Film, Video & Photographic Arts

Types of Degrees Film, Video & Photographic Arts Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many film, video and photographic arts graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	1,610
Graduate Certificate	48
Doctor’s Degree	46

What Film, Video & Photographic Arts Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to film were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Film Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in film should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills for Film Majors

When studying film, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Abilities for Film Majors

A major in film will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

What Can You Do With a Film, Video & Photographic Arts Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with film:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Art, Drama, and Music Professors	12.0%	$69,960
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Motion Picture	7.2%	$54,570
Communications Professors	10.0%	$68,910
Directors- Stage, Motion Pictures, Television, and Radio	12.2%	$71,680
Film and Video Editors	17.0%	$62,650
Producers	12.2%	$71,680
Program Directors	12.2%	$71,680
Technical Directors/Managers	12.2%	$71,680

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Film, Video & Photographic Arts?

According to recent stats this major attracts about equal numbers of men and women. Roughly 53% of the graduates are women, and 47% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of film majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	73
Black or African American	203
Hispanic or Latino	138
White	499
International Students	572
Other Races/Ethnicities	125

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Film, too. About 35.5% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• South Korea
• India
• Brazil
• Mexico

How Much Do Film, Video & Photographic Arts Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in film was $29,896 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $27,088 (25th percentile) and $35,093 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in film, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $61,750 to $86,830 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to film. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Film, Video & Photographic Arts

Some careers associated with film require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to film have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	1.8%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	10.5%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	4.0%
Some College Courses	8.5%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	11.4%
Bachelor’s Degree	35.6%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	0.2%
Master’s Degree	17.9%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.4%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	1.3%
Doctoral Degree	8.6%
Post-Doctoral Training	1.0%

Online Film, Video & Photographic Arts Programs

In 2020-2021, 651 schools offered a film program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	87	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	8	2
Associate’s Degree	205	9
Bachelor’s Degree	20	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	136	6
Post-Master’s	4	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	19	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Film, Video & Photographic Arts Worth It?

The median salary for a film grad is $78,090 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 96% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $763,800 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Film, Video & Photographic Arts

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to film.

Major	Number of Grads
Music	7,675
Fine & Studio Arts	3,224
Design & Applied Arts	1,979
Drama & Theater Arts	1,699
Arts & Media Management	1,184
General Visual & Performing Arts	390
Dance	257
Other Visual Art	254
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry	13

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.