Film Majors are graduating more prepared to enter the industry than ever before. Simultaneously, Hollywood positions are becoming more and more scarce; it is not unusual, even for a graduate with a master's degree, to have to work as many as 5 years as a low-paid assistant reports a New York Times article.

Nonetheless, film programs (which often include production of video games and online content) are becoming more competitive as more students seek the degree. Some schools, such as NYU's Tisch School of the Arts are trying to encourage graduates to create full-length films, instead of grinding as an assistant, by hosting competitions with large prize incentives. Increasingly, film graduates are taking their skills to other related fields like animation, visual effects, and even social media projects.

Academics see a shift in the meaning of a film-degree, a prospect which is promising. Elizabeth Daley, dean of USC's School of Cinematic Arts, describes her surprise that students have begun studying film, not as a means to a job, but a way to better understand media and the arts.

Loyola Marymount's dean of the School of Film and Television, Stephen Ujlaki, believes that the film degree should become even more interdisciplinary and "leave students with a knowledge of the arts and a business savvy that will get them through lives that are bound to move in unexpected directions."