Certificate In Film Studies: Online

Admission to all classes is open, and anyone can enroll. You do not have to be a UMass Amherst student. There is no admission procedure. Students may register for courses up until the course begins, but we strongly suggest you enroll at least two weeks before the class starts because many classes fill up quickly. Matriculated UMass Amherst students should register through Spire. Non-UMass students should use this link instead. All courses are offered online through University+ Session at UMass Amherst. Classes in the online program are designed to be the online equivalent of undergraduate courses and serve diverse student needs. Students who complete the requirements listed below will earn a Certificate of Film Studies. UMass Amherst students are welcome to enroll in online classes. The online courses earned through the Certificate count fully toward the face-to-face UMass Films Studies Certificate and will satisfy the GenEds and Global Eds their in-the-classrom versions normally satisfy. Online courses are not, however, covered by regular UMass tuition. Limited financial aid applies.

Please also check our Frequently Asked Questions

Minimum course requirements to obtain the Certificate: 6 courses (of 3 credits or more), in the following 5 Categories (each course counts for only one category):

1. Introduction Course (1 required)
2. Film History/Theory (1 required)
3. Genre/Director/National Cinema (1 required)
4. Upper Level Course - 400 level or above (1 required)
5. Elective/Production (2 required)

The fee is $525/credit for undergraduate courses and $656/credit for graduate courses, which makes it $1,575 for a 3-credit undergraduate course. There is an additional non-refundable registration fee of $85 per term. The registration fee is paid only once each term, regardless of how many courses a student enrolls in. Summer counts as one term. Please note that CPE/UWW limits the number of credits in Summer to a maximum of 15.

The total cost for the entire Certificate depends on which courses you take and how many terms you take to complete the courses. If you were to take the 6 courses (18 credits) over 2 terms (for instance Summer and Fall), you would have to pay a total of around $9,550.

Continuing and Professional Education course costs and class information

The Certificate of Film Studies is not a degree-granting program. That means that if you are not otherwise enrolled in a matriculating degree program at a university or college, you cannot use federal financial aid, such as Pell Grants, toward individual Certificate of Film Studies classes. If you are currently enrolled at UMass Amherst, including the University Without Walls program, please contact the UMass Amherst Financial Aid Office to determine your eligibility. If you are a student at another university, please contact your financial aid officer there for information. If you are not currently a student, you can also explore personal loans. If you are a veteran, the GI Bill might pay for your online credits, but you will need to verify that before you enroll. Please get in touch with the UMass Veteran Services Offices to discuss eligibility.