Program Overview

MFA in Film Overview

The MFA in Film is a globally recognized creative community of artists driven by one defining pillar: storytelling. Our students arrive with talent, energy, and commitment to their chosen concentration in Screenwriting & Directing, Creative Producing, or Writing for Film & Television; and we support, challenge, and champion them through the work of becoming not only well-rounded filmmakers, but colleagues forging lifelong creative partnerships.

Curriculum and Requirements

We treat filmmaking not only as a creative pursuit with a heritage in both the narrative and visual arts, but also as a technology and a business. Our students thrive in an intensely creative environment filled with hands-on experience, one-on-one faculty instruction, and the support of a community of talented peers. All students begin with the same core classes in the essential principles of storytelling: Screenwriting & Directing, Creative Producing, and Writing for Film & Television; gaining a toolkit that ensures their creative voice is matched with technical mastery and professional readiness. After the first year, students go on to take further specialized coursework in their chosen areas of expertise. The thesis workshop is a space dedicated to the deep development of projects that will become creative calling cards. Our alums graduate as thoughtful, trained storytellers with robust creative portfolios.

Concentrations

• Screenwriting & Directing
• Creative Producing
• Writing for Film & Television

Course Structure

• Workshops
• Seminars & Lectures
• Thesis
• Electives

International Students

The School of the Arts is home to a global community of artists, scholars, and storytellers. In Fall 2025, students from 58 countries comprised 32 percent of our student body, bringing perspectives that enrich every classroom, studio, and stage. We welcome applications from international students and value the unique experiences they bring to our community.

Career Opportunities

From Sundance to Cannes to the Academy Awards, our alums, and even current students, continually earn recognition at the world’s top festivals while securing coveted fellowships, labs, and opportunities to write, direct, and produce award-winning films and television shows. Creative Producing students also complete at least one internship at leading companies such as Apple TV+, Blumhouse, Jigsaw, and beyond, gaining crucial hands-on experience and professional networks before graduation. In short, we prepare students for success.

Application Materials

All applicants are required to submit an autobiographical essay, dramatic writing sample, feature film treatment, as well as complete a response to a short film prompt. However, each concentration has its own unique requirements, which may include additional materials.

Admissions & Financial Aid

Columbia University School of the Arts provides over $18 million for student support each year in the form of tuition scholarships, paid student positions, and teaching assistantships, as well as institutional awards and grants to support research, travel, and productions. We believe that the education and resources provided by the School of the Arts support an investment that will yield personal, intellectual, and professional gains for the rest of your life. We also realize that meeting the cost of this investment requires careful planning.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who should consider an MFA in Film?

There is no one path that leads to film school. Our students arrive from across the world, bringing diverse life experiences with them. The one thing they all share is a passion for visual storytelling. The MFA in Film provides a safe space for creative collaboration, risk-taking, and experimentation that pushes our students to tell the best possible version of the stories only they can tell.

Can I take courses in areas of study outside of my concentration?

Absolutely! Our program is built around the unique shared first year, in which all our students, across concentrations, take the same core classes, including creative producing, directing, directing the actor, film history/theory/criticism, screenwriting, as well as a practical tech arts class. After the first year, each concentration has its own distinct course of study.

What kind of creative material should I submit?

All applicants are required to submit an autobiographical essay, dramatic writing sample, feature film treatment, as well as complete a response to a short film prompt. However, each concentration has its own unique requirements, which may include additional materials.

How does an MFA in Film at Columbia differ from other film schools?

We have been known as the “Story School” for many years, and for good reason. Our devotion to story is what defines and distinguishes our Program. Studying here gives our students a true advantage—expert dramatic storytelling instincts—in the incredibly competitive industries of film, television, and other forms of digital media.

Is there financial aid available?

Columbia University School of the Arts provides over $18 million for student support each year in the form of tuition scholarships, paid student positions, and teaching assistantships, as well as institutional awards and grants to support research, travel, and productions. We believe that the education and resources provided by the School of the Arts support an investment that will yield personal, intellectual, and professional gains for the rest of your life. We also realize that meeting the cost of this investment requires careful planning.