TV/Film, Bachelor's , Minor
Overview
Sight, sound, and storytelling
People are consuming TV and film programming faster than ever before. Technology has played a major role in this growth, but it still takes talent, creativity, and a strong academic foundation in the discipline to be a successful modern storyteller.
In addition, it takes mentorship to help you develop and build a body of work that puts you on the right track professionally.
This is where DeSales faculty and curriculum can make all the difference:
- You'll create films right away as a first-year student and by the time you graduate you have approximately 40 film projects under your belt.
- Faculty will guide you to develop a demo reel and résumé, and you will emerge with the type of hands-on professional experience you'll carry with you for a lifetime.
It's an incredible jump start—by using state-of-the-art cameras and edit systems in your first year, you develop proficiency over the time of the program. Factor in small class sizes and a new virtual production studio and it's easy to see what sets DeSales apart from other schools.
The program mixes practical application and theory from day one, covering a wide range of production experiences. Film projects are always in production. They range from news, sports and music videos to comedies and dramas. Students are the driving force behind every phase of production — including writing, directing, camera, lighting, on-air, producing and editing.
Admission into the TV/Film major is twofold. You must be accepted by the University and you must successfully audition and/or interview separately for the major.
At DeSales University, students learn how to use the equipment in their first year. That's right — you'll be using the cameras and edit systems in your freshman year. You won't get that at many schools.
Admissions Requirements
At DeSales, we not only look at your past academic and artistic achievement, but also your potential for future growth to determine your admission.
As a performing arts candidate you must apply and be accepted both academically to DeSales University and artistically to the major.
Academic Acceptance
We encourage you to apply early in your senior year. We use a rolling admissions system, which means you will be notified promptly about your admissions status—usually within four weeks of our receipt of your completed application.
Priority deadline for scholarship consideration is December 1 of your senior year.
We find that students who have demonstrated significant achievement within a demanding curriculum are best suited for academic life at DeSales. Quality of academic performance plays a critical role in the admissions decision making process. This helps indicate a student's potential for academic growth going forward. DeSales University welcomes applications from all qualified students regardless of race, religion, sex, national, or ethnic origin.
Artistic Acceptance
To be accepted artistically into a performing arts major, you must audition/interview for our faculty during our annual Scholarship Audition/Interview Day(s) hosted on the DeSales campus.
Application Checklist
- Application Fee: None
- Transcripts: Official High School Transcript
- Recommendations: Completed Guidance Counselor Form and Teacher Recommendation Form
- Standardized Tests: SAT or ACT scores—official from the College Board or on your official high school transcript.
All materials can be mailed to:
DeSales University Admissions Office
2755 Station Ave.
Center Valley, PA
Auditions / Scholarship Day
To be accepted artistically into a performing arts major, you must audition/interview for our faculty during our annual Scholarship Audition/Interview Day(s) hosted on the DeSales campus.
Additional recommendations
Remember, there is no single preferred high school academic program, but a college preparatory course of study is highly recommended. Here's an example:
- Four years of English
- Three or four years of college preparatory mathematics
- A minimum of two years of modern, foreign, or classical language
- At least two laboratory science courses
Curriculum
The TV/Film major at DeSales is a multi-layered experience that blends technical and creative instruction with ethical and professional standards.
Students are offered the opportunity to use state-of-the-art cameras and editing systems beginning in their first year. Mixing practical application and theory, the majors are prepared for work in virtually all areas of media industry by learning to make short films, news and sports programs, music videos, educational media, commercials, and public service promos.
Because all forms of mass media powerfully affect the quality of life in the world, the TV/Film program emphasizes the development of an ethical point of view. The goal is to graduate thinking media-makers who will go on to, in the spirit of the University’s Salesian mission, “enrich the human community and enhance the dignity of the individual.”
Academic Catalog
Graduation Requirements
View the graduation requirements and example schedule for this programFaculty
Careers & Internships
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job growth for film and video editors and camera operators is expected to pace faster than the average for all occupations through 2026.
The number of Internet-only platforms, such as streaming services, is likely to increase, along with the number of shows produced for these platforms. The BLS projects this growth may lead to more work for editors and camera operators.
In addition to writers and other behind the camera jobs, growth in the motion picture and video industry is expected to stem from strong demand from the public for more movies and television shows, as well as an increased demand from foreign audiences for U.S.-produced films. While creativity and talent will always be a differentiator with top jobs, the TV and film industry seems healthy as on-demand programming and technology spur growth.
DeSales TV/Film is ideally located for professional internships in New York, Philadelphia, and regionally.
Take a look at the jobs and internships they have added to their credits:
- MTV
- TK Productions
- The History Channel
- WABC-TV
- Comedy Central
- WLVT-TV
- WFMZ-TV
- PBS
- NBC
- Touchstone Television
- Warner Bros. Television
- Jerry Bruckheimer Films
- Def Jam Records
- Disneyworld
- Batman: The Dark Knight
- CBS Interactive, New York
- NFL Films
- The Walking Dead (AMC)
- Lou Reda Productions
- Magic 98.3
- Artsquest
- Title Boxing Club
- ASR Media Productions/Peak TV
- ASR Media
- DeSales Study Abroad Program
- Dave Cooper Live
- Julian Farris Films
- Paramount Studios (Los Angeles)
- NPR
- QVC
- NBA TV
- Philadelphia Flyers / Comcast Spectacor
- MNN (Manhattan Neighborhood Network)
Tuition & Fees
DeSales can help make your college expenses affordable through a combination of grants, loans, student employment, and scholarship resources.
View a comprehensive list of financial aid forms and undergraduate program information sheets
Cost of attendance for undergrads for 2024-2025
Resident Students
Direct Costs
Tuition - $45,000
Room and Board - $13,800
Mandatory Fees - $1,800
One-time Orientation Fee for First-Year students and Transfers - $200
Total = $60,800 (including first-year/transfer fees)
Estimated Indirect Costs
Books/Supplies - $1,711
Personal Expenses - $4,605
Total cost for resident students: $67,116
Commuter Students
Direct Costs
Tuition - $45,000
Mandatory Fees - $1,400
One-time Orientation Fee for First-Year students and Transfers - $200
Total = $46,600 (including first-year/transfer fees)
Estimated Indirect Costs
Books/Supplies - $1,711
Personal Expenses - $4,605
Transportation Costs - $1,908
Living Expenses - $2,298
Total cost for commuter students: $57,122
Off-Campus*
Direct Costs
Tuition - $45,000
Mandatory Fees - $1,400
One-time Orientation Fee for First-Year students and Transfers - $200
Total = $46,600 (including first-year/transfer fees)
Estimated Indirect Costs
Books/Supplies - $1,711
Personal Expenses - $4,605
Transportation Costs - $1,908
Living Expenses - $9,192
Total cost for off-campus students: $64,016
*First-year students are required to reside on campus or commute from home.
Parking Fee - $100
View a comprehensive list of financial aid forms and undergraduate program information sheets
Dual Degree Undergraduate-to-Graduate Programs
If you are enrolled in an undergraduate-to-graduate degree program — for example a 5-year, 3+2, 3+3, program — the undergraduate tuition and fees apply only to the undergraduate portion of the program. As you progress into the graduate phase of your program, graduate tuition and fees apply. Please see your respective graduate program for more information.
The financial aid process may appear overwhelming at first glance, but don't worry, we'll help you through it.
Accepted students are automatically considered for scholarships upon receipt of a completed application and are awarded regardless of financial need. Funds for scholarships are limited, so we do encourage students to apply early.
Our comprehensive financial aid packages carefully explain the types and amounts of assistance —including federal, state, and institutional — that you may be eligible for to help cover education related expenses.
Total cost of attendance includes estimates for tuition, fees, room, board, books, and personal, transportation, and living expenses.
You can estimate your total cost of attendance with our Net Price Calculator
DeSales TV/Film has an incredible sense of community. The nature of film is to collaborate with other artists on something greater than yourself and having a community to support you is invaluable. There is nowhere else I would rather be than making artful entertainment with people who share my passion for filmmaking.
— J.P. Chaves '23
Performing Arts Scholarships and Auditions TV/Film
DeSales University Film Festival
A celebration of the diverse range of genres and styles form the next generation of DeSales filmmakers.
March 23rd 2024 - 7:30 PM
Act 1 Performing Arts
Act 1 is DeSales University’s highly-acclaimed performing arts company featuring professional-caliber productions of plays and musicals, dance concerts and film festivals.
Each year we welcome another group of eager young artists, all drawn to DeSales to hone their craft and create art that will inspire and entertain. We offer enchanting and provocative stories that will — with the mere rise of a curtain — unlock the limitlessness of your imagination.
The Summer Video Institute (SVI)
The Summer Video Institute at DeSales University offers pre-college students an introduction to the theories and techniques of digital movie-making. Working with state-of-the-art technology, students will design, shoot, and edit films of their own creation.
