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Tell Stories that Change Culture atDePaul’s School of Cinematic Arts

Develop your creative voice while crafting impactful stories

AT A GLANCE

Creativity With Purpose
Each script and scene challenges you to think expansively

<div class="ck-content"><p>DePaul’s School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) empowers emerging filmmakers and animators to tell inclusive, human-centered stories through craft excellence, critical thinking and community engagement—directly echoing DePaul’s broader Vincentian commitment to academic excellence, real-world experience and systemic change.</p></div>

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RANKINGS AND ACCOLADES

#13

in the U.S, our animation program is where creative breakthroughs and fresh perspectives take flight.

<div class="ck-content"><p><span data-teams="true">Animation Career Review (2025)</span></p></div>

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RANKINGS AND ACCOLADES

30+

focused programs, each anchored in DePaul’s spirit of service and the broader creative movement.

<div class="ck-content"><p>Recognized nationally. Rooted in Chicago’s screen industry.</p></div>

FIND YOUR PATH

School of Cinematic Arts Programs

The future you dream of starts here. Explore cinematic arts programs that open new ways to think, create and lead as they help you bring your future to life.
Animation

<div class="ck-content"><p>DePaul’s Animation program ranks among the best in the nation. In degrees like our BS in Computer Science and Animation, you’ll receive rigorous training in character development, 3D animation, storyboarding, design, game art, VFX, motion graphics, stop-motion and more—giving you the skills you need to shape the future of the craft.</p></div>

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Screenwriting

<div class="ck-content"><p>Work with award-winning screenwriting faculty to hone your craft, find your voice and make your mark. You’ll draft, refine and champion your scripts in table reads, writers’ room simulations, Second City labs and more.</p></div>

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Film and TV Production

<div class="ck-content"><p>Pursue a production career alongside creative, dedicated teams. In every production program at DePaul, you’ll gain hands-on crew experience and work with mentors who are dedicated to furthering your growth.</p></div>

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POST-PRODUCTION AND ANIMATION
Cinematography
Learn the art and technology of visual storytelling using cameras and workflows trusted by professionals.
FILM AND TV PRODUCTION
Production
Sharpen your instincts in a team-based environment, creating alongside peers in live studio scenarios that include comedy films.
FILM AND TV PRODUCTION
Documentary
Tell stories that share inspiring histories, investigate the present and imagine new futures.
FILM AND TV PRODUCTION
Directing
Cultivate your directorial approach, moving ideas from concept to celebrated screenings, while learning what it takes to lead a set.
FILM AND TV PRODUCTION
Creative Producing
Guide projects from inspiration to launch, navigating strategy, budget and team culture. This program culminates in LA, where industry meets artistry.
FILM AND TV PRODUCTION
Production Design
Breathe life into sets and environments, translating storylines into immersive spaces at Cine space.
Post-Production and Animation

<div class="ck-content"><p>You bring the ideas. We provide the spaces and resources you need to record, edit or finish what you’re working on. We’re here to help you bring your vision to life.</p></div>

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POST-PRODUCTION AND ANIMATION
Editing
Find your rhythm in the subtle work where story and emotion are refined in every sequence.
POST-PRODUCTION AND ANIMATION
Sound Design
Craft emotional landscapes, using sound to deepen meaning and unlock new dimensions.
POST-PRODUCTION AND ANIMATION
Visual Effects
Merge innovation and artistry, mastering new tech to create both breathtaking realism and stylized cinematic worlds.
POST-PRODUCTION AND ANIMATION
Visual Production
Engage in boundary-pushing techniques and engineer digital environments that blur the line between real and imagined.
The Art of Comedy
Work with comedy experts

<div class="ck-content"><p>Comedy filmmaking students attend classes at DePaul and The Second City, where they craft and solidify their comedic voice and comedy writing craft under the instruction of professional comedians.</p></div>

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MFA/BFA in COMEDY
Comedy Filmmaking
Take the director’s chair and bring your comic vision to life. Craft shorts and pilots, learn the art of comedic timing from set to editing suite and always keep your unique style at the center.
Read More
MFA IN COMEDY
Comedy Screenwriting
You’ll write with and learn from working comedians. Turn your humor and perspective into sketches, sitcoms and scripts that spark laughter and reflection.
Read More
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RANKINGS AND ACCOLADES

#9

film school in the nation, a distinction awarded by The Hollywood Reporter. The School of Cinematic Arts is where creative breakthroughs become your new standard

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THE STEM LABEL

STEM-Designated Degrees

<div class="ck-content"><p>Build career-ready skills in cutting-edge, tech-transforming global industries in our STEM-designated animation and media arts MS degrees. International students can qualify to extend their post-graduation stay in the United States for Optional Practical Training.</p></div>

Explore STEM Degrees
WEST COAST PROGRAMS

Study in Los Angeles

Access the Hollywood advantage
Live in Los Angeles, study at the legendary Sunset Las Palmas Studios and intern with local production and streaming giants to strengthen your creative skills and access exciting professional opportunities.
LA Programs
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LA PROGRAMS
The LA Quarter
In ten transformative weeks, immerse yourself in a mosaic of projects, courses and fieldwork all designed to strengthen your adaptability and insight and expand your creative connections.
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LA PROGRAMS
MFA in Creative Producing
Spend two years in Los Angeles conceptualizing, budgeting, developing and presenting work that moves audiences everywhere.
Read More
Project Bluelight

<div class="ck-content"><p>Gain hands-on experience in motion picture production with Project Bluelight, a professional motion picture production company that sits within DePaul’s School of Cinematic Arts.</p></div>

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Study Abroad Programs

<div class="ck-content"><p>Our study abroad programs create opportunities to explore global filmmaking. Whether you’re practicing documentary filmmaking in Bollywood, exploring Berlin’s film history or learning about animation in Tokyo, you’ll expand your creative perspectives and return home newly inspired.</p></div>

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Apply to the Schoolof Cinematic Arts

<div class="ck-content"><p>At the School of Cinematic Arts, you’ll work with classmates, build professional and creative skills and see your projects come alive—supported by people who root for you from your first day here. Ready to see how far you can go? Let’s get started.</p></div>

Apply Now