The Independent Producing Certificate is designed for those who want to become independent producers and are already versed in filmmaking. Students will be taught the skills of marketing and distributing movies themselves, harnessing the power of new technologies and the Internet. Students will also learn to develop cost-effective and innovative digital marketing plans presenting unique campaign elements and opportunities for lower budget films, including the use of social media to build awareness and engage audiences. This short but comprehensive program will prepare students in all aspects of producing, from story development to marketing. The program curriculum does not cover the actual making of a film. A prerequisite understanding of the production and post-production process is recommended prior to start.
The program can be completed entirely online. However, additional in-the-classroom sections are also scheduled.
Application & Candidacy Fee: $200*
Estimated Program Tuition: $4,470
Estimated Cost of Textbook/Materials: $275
Duration: 2 quarters (Full-Time pace) to 2 years
Unit Requirement: 24
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.
To apply for and establish your candidacy in the Independent Producing Certificate click here!
Course scheduling and fees subject to change without notice.
Please note that required courses will only count once toward the overall unit requirement for the certificate program.
Program at a Glance
4 Required Courses (16 units)
| Course No. | Title | Units | Fall | Winter | Spring | Summer |
| MGMT X 403.01 Legal Primer for the Entertainment Business | 4 | I/R | 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 |
| FILM TV X 476.244 Story Development Workshop: Crafting Your Original Story | 4 | I/O | I/O | I/O | I/O |
| FILM TV X 476.6 Low-Budget Filmmaking | 4 | O | I | O | I |
Select 2 Electives (8 units)
Students must complete 2 electives (8 units) from courses numbered X 400-499 in Producing, Film & TV Development or Business & Management of Entertainment. Below is a list of suggested electives. New electives are added regularly.
| MGMT X 403.33 Independent Film Financing | 4 | O | O | ||
| FILM TV X 476.022 The Art and Business of Producing | 4 | ||||
| FILM TV X 476.22 Story Analysis for Film and Television | 4 | I/O | I/O | I/O | I/O |
| FILM TV X 476.581 The Language of Filmmaking | 4 | R/O/I | I/O | R/O/I | I/O |
| FILM TV X 476.894 Introduction to Feature Film Development | 4 | O | O | ||
| FILM TV X 478.432 Direct and Produce Reality and Documentary Television | 4 | R | H(I) | ||
| FILM TV X 499.2 Film and Television Internship | 4 | R/O/I | R/O/I | R/O/I | R/O/I |
Chart Legend: I = In-Person | R = Remote | O = Online | H (I/R) = Hybrid (In-Person/Remote)