Overview

The Film programme at The City University of New York provides an exhaustive professional education for aspiring directors and producers. This Master of Fine Arts is specifically designed to offer a dual focus on both fiction and documentary storytelling within a vibrant, culturally diverse academic environment.

Students enrolled in this degree gain direct access to the extensive resources of a major public university while being situated in the heart of the global media industry. The curriculum is structured to challenge creators through hands-on production, ensuring they develop a sophisticated visual language and technical proficiency.

Why Film at The City University of New York?

This programme stands out as the only graduate-level course of its kind to offer a comprehensive integration of documentary and fiction filmmaking. The university provides an affordable and accessible path to high-level cinematic education without compromising on the quality of instruction or technical resources.

Located in New York City, the institution serves as a gateway to the world’s cultural capital, offering students unparalleled access to diverse filming locations and professional talent. The international filmmaking community fostered here encourages a broad range of perspectives and collaborative opportunities across various visual arts disciplines.

The department organises significant annual events, such as the Cityvisions showcase, which allows students to present their work to a wider audience. Additionally, the Documentary Forum provides a dedicated space for exploring non-fiction narratives, further enhancing the institutional strengths in real-world storytelling.

Tuition Fee Breakdown

International fee: USD 855 per credit
National fee: USD 855 per credit
Local fee: USD 470 per credit

Visit the Fees and Funding section for a breakdown in your local currency.

Syllabus

The curriculum is designed to provide a full immersion into the technical and creative aspects of the moving image. Modules may include:

Documentary Filmmaking
Fiction Filmmaking
Visual Arts
Film Studies
Production

Careers with Film

Graduates from this programme are prepared for diverse roles within the global media and entertainment industries. The intensive training in both narrative and non-fiction formats allows alumni to pursue careers as independent directors, cinematographers, and documentary filmmakers.

The skills acquired during the MFA also enable graduates to work within established production houses, media organisations, and creative agencies. By leveraging the university's location in a major media hub, students often transition into professional roles involving film editing, screenwriting, and production management.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Ind. Media Arts – Idea, Structure and Realization
Camera I
Digital Production / Documentary
Digital Production Techniques / Documentary
Research and Writing for Documentary
Producing and Directing The Documentary

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 24 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-08-28 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-03-01 00:00:00

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

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IELTS

6.5

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Credits

30 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

New York City, United States

Disciplines

Visual Arts Film Studies View 433 other Masters in Visual Arts in United States

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

CUNY Application for The Humanities & Arts (includes a personal statement – 1 page)
Film Program Supplemental Application (includes 2 additional statements – 1 page each)
Online Video Portfolio (direct link to entire website, or up to 4 URLs to video samples) – no dvds.
2 letters of recommendation – must be from Academia (unless separated from school for over 10 years)
For international students: TOEFL (recommended score of 575 written; 90-91 IBT) or IELTS (recommended score of 6.5).
Official transcripts (and translations, if applicable for international students) from all previous schools.
Optional written sample/script (.pdf upload)
Resume (.pdf upload)
Unofficial transcripts (.pdf upload) – for reveiew only.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

12825 USD / year

≈ 12825 USD / year
Out-of-State

12825 USD / year

≈ 12825 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

7050 USD / year

≈ 7050 USD / year

Additional Details

Resident:

Full-time - $5,545/semester
Part-time - $470/credit

Living costs

New York City

United States

1819 - 3968 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Film.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

On this page

About

Overview

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Additional Details

Living costs

New York City

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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