We do. Please see the International Students page for specific international student application policies.
No, the School of the Arts does not require applicants to take the GRE.
The School of the Arts offers MFA degrees in Film, Theatre Arts, Writing, and Visual Arts, and an MA in Film Studies. Applicants in Music or Art History should consult the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and applicants in Arts Administration should consult Teachers College.
The School of the Arts serves Columbia University undergraduates through three programs: Film Studies, Visual Arts, and Creative Writing. These programs provide students, including majors, concentrates, and non-majors, with experience as practicing artists and a solid base in history, theory, and criticism within the context of a liberal arts education. Barnard College's Drama & Theatre Arts Program also serves Columbia undergraduates.
Please see the undergraduate Film Studies, Visual Arts, Creative Writing, and Drama & Theatre Arts program pages for more information.
Other undergraduate programs in the arts at Columbia include Architecture, Dance, Jazz Studies and Music.
When reviewing applications, the Admissions Committee in each program considers an applicant's professional promise, talent, background, and depth of commitment to his or her field, in addition to the more specific criteria described in each Program's section of this site. Accordingly, the most critical part of the application is the creative materials, which allow the committees to evaluate these considerations most clearly.
All MFA degree programs at the School of the Arts require the completion of at least two years of full-time study. Visual Arts students will complete the MFA and graduate in two years. Writing, Film, and Theatre Arts Program MFA candidates who complete the required coursework but do not complete the final thesis project within the first two years maintain matriculation by registering as Research Arts Students for up to three additional years. There is a five-year limit on matriculation.
Students pursuing an MA in Film Studies are required to complete one year of full-time coursework (unless granted permission to attend part-time), plus one additional semester of extended residence.
Can I study part-time?
The MFA programs are intensive courses of study that require full-time commitments. The Film Studies MA Program has an option for part-time enrollment with prior written approval, although full-time study is encouraged.
Columbia University School of the Arts and Columbia University Student Financial Services work carefully with students to arrange the financing of their degrees. Loan packages, fellowships, scholarships and other options are available for eligible students. All financial aid applications must be received by February 15, 2013. Please see the Financing Your Degree page for information and important financial aid application procedures and deadlines.
Tuition for the 2012-13 academic year is detailed here. Please note that this information is for the current academic year, and is likely to rise each upcoming year.
While the School of the Arts does not require applicants to have an advanced degree or professional work experience, applicants who do are certainly considered positively in the review process, and such achievements may enhance candidacy for admission.
The School of the Arts receives applications from students with a wide variety of undergraduate backgrounds. Applicants do not need to have a comprehensive academic background or extensive professional experience in their field, but they must demonstrate familiarity with major issues and artists.
Due to the volume of applicants, the faculty will generally not be able to meet with prospective students. We are happy to arrange for you to speak with a current student (depending on student availability), who can give you insight into the School of the Arts program in which you're interested, campus life and living in New York City. Please email admissions-arts@columbia.edu or call 212-854-2134 to schedule an appointment.
It is not possible for prospective students to sit in on classes.
To request a print copy of one of our brochures, please fill out our Request for Information form.
Columbia University offers full campus tours daily. Please see the Visitor Information page for schedules.
School of the Arts admissions representatives are happy to meet with prospective students to discuss programs and admissions policies and procedures. Please email admissions-arts@columbia.edu or call 212-854-2134 to schedule an appointment.
Additionally, the Visual Arts Program offers tours of facilities during the academic year; please see the Visual Arts Tours page for the schedule. No other programs offer departmental tours.
All transcripts must be uploaded online through the online application system.
All letters of recommendation should be submitted electronically through the online application. Applicants register recommenders and they are automatically sent an email indicating the recommendation request and instructions necessary for its completion. They will be directed to an online form and will be given the opportunity to upload a letter. If this is impossible, a recommendation with the appropriate form sent by physical mail will be accepted. The form should be printed or scanned and given to the recommender who should attach it to his or her letter.
Please see the Apply page for all information on creative materials.
You may only enroll in one degree program at a time, even if you are accepted into more than one. The only exception to this is the joint JD/MFA Theatre Management and Producing Program.
The School of the Arts welcomes applications for the fall semester of each year only; no students are admitted for the spring semester.
Please see the Admissions and Financial Aid page for information.
Please see the Application to Two Programs section of the Application and Admissions Policies page.
All interviews are scheduled at the discretion of the committee; you will be contacted if they would like to arrange one.
Columbia University Apartment Housing consists of a limited number of apartment shares, dormitory-style rooms and a very limited number of one-bedroom, studio and family units for which priority is given to couples and families. This housing is primarily located within walking distance of the campus in the Morningside Heights neighborhood.
Applications for Columbia University Apartment Housing are made only after a student has been admitted, and are handled by the University Apartment Housing (UAH) Office. Please see the Housing page for more information.
You can check the status of your application and supporting documents, including letters of evaluation, by going to the Main page in the online application. You will be able to view all documents processed thus far. This page will be updated periodically, but will contain no information until at least 3-5 business days after submission of the application. Applications submitted near the deadline of a program may not contain status information for several days.
During the first year of full time study, Creative Producing students take the same core classes as students in the Screenwriting/Directing program, including directing, screenwriting, producing, and history/theory/criticism. After the first year Creative Producing students can take Screenwriting classes as an elective, but cannot take directing classes.
After the first year, Screenwriting/Directing students can take producing classes as an elective if there is space available.
Switching between the programs is not permitted. Under extraordinary circumstances, students enrolled in one of the programs can apply to switch programs, and permission may be granted if a space becomes available.
After the first year, Screenwriting/Directing students are asked to declare one concentration. However, students may change their concentration up until the end of their second year, when they will be asked to confirm their concentration so that they may be assigned thesis advisors.
During the first year students shoot all work on digital video. Columbia provides cameras, tripods, sound kits, lighting kits, etc. A digital media lab is available for students to edit twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. In the second year, Screenwriting/Directing students will continue to use this equipment, though they may elect to shoot their thesis projects on film.
Creative Producing students do not shoot films or video after the first year. Their second year and thesis work will consist of producing other students' films.
In 2012, we received approximately 602 applications for the Film MFA Program, and an average incoming class is around 48 students in the Screenwriting/Directing program and 24 students in the Creative Producing program.
Please see the Admissions page here for the Creative Materials Requirements for applicants for the MFA.
No, many of our students have undergraduate degrees in areas completely unrelated to their graduate studies.
The Screenwriting/Directing program is two years of course work followed by one to three years to complete thesis projects. Degrees must be completed within five years.
The Creative Producing program is a three-year program.
There is no part-time study available.
Tuition for the 2012-2013 academic year is here. Please note that this information pertains to the current academic year, and is subject to change for the upcoming year.
Students also must raise funds individually for any films they direct.
Columbia University School of the Arts and Columbia University Student Financial Services work carefully with students to arrange the financing of their degrees. Loan packages, fellowships, scholarships and other options are available for eligible students. It is recommended that any applicant wishing to be considered for financial aid complete all necessary financial aid applications by February 15, 2013. Please see our Financing Your Degree page for information.
Columbia University Apartment Housing consists of a limited number of apartment shares, dormitory-style rooms and a very limited number of one-bedroom, studio and family units for which priority is given to couples and families. This housing is primarily located within walking distance of the campus in the Morningside Heights neighborhood.
Applications for Columbia housing may be made only after a student has been accepted, and are handled by the University Apartment Housing (UAH) Office. Please see the Housing page for more information.
Due to the volume of applicants, the faculty will generally not be able to meet with prospective students; however, we are happy to arrange for you to speak with a current student, who can give you insight into the School of the Arts program in which you're interested, campus life in general and living in New York. Please email admissions-arts@columbia.edu or call 212-854-2134 to schedule an appointment.
Yes. After coursework is completed, Screenwriting/Directing students may choose to shoot both thesis and non-thesis projects on film.
The first two years of course work are extremely intensive. Our students are strongly advised against taking on part-time work so that all attention can be focused on the curriculum. Schedules are assigned to students and they should prepare for a Monday-to-Friday, full-time commitment with classes that begin at 10 a.m. and, some nights, may run until 9 p.m.
We are looking for the best, most articulate expression of exactly who you are, communicated in each part of the application. Each part should be viewed as an opportunity to distinguish yourself, your talents, and your specific viewpoints.
In studio classes (directing, writing, etc.) there are generally about 12 students per class. in lecture courses (history, theory, criticism, etc.), the number of students per class ranges from 30 to 70.
Students take Directing, Screenwriting, Directing the Actor, Role of the Producer, The Elements of Dramatic Narrative, and Fundamentals of Directing.
The School of the Arts Film Program stresses collaboration at every level. Rather than foster an atmosphere of intense competition, the program supports filmmaking itself as the best model for collaboration, collegiality and a supportive artistic environment. Built into the program in the first year is a collaborative effort, "The 8-12"-a filmic collaboration of writer, director and producer.
The success of the program in this regard is a proven fact: The creators of Monsoon Wedding, American Splendor, Boys Don't Cry, and Dare are only a few of the writer/director teams that have risen from our ranks, and the makers of Padre Nuestro, Messengers, Dear Lemon Lima and Kettle of Fish are examples of Columbia alumni director/producer teams.
One of the things that differentiates Columbia from other top film schools is the importance placed on the "total filmmaker." All incoming students must take classes in writing, directing and producing as well as history, theory and criticism. This isn't simply because so many of our famous graduates have been writers as well as directors; we believe that the cross-pollination that occurs when students are forced to see the medium from a variety of perspectives is invaluable, eye-opening and makes for better, more sophisticated filmmakers.
The Creative Producing program is the only such program that is founded on the principle that the best producers are fully versed in directing and screenwriting.
Another way in which Columbia differs from other schools is the emphasis placed on story. In the School of the Arts Film Program, storytelling-whether in a screenplay, a director's storyboards, or a producer's log line-is seen as the basis of the entire art form.
If you are admitted in one concentration, there is no switching over. You may apply the following year, as a new applicant. Some of your credits may transfer.
Please see the Application to Two Programs section of the Application and Admissions Policies page.
No musical theatre or design programs are available.
All interviews are scheduled at the discretion of the Admissions Committee; you will be contacted if they would like to arrange one.
In 2012, over 307 prospective students applied to the Theatre Program. Our yearly admission ranges from 50-60 students (16-18 actors, 6 directors, 8-10 playwrights, 8-10 theatre managers/producers, 4-6 stage managers, and 6-8 dramaturgy students).
Please see the Admissions page here for the Creative Materials Requirements for the various concentrations in Theatre.
For Directing, a video is required, but if you do not have one you may instead submit a portfolio of your work.
No, you do not need to have an undergraduate degree in Theatre or to have done professional work. Your application is based on the creative materials submitted, your audition and/or interview.
Each first-year student is required to fulfill crew assignments to support our mainstage productions. In addition, on a concentration-by-concentration basis, students are involved in various classroom productions and/or staged readings throughout the year, as well as in extracurricular work. During the student's third year, thesis productions vary by concentration. Examples of these theses include mainstage productions, staged readings and showcases.
Tuition for the 2012-2013 academic year is here. Please note that this information pertains to the current academic year, and is subject to change for the upcoming year.
Columbia University School of the Arts and Columbia University Student Financial Services work carefully with students to arrange the financing of their degrees. Loan packages, fellowships, scholarships and other options are available for eligible students. It is recommended that any applicant wishing to be considered for financial aid complete all necessary financial aid applications by February 15, 2013. Please see our Financing Your Degree page for information.
Columbia University Apartment Housing consists of a limited number of apartment shares, dormitory-style rooms and a very limited number of one-bedroom, studio and family units for which priority is given to couples and families. This housing is primarily located within walking distance of the campus in the Morningside Heights neighborhood.
Applications for Columbia housing may be made only after a student has been accepted, and are handled by the University Apartment Housing (UAH) Office. Please see the Housing page for more information.
Because of the volume of applicants, generally speaking the faculty will not be able to meet with prospective students; however, we are happy to arrange for you to speak with a current student, who can give you an insider's perspective on the program, as well as on campus life in general and on living in New York. Please email admissions-arts@columbia.edu or call 212-854-2134 to schedule an appointment.
It is not possible for prospective students to sit in on classes. Admitted students, however, can arrange to visit classes.
Theatre Arts Program alumni have formed an extensive network, members of whom run prestigious Broadway, Off-Broadway and regional theatres; direct and perform in Tony- and other award-winning productions; work in every level of the professional theatre world; and teach, mentor and engage with current students on an ongoing basis. Theatre companies that have been founded by our alums include the Nature Theatre of Oklahoma, PL 115, The TEAM, Electric Pear, Magis, East River Commedia, Ruffled Feathers, and Conni's Avant-Garde Restaurant. Most of our students choose to remain in NYC after graduation, and a few teach in universities and colleges across the country and the world.
Please see the School of the Arts Admissions page for information on how to apply.
Between 1000 - 1200 students apply each year for 26 spaces.
Please see the Application and Admissions Policies page for information on notification of admission.
You must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university but it does not have to be in Visual Arts.
The Visual Arts MFA program is an interdisciplinary program. Applicants are separated into disciplines (Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture, New Genres, and Photography) for the application process but once accepted, may explore other disciplines and work in any area they choose.
The Visual Arts MFA program is a two-year full time program. There is no part-time study available.
Tuition for the 2012-2013 academic year is here. Please note that this information pertains to the current academic year, and is subject to change for the upcoming year.
Columbia University School of the Arts and Columbia University Student Financial Services work carefully with students to arrange the financing of their degrees. Loan packages, fellowships, scholarships and other options are available for eligible students. It is recommended that any applicant wishing to be considered for financial aid complete all necessary financial aid applications by February 15, 2013. Please see the Financing Your Degree page for information.
Columbia University Apartment Housing consists of a limited number of apartment shares, dormitory-style rooms and a very limited number of one-bedroom, studio and family units for which priority is given to couples and families. This housing is primarily located within walking distance of the campus in the Morningside Heights neighborhood.
Applications for Columbia housing may be made only after a student has been accepted, and are handled by the University Apartment Housing (UAH) Office. Please see the Housing page for more information.
Each MFA student is provided with a private art studio with 24-hour access in one of the School of the Arts facilities. Additionally, there are two woodshops, one metal shop, a kiln, two digital media labs, several darkrooms, a color processor, video cameras, projectors and printmaking facilities.
Columbia University School of the Arts and Columbia University Student Financial Services work carefully with students to arrange the financing of their degrees. Loan packages, fellowships, scholarships and other options are available for eligible students. It is recommended that any applicant wishing to be considered for financial aid complete all necessary financial aid applications by February 15, 2013. Please see our Financing Your Degree page for information.
Literary nonfiction (sometimes called creative nonfiction) comprises such forms as memoir, personal essay, travel writing, profile, lyric essay, polemic, meditation, reportage, biography, history, cultural and political commentary, and reviews of the arts. While journalism employs established forms and methods, literary nonfiction uses the full range of techniques it shares with fiction and poetry but refuses to alter provable fact. Literary nonfiction celebrates all that is distinctive in an individual writer's voice and vision.
The School of the Arts asks that you keep your writing samples to the length specified in the application instructions.
Yes, but those clippings do not take the place of the creative materials specified in the application.
No, you do not have to have any prior works published to be accepted into the program.
No, many of our applicants have undergraduate degrees in areas completely unrelated to fiction, nonfiction, or poetry.
Writing Program classes are intended for MFA candidates.
For writing classes open to non-MFA students: Columbia College offers an undergraduate course in creative writing, and the School of General Studies offers a post-degree writing program.
For related graduate degrees, please see the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences program in English and Comparative Literature or the Graduate School of Journalism.
Tuition for the 2012-2013 academic year is here. Please note that this information pertains to the current academic year, and is subject to change for the upcoming year.
In 2012, 471 people applied to the Writing Program for 123 slots.
Class schedules must be approved by an academic advisor within your concentration, and should reflect that concentration, but any student in the writing division no matter what the concentration is eligible for any Writing seminar or lecture classes. Workshops are always within one's concentration. Changing concentrations is possible in rare circumstances with the permission of an advisor in the new concentration, as well as from your old concentration, as well as the submission of new writing samples.
Please see the School of the Arts Admissions page for information on how to apply.