became independent from that city’s government in 1964. Lamar University is now a member of the Texas State University System.
Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls
As a public university in Wichita Falls, Midwestern State University is one of the best filmmaking schools in Texas. The school was founded in 1923 as Wichita Falls Junior College and was renamed Midwestern State University in 1975. Today it has an enrollment of approximately 8,000 students and offers bachelor’s degrees in more than 50 different fields.
The school’s Division of Film and Digital Media offers students an Associate of Arts degree in Film and Digital Media Production as well as Bachelor’s Degrees in:
- Film Production (BFA)
- Game Development (BFA)
Students can choose between two career paths after graduation: they can become filmmakers or video game developers!
The Art Institute of Dallas, Dallas
The Art Institute of Dallas is a branch of the Art Institute of Houston, which itself is a branch of the much larger Art Institutes system. The Art Institute of Dallas offers a Bachelor of Science in Filmmaking and Digital Media. This program includes courses like Acting for Film, Cinematography and Lighting, Digital Cinematography and Editing, and Screenwriting.
The school also offers an Associate’s Degree in Filmmaking that students can complete before moving on to their bachelor’s degree program or use as preparation for transferring into other schools’ programs.
Abilene Christian University (ACU), Abilene
ACU is one of the best schools for film in Texas. The school has a strong program that offers students a BA in Cinema and Television Arts, making it an ideal place to get your degree in film. ACU’s film program is ranked #4 in the state by Niche, and its alumni have gone on to work on films like Toy Story 3 and Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.
The university also has a wide variety of film equipment available for student use through its Motion Picture Department, including cameras such as RED Epic Dragon 6K cameras or Sony F5s. After you’ve taken advantage of all this equipment, make sure you check out the rest of Abilene Christian University’s campus!
The Art Institute of Austin – a branch of the Art Institute of Houston (AIH), Austin
The Art Institute of Austin is a branch of the Art Institute of Houston (AIH), and it’s located in Austin, Texas. The school offers a Bachelor of Science in Film and Video Production. Students can choose one of two specializations:
- Film Production
- Video Editing and Motion Graphics
The curriculum focuses on technical skills (camera techniques, lighting design, studio production) as well as creative concepts like storytelling and storyboarding.
Texas Woman’s University (TWU), Denton
It’s easy to see why Texas Woman’s University is one of the best filmmaking schools in Texas. It has an interesting history, but today it’s notable for its strong film program. TWU offers a BFA in Film and Video Production as well as a minor in Film Studies. Students can also take classes in cinematography, animation, digital filmmaking and more.
Another reason TWU might be your best bet? The university has an active student culture of art lovers—both on campus and off—with a vibrant art department that includes courses like “The Art of Japanese Manga.” The music program at this small liberal arts school also stands out thanks to its unique offerings: students can major or minor in studio guitar or jazz studies with instruments ranging from saxophones to violins!
Where can I study film in Texas?
If you’re looking to study film in Texas, there are a few options. Texas State University, San Marcos offers a BA in Film and Media Studies and an MFA in Digital Filmmaking. Southwestern University has an undergraduate BA in Cinema Studies as well as a graduate certificate program in Screenwriting.
Texas A&M University’s College of Liberal Arts has an undergraduate major called the Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (AHSS) which is specifically designed for students interested in combining disciplines like political science with photography or art history with English literature.
The University of Houston’s Department of Art offers both BAs and MAs; its School of Theatre & Dance offers BAs as well as MFAs (with concentrations such as Acting); its Department of Radio-Television-Film also offers several degrees including both BS degrees along with MS/PhD programs focused on areas such as television production or documentary filmmaking.
Stephen F Austin State University’s Department Of Communication Studies has programs like Film Studies that offer minors or certificates along with BS degrees specializing in specific areas such as screenwriting or film production management; SFA also offers graduate degrees including MA/MS programs alongside PhD programs if you want to focus on teaching at the college level rather than being out making movies yourself! Baylor University’s Department Of Religion & Culture studies courses that focus on Biblical Studies but also include topics such as Film Theory–so if religion isn’t already your thing then maybe these classes might change your mind about what religion means when it comes into contact with media today!
Which degree is best for filmmaking?
If you want the best education possible and want to pursue a career in filmmaking, then you’ll need to consider getting an undergraduate or graduate degree. There are several degrees that are offered at these schools, but which one is right for you? Below is a list of some of the most popular and common degrees:
- Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Film Studies – This degree focuses on analyzing movies and other moving images as art forms, with emphasis on their cultural significance and historical context. The BA doesn’t teach students how to make films themselves; rather, it teaches them about film studies so they can understand it better when watching movies or TV shows.
- MFA – This stands for Master of Fine Art, which means that this is a graduate-level degree program that focuses on creative writing skills such as screenwriting or cinematography (and sometimes animation). With an MFA degree from one of these schools in Texas, graduates will be able to either get jobs working on commercials/music videos/movies themselves or they may become teachers who teach classes related to filmmaking at other universities — either way it’s beneficial because knowing how your favorite media was made will help make sense out its meaning!
Is Texas State good for film?
The Texas State University System is a mid-sized public university system that includes several notable colleges and schools. One such school, the Texas State University School of Film, Television, and Theatre Arts offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in film production.
In addition to the undergraduate program, there are also graduate programs available at TSU: Master of Fine Arts in screenwriting; Master of Fine Arts in producing; Master of Fine Arts in directing; and an MFA/MBA degree.
TSU also has an Entertainment Industries Studies major which combines elements from a number of different disciplines including business management, communications and marketing as well as filmmaking skillsets like scriptwriting and technical direction. This program can be completed online or on campus at TSU’s San Marcos campus.
Is film school worth the money?
Unlike most people, I didn’t go to film school. Instead, I got a degree in English and went to work as an editor at a TV station.
In my case, going to film school or taking classes after high school would have been a waste of time and money. But this isn’t true for everyone! In fact, if you’re looking for a career in filmmaking—which is not easy to do—enrolling in one of these programs will certainly help your chances of getting hired by someone else who’s willing to take a chance on you. However…
If your goal is simply to make movies for fun or satisfy your own curiosity about how those things work (like me), then perhaps it’s best just to learn on your own—for free!
Conclusion
If you want to study film in Texas, there are plenty of options. You can choose from a variety of schools with different programs and degrees. It’s important to consider factors like location and cost when choosing which school is right for you. As always, if you have any additional questions about filmmaking degrees or schools in Texas please feel free to contact us anytime!