MFA in Film in New York United States | Columbia University

Columbia University | New York United States
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Qualification
Masters Degree
Languages
English
Delivery Mode
On-Campus
Tuition (2025)
USD 70,628
Attendance
Full-time
Full-time Duration
36 months

We hold that nothing can replace the invaluable guidance experienced artists provide to those just starting out. Filmmaking is approached not just as an artistic endeavor rooted in storytelling and visual traditions, but also as a technological and commercial discipline. Our students flourish in a vibrant, hands-on learning environment enriched by personalized faculty mentorship and collaboration with gifted peers. The program's core strength lies in its holistic, team-based approach that builds expertise across all filmmaking disciplines. Lasting creative alliances frequently emerge from these studies, connecting students with like-minded artists committed to innovative storytelling and diverse cinematic approaches. The MFA program cultivates narrative skills while encouraging students to develop, hone, and showcase their unique perspectives. Three specialized tracks—Screenwriting & Directing, Creative Producing, and the new Writing for Film & Television—share a foundational first year. This comprehensive training blends production, direction, and writing with technical instruction and theoretical studies, giving students thorough grounding in dramatic filmmaking's principles and practices. Every course in this distinctive, unified program emphasizes cinema's storytelling potential. Students across all concentrations work on projects that continue through winter break and the summer between academic years.


Destination of Study

Subjects of Study

Language Requirements

English
IELTS

Qualification Requirements

Completed Application

Must be submitted online.

Official Undergraduate Transcript

Official paper transcripts are not required for the admission application.  If you receive an offer of admission, you will be required to send official paper documents for verification. Any offer of admission will be provisional until receipt of the official undergraduate transcript showing conferral of your undergraduate degree. Whether we receive your official undergraduate transcripts directly from you or your undergraduate institution, we must receive them in a sealed envelope bearing the registrar’s stamp along the rear flap.

If (a) you have submitted only the unofficial copy of your transcript online or (b) your transcript is received, but does not state that a degree is conferred, your status will be“Received (Not Official)” and you offer of admission will be provisional  until we receive the final official transcript showing conferral of your undergraduate degree.

Three Letters of Recommendation

Online submission of letters of recommendation is required. Recommenders should be academic or professional contacts who can speak to your creative ability and potential; personal/friend references are not permitted. If you received a degree in the past 5 years, you must provide at least 1 academic reference from faculty at that institution. Once you save their contact information, they will be sent an email with instructions on how to upload your letter of recommendation.

Letters of recommendation must be submitted online by one week after the application deadline. Letters submitted after this date may not be reviewed.

Creative Materials Required for Application

Creative Materials vary by concentration. Please see below for a list for each concentration. All submitted creative materials must clearly bear the applicant's name, date of birth, name of concentration to which he or she is applying, and title of the material (dramatic writing sample, autobiographical essay, etc)
Responsibility for Materials

Please keep copies of all materials submitted. Do not send your only copy.

All materials included in a School of the Arts application become the property of Columbia University. The School of the Arts will not return any submitted creative materials. Applicants should note that the School is not responsible for the transportation and safekeeping of materials submitted for review; applicants send all materials at their own risk.

Tuition USD 70,628
New York City, NY, United States
Type
Private
Degrees offered
Bachelor's Degree

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