See below frequently asked questions regarding program applications, funding, curriculum, and academic requirements.
If you have a question that are not answered below, please email your question to filmgpa@yorku.ca
Funding & Costs
Domestic applicants who are accepted to our programs will receive fellowship funding. This funding covers the cost of tuition each term, with some funds left over.
More information can be found on the York Graduate Funding page.
Regrettably, our program is unable to offer any funding to international students at this time. We can only consider international MA or MFA applicants who can join us completely self-funded. We do not accept applications from international PhD applicants.
Domestic and international Master’s program fees for the incoming Fall/Winter academic year can be found on the Course and Program Fees / FW26 / Faculty of Graduate Studies – Masters, Keele and Glendon page.
Domestic PhD program fees for the incoming Fall/Winter academic year can be found on the Course and Program Fees / FW26 / Faculty of Graduate Studies - PhD, Keele and Glendon page.
Cost of living estimates for the city of Toronto can be found on the Cost of Living in Toronto page.
Curriculum & Academic Requirements
Our course offerings vary from year to year. You can view current course offerings on the Courses page.
Information regarding our degree requirements can be found on the Degree Requirements page.
MBA/MA | MBA/MFA Joint Program
Yes! We have partnered with the Schulich School of Business to offer an 8-term joint MA/MBA or MFA/MBA degree.
More information about what an 8-term joint degree would look like can be found on the MBA/MA | MBA/MFA Joint Program page.
There are 8 terms in total for the joint program:
- Terms 1-3 (Fall 1 / Winter 1 / Summer 1): students start the MA or MFA
- Terms 4-5 (Fall 2 / Winter 2): students complete these terms at Schulich as part of the MBA
- Term 6 (Summer 2): MA or MFA
- Term 7 (Fall 3): Schulich
- Term 8 (Winter 3): MA or MFA
Yes. Full-time domestic MA and MFA students are offered fellowship funding that covers the cost of their tuition in the MA or MFA programs; students interested in the joint degree will be required to pay the cost of the MBA program.
This means that for terms 4, 5, and 7 of the joint degree, students would pay tuition for the MBA. For Fall 2026, domestic students can expect to pay $18,500 CAD/term in the MBA program. Schulich-specific admission requirements and tuition and fees information can be found on the MBA/MFA/MA page.
You do not need to apply for the MBA at the same time as you are applying for the MA or MFA. You can apply to the MBA joint degree during your first term in the MA or MFA program.
Language Requirements
If your last degree was NOT conducted in English, if admitted to the program, you will be required to take (or show proof that you have taken within the last 2 years) an English proficiency test. You must obtain a MINIMUM score on ONE of these tests:
| | |
|---|---|
| TOEFL (Internet-based) | 100 (for tests taken prior to January 2026) or 5 (January 2026 and after) |
| IELTS (Academic Module) | 7.5 |
| YUELI Essential English | Level 6 with Distinction |
| YUELI Graduate Studies Preparation Program (GSPP) | Graduate with distinction |
| CAEL | Overall score of 70, no component score less than 60 |
| Minimum CPE Score | C |
| Minimum CAE Score | B |
| Duolingo | 140 |
| PTE Academic | 76 |
If you have completed at least one full year at an accredited university in a country where English is the official language of the institution, you may be exempt from this requirement. Proof that the language of instruction at your last institution was English will be required by the Faculty of Graduate Studies to waive the English language requirement.
More information about admission regulations can be found on the Admission page.
MFA Portfolios & Proposals
Only Vimeo or YouTube links are accepted. DVDs or other formats will not be accepted. Portfolios/links to works are often organized in a Word document or PowerPoint—you can upload a PDF copy in MyFile.
For the MFA in Production, the Thesis proposal (maximum 750 words) should start with a title, proposed length, genre, medium, and one sentence summary description. A standard thesis proposal breakdown might include: Content (1-2 paragraphs); Form (1-2 paragraphs); Influences (films, filmmakers, artists, etc. 1 paragraph); Relation to your previous work (1-2 paragraphs); and Logistics (timeline, resources, equipment, 1-2 paragraphs).
The MFA Production thesis project can be any work of cinema in the expanded sense (fiction, documentary, alternative, media art) and be realized in formats such as a film, installation, webdoc, VR/AR/XR, a series of related shorts, etc. Thesis projects should be feasible to complete within the Program’s five terms of study, along with your courses and other obligations, supportable by your/our available equipment and resources. We advise that thesis films be short (approx. 15 min.) but exceptions may be considered.
The submission of additional written work is optional, a place where you can choose to add materials relevant to your work as an artist: perhaps an essay you've written, or a script, or a visual treatment with photos, or reviews of your work, or background research into your topic. No page limit.
Note: do not post your Thesis Proposal or Statement of Interest here.
No page limit.
Proposals
Yes, it is possible to change capstone projects during the Program, but please note that radical changes are discouraged. Applicants are admitted based on the proposed project parameters. The Program must have the capacity to support any new proposed project including faculty supervisory expertise and availability.
Combine the Statement of Interest and the Thesis/MRP/Dissertation Proposal into one document (maximum 4 pages) and upload it under Statement of Interest.
The titles of courses on transcripts do not always accurately reflect the specific orientation or content of these courses. To assist us in assessing your background, you may include a list of any courses you have taken in film and related disciplines and the grades that you received (optional).
Transcripts
Yes, scans/photocopies of your transcripts from previous institutions are permitted during your initial application.
However, if you receive a decision of conditional admission to the graduate program, applicants must then provide official transcripts for every post-secondary institution they have attended.
For transcripts to be considered "official" they must be received by York University directly from the issuing institution or from a service like MyCreds or OUAC, and it must be evident that an applicant had no direct access to the transcripts. If the institution issues official paper transcripts directly to you, the envelope must be sealed by the institution and remain sealed until opened by York University to be considered official.
Unofficial transcripts are transcripts to which applicants/students have access. Institutions have different ways of providing unofficial transcripts; check with the issuing institutions if you have questions.
If transcripts are in another language, an official English translation is required.
If the name on your transcript differs from the legal name that you currently use, please make sure that you include your former name on your application form.
There is no need for you to submit a York University transcript when you apply to any graduate program at York University if you have:
- taken one or more courses at York;
- earned a degree from York; or
- completed a certificate program at York
After receiving a decision of conditional admission to the graduate program, you must send one official transcript for every postsecondary institution you have attended. Official transcripts must come to York University directly from the issuing institution or from a service like MyCreds or OUAC, and it must be evident that an applicant had no direct access to the transcripts. If the institution issues official paper transcripts directly to you, the envelope must be sealed by the institution and remain sealed until opened by York University to be considered official.
Photocopied or faxed transcripts are not accepted.
If your transcripts are in another language, an official English translation is required. If the name on your transcript differs from the legal name that you currently use, please make sure that you include your former name on your application form.
There is no need for you to submit a York University transcript when you apply to any graduate program at York University if you have taken one or more courses at York; earned a degree from York; or completed a certificate program at York.
You can arrange for official transcripts to be sent to York University electronically via MyCreds or OUAC.
To send documents to the Faculty of Graduate Studies by mail, please use the following:
Mail Address
York University
Office of Graduate Admissions
P.O. Box GA2300
4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON
Canada M3J 1P3
Courier Address:
York University
Office of Graduate Admissions
230 York Lanes
80 York Boulevard, York University
4700 Keele Street Toronto, ON
Canada M3J 1P3
References
Yes. We accept 2 professional references for applicants who have been working outside academic settings for a number of years.
In MyFile, applicants submit the email addresses of their referees. Referees will receive an email from York University with a standardized form for them to fill out. Please inform your referees that they cannot upload a preexisting letter or document but they can copy and paste text from preexisting letters into the standardized form.
Prior to submitting your referees’ email addresses, we recommend providing them with your statement of intent, thesis proposal, CV, and other relevant application materials.
In some cases, the admissions committee will consider applications for part–time students to enter the MA, MFA, or PhD program. Note that part–time students are not eligible for most financial aid from York University.
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required to apply to any degree in Film & Media Arts.
No. All programs are designed to begin in September.
Learn More
The Graduate Program in Film & Media Arts at York is an exciting environment to pursue innovative, socially engaging, career-ready education. Contact our Graduate Program Assistant to learn more.