Bachelor Programme
Film and Television
UCLA's BA in Film and Television, from the School of Theater, Film and Television, helps students develop a personal creative vision within a liberal arts education. Courses cover film and television history and theory, critical thinking, animation, screenwriting and the basics of film, video and television production. After preparation courses, students take seven required courses, a cinema and media studies elective and a capstone internship, then 20 units of advanced work in one area: animation, cinema and media studies, cinematography, documentary, narrative directing or screenwriting.
University
University of California, Los Angeles
Country
United States
Level
Bachelor
Field
Film and Media
Duration
4 years full-time (about two years of general studies followed by two years of major coursework)
Language
English
Campus
Westwood, Los Angeles
Degree
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Film and Television
Intake
Fall quarter only (late September). UCLA is on the quarter system and accepts first-year applications for the fall term only
Application Deadline
Fall 2027 entry (one University of California application covers all UC campuses; international applicants pay a non-refundable US$95 per campus, and UC fee waivers are only for US citizens, permanent residents and AB540-eligible students): the application opens on 1 August 2026 and must be submitted during the filing period of 1 October to 30 November 2026. UCLA does not offer Early Decision or Early Action. Most first-year decisions are released in late March 2027; admitted students must submit the enrollment deposit and on-campus housing application by 1 May 2027, final official transcripts by 1 July 2027 and official AP/IB results by 15 July 2027. Film and Television also needs a first-year supplemental application, due 7 December 2026 at 11:59 pm Pacific time
Tuition Information
2026-27 costs for new undergraduates entering in fall 2026 (three quarters, about nine months): UCLA lists university fees of US$16,430 for every student (UC systemwide tuition and student services fee of US$15,588 plus US$842 in campus fees) and a UC Student Health Insurance Plan charge of US$3,885, which can be waived if you already have adequate cover. Non-California residents, including international students, also pay US$39,270 in Nonresident Supplemental Tuition, so tuition and mandatory fees come to about US$55,700 a year before insurance (UC bills US$4,734 tuition, a US$462 student services fee and US$13,090 nonresident supplemental tuition each quarter, plus campus fees). UCLA Financial Aid and Scholarships puts the 2026-27 estimated nonresident cost of attendance at US$84,770 living in UCLA residence halls (adding housing of US$12,299, food of US$7,568, books and supplies of US$1,588, transportation of US$969 and personal costs of US$2,761), US$87,056 in off-campus apartments or US$75,977 for commuters. Under UC's Tuition Stability Plan, an entering class's tuition, student services fee and nonresident supplemental tuition stay flat for up to six years. UCLA gives no scholarships or financial aid to undergraduates who are not US citizens or permanent residents; students admitted for fall 2026 had to show at least about US$80,739 for the first year (plus a recommended US$5,000 extra), and UCLA says this amount usually rises each year. Rates for the class entering in fall 2027 have not been published yet
Admission Requirements
- School and admission route: School of Theater, Film and Television, Department of Film, Television, and Digital Media. Film and Television must be your first-choice major on the UC application (an alternate-major choice is not reviewed), admission is highly competitive and limited, and new students start in fall only. After submitting the UC application you complete the department's online supplemental application (US$50 fee) using your UC Application ID: a personal essay, a life challenge essay, a critical or creative writing sample, a video interview of up to 3 minutes, two letters of recommendation and unofficial transcripts. Prior film experience is not required, and films, reels and links are not accepted
- Testing: test-blind. UCLA does not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission or scholarships, and the UC application does not ask for them
- English proficiency (needed if you had less than 3 years of secondary schooling taught in English): UC's minimums are TOEFL iBT 4.5 on the scale used from January 2026 (80 for tests taken earlier), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo English Test 115 (AP English 3-5, IB English A 5-7 at higher level or 6-7 at standard level, and some other exams also count). UCLA says competitive applicants have TOEFL iBT 5 or higher with every section at 5 or higher (above 100 with sections above 24 on the old 0-120 scale), IELTS 7.5 or higher, or Duolingo 135 or higher. Tests must be taken by December of your final school year and self-reported on the UC application no later than January; admitted students whose native language is not English may have to take UCLA's English as a Second Language Placement Examination
- Academic requirements: a secondary school completion certificate that admits you to university in your own country, plus UC's 15 year-long college-preparatory courses (2 years of history, 4 of composition and literature in your language of instruction, 3 of mathematics, 2 of laboratory science, 2 of a second language, 1 of visual and performing arts and 1 more from these areas) with at least a 3.4 GPA for international and other non-California applicants. Admission is highly selective and based on comprehensive review of 13 faculty-approved criteria, including the rigour of your school programme, special talents or achievements and your answers to the Personal Insight Questions; UCLA reports a 4.0 average unweighted GPA for fall 2025 admitted first-years. External exam results such as GCSE/IGCSE, A-levels or national board exams are reported in the application's International Exams section