The Master of Fine Arts in Digital Cinema is a highly selective terminal degree program in digital filmmaking. A student is not admitted into the MFA directly; rather, a student enters the Master of Science in Digital Cinema (either the Cinema Program or the Animation Concentration) to gain the required technical foundation in cinema production and then, during pursuit of the Master of Science degree, applies for admittance into the MFA program.

The MFA typically extends the course of study by 2-3 years beyond the completion of the MS degree. This includes one year of coursework and the successful completion of the MFA thesis project, which may be live action, animation, or a combination of the two. The MFA culminates in the public presentation of the thesis project and defense of the student's thesis project to his/her MFA Committee.

The Master of Fine Arts degree is a terminal degree in digital filmmaking. As such, the student who successfully completes the Master of Fine Arts degree is awarded the MS/MFA degree similar to the MA/Ph.D in other academic disciplines.