Study Programme

It is available in three study paths. You will find an open, experimental structure and your master’s project can take the shape of any audio-visual format, you produce a short documentary (< 20 Minutes), or you develop a market-ready longer or serialised project.

All three paths adopt an associative and often experimental approach in teaching visual storytelling and the conceptual work with moving images. We want to challenge your visual thinking and the way you use filmic forms. During the study, you will be able to select intensive courses from our programme and courses offered by other master’s programmes at our School according to your personal needs and interests. This will help you to focus on your personal development and on your practical and theoretical master’s project.

The master’s programme is an intensive, four-semester study programme. We teach mainly in English, international candidates must be able to communicate in written and spoken word in German or English and must be willing to learn the other language. The programme is also available part-time with up to eight semesters. It yields 120 ECTS credit points (CP). The weight of your own project in CPs is almost 2/3 of all credits, that is, you will be able to give the development of your individual project your highest attention.

The Lucerne School of Art and Design boasts a state-of-the-art film and animation infrastructure. Thanks to its low five-to-one student-teacher ratio, your MA in Film lecturers will be available when you need them. You will be given personal tuition according to the requirements of your project.

Full-time studies

Part-time studies

The programme is structured along modules dedicated to your practical work, your written thesis, the theoretical and practical framework of filmmaking, and transdisciplinary work, including a range of elective courses.

Project
This cluster of modules is designed to give you the space and skills to develop your individual master's project. 
In the core module you will develop the story or the concept of your project, work on your production design and prepare the production of your film. If your aim is to gain experience in the financing of films, you will write a production dossier. If you wish to self-promote as a professional filmmaker, production company or artist, the programme will equip you with the necessary tools.

Research and Written Thesis
This cluster of modules is designed to guide you through your project-based or scientifically oriented research and towards your written master’s thesis. We encourage our students to consider the practical and the written thesis as two aspects of the same project and to establish a close link between the two.

Documentary & Experimental
In the Documentary & Experimental module, we teach the theoretical and practical context of filmmaking. You will attend classes in narration theory, film- and media theory, film- and media history, image making, editing, documentary theory and various forms of expanded cinema. You will also attend classes to faciliate your positioning in the market.

Workshops
The Workshops module is a transdisciplinary module. You will learn to work with the latest moving image technologies and address the challenges of working in a team. You will also work together with students of other MA programmes or other schools.

Transfer
The Transfer module is an elective module geared towards your individual specialisation. Depending on your interests, you will be able to pick the fields that you would like to examine in more depth or in which you would like to improve your skills.