MFA in Production
Admission Requirements
Degree Requirements
How to Apply
NOTE: ALL WRITTEN MATERIAL MUST BE TYPED
ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
An honours degree or equivalent with a minimum 'B' average in film/video or a related discipline.
SUPPLEMENTARY ADMISSIONS DATA FORM
Professional/amateur work and non-degree and/or non-diploma courses/workshops/seminars are also considered, and should be noted on the Supplementary Admissions Data form included in the application package. All sections of this supplementary form must be completed.
THESIS PROPOSAL
The thesis proposal is important and will be considered very carefully by the Admissions Committee. The topic submitted does not necessarily constitute a commitment to working on this topic if admitted; however, it must demonstrate a conceptualization of a research or creative project clearly and in as much detail as possible.
PORTFOLIO
DO NOT send the portfolio portion of the application to Graduate Admissions. Portfolios should be sent directly via mail or courier or delivered in person to the Graduate Program office, Department of Film, CFT 224. Original pieces of work should not be submitted as the program and York University cannot assume responsibility for loss or damage, submit copies. Portfolios can be returned if self-addressed packaging and sufficient Canadian postage to cover the expense of mailing is included. Portfolios may be picked up in person after May 1st of the year of application. Any unclaimed portfolios will be discarded as of September 1st of the application year.
The materials submitted in the portfolio are a crucial element of the application. Entry to the program is highly competitive and the strength of the portfolio will be a major consideration for the Admissions Committee.
PRODUCTION PORTFOLIO
Submissions must be on DVD (or Mini-DV/VHS in the NTSC format only). NTSC is the North American standard. Non-North American applicants must have their tapes formatted to this system in order for the Evaluation Committee to be able to view their material.
One or two tapes/discs of complete works, plus excerpts of projects on which the applicant worked as director/filmmaker may be submitted. Please indicate for each production/excerpt the applicant’s role and original shooting format and other pertinent details (e.g., in the case of an excerpt, a synopsis of the complete work and how the excerpt fits into the completed project; if the project was a result of a course project, detail the assignment requirements, etc.)
STATEMENT OF INTEREST
Outline your reasons for wishing to study within the film production program at York.
Three letters of reference are required to support your application. Letters from academic referees are preferred although letters may also be solicited from professionals who can speak to your filmmaking abilities or potential.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Provide descriptions of courses you have taken in film and related disciplines.
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
Where applicable, provide information on professional or other non-academic activities that may support your application.
PUBLISHED WORK
Where applicable, list published work or any formal film or media credits.
PLEASE NOTE: We base our selection of students on available faculty members for thesis supervision, and the fit between their artistic and scholarly interests and the thesis work proposed by the applicant.
The principal goal of our program is to immerse students in a program of study that best meets their overall academic, creative and professional goals. The required courses are intended to enhance the range and depth of a student’s skills and knowledge. The program is committed to providing the opportunity for students to enhance their experience by choosing from a selection of elective courses.
All first-year Production MFA students are required to attend the graduate seminar (FILM 5400.03) which includes students from the other streams, Screenwriting and Cinema and Media Studies. Second-year students are warmly encouraged to attend. The graduate seminar will consist of an integrated series of guest lectures, intensive workshops and screenings. All second-year students will offer a detailed and developed presentation of their thesis project as a work-in-progress at a Graduate Conference to be held during the fall term of their second year of study, the symposium.
MFA Degree
All those earning an MFA Degree must complete 7 half courses and a Thesis, consisting of a creative work on film or video and a written component.
PRODUCTION STUDENTS
Required Courses:
Film 5010 3.0 Production
Film 5020 3.0 Selected Topics in Production
Film 5400 3.0 Graduate Seminar
Film 6000 Thesis
Production students must take at least one 3.0 credit Cinema and Media Studies course. This course may include Film 5230 Contemporary Film Theory or Film 5210 Theoretical Issues.
Elective Courses:
Film 5012 3.0 Process Cinema
Film 5020B 3.0 Activist Video
Film 5030A 3.0 Cinematography*
Film 5040 3.0 Documentaries Without Borders
Film 5050 3.0 Senior Documentary*
Film 5060 3.0 Editing
Film 5070 3.0 Hybrid Fiction
Film 5080 3.0 Directing Short New Narratives
Film 5110 3.0 Screenwriting
Film 5123 3.0 Screenwriting and Philosophy
Film 5231 3.0 Contemporary Documentary
Film 5232 3.0 Canadian Film Distribution, Exhibition & Marketing
Film 5320B 3.0 Selected Topics in History & Criticism: Narratology and Luis Buñuel
Film 5320L 3.0 Discourse of Race/Racist Discourses
Film 5245 3.0 Future Cinema
Film 5700 3.0 Student Initiated Collaborative Study
Film 5800 3.0 Directed Reading
*Students must be able to demonstrate a superior level of technical expertise to be offered a place in these courses. Permission of the Course Director and Graduate Program Director are required.
Directed Reading: Students may design a particular course of study with a faculty member provided it is not available in the current curriculum and does not overlap significantly with a course previously taken. Students are normally allowed two 3.0 credit reading courses during their Master’s tenure in the Film Program. All directed reading courses must be approved by the Graduate Program Director.
MFA students may take up to a total of two 3.0 credit courses (or equivalent) from outside the Department of Film. Students should consult the graduate handbooks for cognate departments such as Social and Political Thought, English, Visual Arts, Anthropology, Communication and Culture. Permission of the instructor and Graduate Program Director is required.
Our graduate production area features a team of award-winning faculty members whose expertise, and on-going research/practice spans Fiction, Alternative and Documentary filmmaking. We are dedicated to helping our students achieve their highest creative potential.
Application forms are available annually on our Film Department’s Graduate Program website, at the Faculty of Graduate Studies, York University, in the months leading up to the application deadline.
Online applications start here
