The International Student Blog

National University, long famous for its flexible, online programs, is finding new ways to meet student needs. Although National University’s 70 degree programs are available online – meaning that you can pursue your degree from home with classes that work around your schedule – National University is now joining the growing ranks of Performing Art Schools in the US with its hybrid Master of Fine Arts (MFA) programs.

By offering its two MFA programs – one in Digital Cinema and the other in Professional Screenwriting – through this hybrid format, National University continues its efforts to make higher education accessible for all. While still emphasizing the flexibility of online classes, these hybrid programs offer the majority of their courses online but uniquely require an intensive residency at the Los Angeles campus in order to foster the kind of hands-on experience that comes from classroom-based learning

Master of Fine Arts in Digital Cinema

In addition to the nineteen classes available online, Digital Cinema candidates must participate in the three course residency program that takes place at National University’s Los Angeles campus. In total, the entire residency lasts one month. However, only the Production Management Practicum is a full month long – the other two classes (Production and Postproduction) are taught consecutively (for two weeks each, one after the other). Taken together, these workshops are designed to provide aspiring filmmakers with actual production experience using professional equipment in a real-world, collaborative environment.

Master of Fine Arts in Professional Screenwriting

Like the Digital Cinema program, the Professional Screenwriting program requires students to participate in an on-site practicum at the Los Angeles campus. Designed to prepare students to work in a variety of capacities, over the course of the program students may choose from one of three tracks: screenwriting, television writing, or transmedia writing. As a result of this concentration, candidates complete two full-length screenplays (or equivalent) as well as an aesthetic statement reflecting their artistic development during their enrollment.

Although both programs are offered full-time at the National University Los Angeles campus, these two programs offer an exciting opportunity for international students. Because of their emphasis on a hybrid learning system, students can complete their coursework from their home country while still gaining hands-on experience in the American market. In the end, no matter where you are in the world, with National University’s hybrid system it’s the best both!

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 11th, 2012 at 2:58 pm and is filed under International Student. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Written by Jenny Frankel

Jennifer is the Director of Financial Services at Envisage International. Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Florida where she holds a Masters in International Business and a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. She has lived and worked abroad in Chile, Costa Rica and London, and traveled extensively in South America, Europe and Asia.

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