By: Esther Animalu
The University of Miami School of Communication is number 26 on TheWrap’s Top 50 Film Schools of 2021, jumping up six spots from number 32 in 2020.
The rankings touted UM as one of the best schools to study cinematic arts with alumni that include Kyle Patrick Alvarez, director of Disney+’s Crater, and Billy Corben, producer/director of Netflix’s Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami. Other recognized alumni include Netflix’s Julian Malagon and Apple’s Adam Green.
Competitive graduate programs, smaller class sizes, and shadowing opportunities are just some of the factors contributing to the School’s ranking. Equipped with award-winning faculty members who continue to advance the cinematic industry, students have the opportunity to relate theoretical concepts to the business sphere. Students also have the opportunity to take part in the Semester in Los Angles program, where they spend 14-weeks interning in the city while taking a full semester of classes. The Department of Cinematic Arts has partnerships with Sundance and Prague film institutes and, starting in 2022, a new M.F.A. in Documentary Filmmaking.
“I think the important thing to note is that our focus as a department is on continually improving our work, curriculum, relevance, and impact,” said Konstantia Kontaxis, chair of the Department for Cinematic Arts “Though we are pleased with our improved TheWrap ranking for 2021, our commitment remains to providing the type of transformative educational experience that distinguishes our students as leaders in their field.”
TheWrap‘s sixth annual ranking of film schools was compiled through a cumulation of anonymous surveys of more than 1,200 media outlet insiders, teachers, deans, producers and filmmakers, alongside specialists entrusted with assessing each school.
