Film TV and video Schools and Programs in Argentina

Film TV and video Studies in Argentina

Film, television and video in Argentina are taught at universities as degrees in film and audiovisual arts, audiovisual production, and communication with an audiovisual focus. Teaching is in Spanish and combines theory and film history with practical work in directing, screenwriting, cinematography, sound, editing and production. Our directory lists three schools in Argentina for this subject, in Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Santa Fe.

How the degrees are organised

Argentina's Higher Education Law (Ley 24.521) reserves the licenciado degree, the master's (magíster) and the doctorate to university institutions. Officially recognised degrees are valid throughout the country; before enrolling, the ministry's office for the national validity of degrees advises checking that the qualification a school awards is official.

Programmes are often organised in cycles. At the Universidad del Cine (FUC) in Buenos Aires, a specialised film university, students first complete a pre-degree cycle designed to take three and a half years with five hours of classes a day, and can then continue to the licenciatura or profesorado cycle. The FUC states that all its degrees are official and recognised by the Ministry of Education and CONEAU. Its documentary programme is a two-stage postgraduate course: after one year students obtain the title of Especialista en Cine Documental, and after a second year, which ends with an audiovisual thesis, the Magíster en Cine Documental. Postgraduate programmes in Argentina must be accredited by CONEAU.

Where to study film and television in Argentina

• Córdoba: the Departamento de Cine y Artes Audiovisuales of the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba's Facultad de Artes trains directors, technicians and researchers. It runs an audiovisual production centre, an experimental animation centre and a teaching TV channel (TV5 Canal Escuela), and its graduates work in local and national production companies on screenwriting, cinematography, directing and production.
• Buenos Aires: the Universidad de Belgrano offers a degree in Producción y Dirección de Contenidos Audiovisuales within its design and communication area, alongside communication sciences and advertising.
• Santa Fe: the Universidad Católica de Santa Fe offers a Licenciatura en Ciencias de la Comunicación, a Licenciatura en Medios Digitales as a degree-completion cycle, and a Licenciatura en Diseño de Videojuegos y Tecnologías Creativas.

Specialist schools differ in focus: some train filmmakers through practical shoots from the first year, others place film within communication or media studies. Compare study plans, equipment access and whether fees include filming costs; at the FUC, for example, the fee covers the technical equipment and materials for shooting exercises.

Admission and language

Under Argentina's Higher Education Law, anyone who has passed secondary education has open and unrestricted access to undergraduate study, but each university runs its own enrolment procedure. At the Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), enrolment for the 2027 intake runs from 9 November to 11 December 2026. Applicants who finished secondary school abroad must present their certificate legalised by the education authority and the Argentine consulate, or apostilled, with a sworn translation if it is not in Spanish.

Students whose native language is not Spanish must prove an adequate level. UNLP accepts the CELU (Certificado de Español: Lengua y Uso), the only Spanish exam officially recognised by Argentina's ministries of education and foreign affairs. Students who completed secondary school in a country that has an education agreement with Argentina, including Spain, Italy, France, Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Brazil, must validate the certificate (convalidación) to enter higher education; the procedure is free.

Visa and residence

Foreign students enrolled in a full degree of the official education system apply to the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones for temporary residence as a student. It is granted for one year and can be extended. The application starts online in the RaDEX system, requires the institution's electronic proof of enrolment, and can only be made from inside Argentina. Students who have not yet entered the country apply for a temporary entry permit as a student of official education; UNLP, for example, starts this process once the conditional enrolment is complete.

Costs

Undergraduate study at state universities is free for Argentine citizens and for foreigners with permanent residence. Since Decree 366/2025 of May 2025, state institutions may charge fees to other students, although scholarships remain possible under university statutes or agreements. Private universities, including the FUC and the private universities in our list, set their own fees. Ask each university what applies to your residence status before you apply.

Careers

Graduates work as directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, editors, sound technicians and producers in film, television, advertising and online content, in production companies and broadcasters, and in teaching and research.

Frequently asked questions

Are film degrees in Argentina taught in English?

The degrees described here are taught in Spanish. Students whose native language is not Spanish must prove their level; UNLP, for example, accepts the CELU certificate.

Is there an entrance exam for film school?

It depends on the school. At the Universidad del Cine, entry is direct, without an exam, once the documents are submitted and the fee is paid.

Can I study a master's in documentary film in Argentina?

Yes. The Universidad del Cine offers a two-year postgraduate programme: a specialisation in documentary film after the first year and a master's after the second.

Is studying film at a public university free for foreigners?

Undergraduate study at state universities is free for Argentine citizens and foreigners with permanent residence. Since 2025, state universities may charge other foreign students, so check the rules of each university.