Join our Graduate Program
Documentary Studies
Learn how to apply
A film by one of our Documentary Studies MA students, Margo McClellan:Ìý
Documentarians creatively make nonfiction stories. Whether it’s a storyÌýabout historical events and people or the events of our times,Ìýdocumentarians produce stories that give shape and meaningÌýto our understanding of culture, social life and history.
Our graduate program atÌýNorthern Arizona University’s School of CommunicationÌýprovides a solid grounding inÌýcommunication and the theoretical, critical, and practicalÌýtraditions that inform documentary work. Students engage inÌýintensive research and fieldwork, professional production skillsÌýin storytelling, and learn to critically analyze media in terms ofÌýboth content and craft.
The program is ideally suited to prepare graduate students for today’s world of cutting-edge multimedia journalism, documentary work, as well as preparation for PhD programs in cinema and media studies. It also provides the foundations to start a business doing production in a variety of formats.
ThisÌýisÌýtheÌýonlyÌýMaster’sÌýlevelÌýDocumentaryÌýprogramÌýinÌýtheÌýSouthwest.
Students in this program will:
- EngageÌýaÌýtheoreticalÌýandÌýhistoricalÌýunderstandingÌýofÌýdocumentaryÌýasÌýrooted inÌýtheÌýtraditionsÌýofÌýcreativeÌýstorytellingÌýandÌýsocialÌýcritique.
- ApplyÌýheightenedÌýskillsÌýofÌýobservation,ÌýcriticalÌýthinking,ÌýandÌýcreativityÌýinÌýtelling storiesÌýaboutÌýuntold,Ìýunder-reported,ÌýandÌýunder-representedÌýissuesÌýand peoples.
- CreateÌýandÌýdistributeÌýaÌývarietyÌýofÌýdocumentaryÌýprojectsÌýinÌýdifferent formsÌýatÌýanÌýadvancedÌýlevel.
- RealizeÌýthatÌýproductionÌýtoolsÌýandÌýtechniquesÌýareÌýaÌýmeansÌýtoÌýauthor aÌýuniqueÌýpointÌýofÌýviewÌýshapedÌýbyÌýtheÌýdocumentarian’sÌýphilosophical sensibilitiesÌýandÌýwaysÌýofÌýperceivingÌýtheÌýworld.
- Gain tools for creating their own production business.
Documentary Studies Faculty Accordion Closed
William Carter
Documentary filmmaking, photography, journalism
Laura L Camden, MA
Documentary photography, multimedia and photojournalism
Peter Friederici, MS
Science and environmental writing; oral histories
Janna Jones, PhD
Cultural studies, cinema history, documentary and social change
Kurt Lancaster, PhD
Documentary production, DSLR cinema, cinema raw, and multimedia journalism.
Mark Neumann, PhD
Audio documentary and cultural studies
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