Designed for those who are interested in exploring careers as filmmakers and content creators in all sectors of the industry, the Entertainment Studies Certificate is ideal for students who possess a passion for entertainment and prefer to shape their own program from a wide variety of areas, including acting, directing, and producing.
Application & Candidacy Fee: $200*
Estimated Program Tuition: $8,940
Estimated Cost of Textbook/Materials: $550
Duration: 1 year (Full-Time pace) to 3 years
Unit Requirement: 48
Minimum GPA Requirement for Certificate Completion: 3.0
*This program is open admission. The Application & Candidacy fee establishes your candidacy in a certificate for a period of time covering normal progress toward completion and allows you access to a variety of program benefits.
The program is open for enrollment in any quarter for both domestic and F-1 Visa students.
To apply for and establish your candidacy in the Entertainment Studies Certificate click here!
Course scheduling and fees subject to change without notice.
The Entertainment Studies Certificate offers maximum flexibility in scheduling. When selecting courses, it is recommended that students select 1 foundation course and 1 or more courses from the required areas of study each quarter. Remaining units are met with electives.
Please note that required courses will only count once toward the overall unit requirement for the certificate program.
Program at a Glance
4 Foundation Courses (16 units)
| Course No. | Title | Units | Fall | Winter | Spring | Summer |
| FILM TV X 404 Pre-Production and Production for Film and Television + | 4 | R/O/I | I/O | R/O/I/H(I) | R/O/I |
| FILM TV X 404A Post-Production for Film and Television | 4 | I/O | I/R/O | R/O/I | O/H(I) |
| MGMT X 403.31 The Business of Entertainment | 4 | I/R/O | I/R/O | R/O/I | O/H(I)/R |
| FILM TV X 476.581 The Language of Filmmaking | 4 | I/O | I/O | R/O/I | I/O |
1 Acting Course (4 units)
| X 400-X 499 Select 1 Acting Course | 4 | R/O/I | R/O/I | R/O/I | R/O/I |
1 Cinematography Course (4 units)
| X 400-X 499 Select 1 Cinematography Course | 4 | R/O/I | R/O/I | R/O/I | R/O/I |
1 Directing Course (4 units)
| X 400-X 499 Select 1 Directing Course | 4 | R/O/I | R/O/I | R/O/I | R/O/I |
1 Development Course (4 units)
| X 400-X 499 Select 1 Entertainment Development Course | 4 | R/O/I | R/O/I | R/O/I | R/O/I |
1 Producing Course (4 units)
| X 400-X 499 Select 1 Producing Course | 4 | R/O/I | R/O/I | R/O/I | R/O/I |
Select 3 Electives (12 units)
Students must complete 3 electives (12 units) from courses numbered X 400-499 in Acting, Cinematography, Directing, Film & TV Development, Producing, Business & Management of Entertainment, Post-Production, Writers’ Program/Screenwriting, or Music. New electives are added regularly.
| FILM TV X 476.39 Making Your First Short Film | 4 | I | I | ||
| MGMT X 403.01 Legal Primer for the Entertainment Business | 4 | O | H(I)/O | I/O | R/O |
| MGMT X 403.61 Marketing and Distributing Independent Films Across All Platforms | 4 | I/O | O | I/O | O |
| MUSC X 448.35 Legal and Practical Aspects of the Music Business | 4 | I/R | I | ||
| MGMT X 403.34 Entertainment Financing: From First $ to Distribution of Profits | 4 | I/O | O | O/H(I) | O/H(I) |
| FILM TV X 479.613 The Art and Craft of Film Editing | 4 | I/R | I/O | I | I/O |
| FILM TV X 477.84 Introduction to Adobe Premiere | 4 | O | I/O | I | I/O |
| FILM TV X 478.9 The Craft of the Director | 4 | I/R | I/R | ||
| FILM TV X 479.482 Television Development: From Idea to Small Screen | 4 | R | R | ||
| FILM TV X 431 A World of International Filmmaking | 4 | H(I) | |||
| FILM TV X 478.13A The Art of Line Producing | 4 | I/R | I/R | I/O | I/O |
| FILM TV X 499.2 Film and Television Internship | 4 | I/R | I/R | I/R | I/R |
+ Should be completed within the first 2 quarters of study.
Chart Legend: I = In-Person | R = Remote | O = Online | H (I/R) = Hybrid (In-Person/Remote)