The MFA in Interdisciplinary Documentary Media Practices, a terminal degree, is a three-year program in which students learn and experiment with a variety of documentary media practices as they work toward the completion of a thesis project. The core of the program is the Documentary Lab, in which students from a wide range of disciplines develop and workshop projects at various stages of completion. The program also takes advantage of masterclasses and other opportunities offered by the Center for Documentary and Ethnographic Media.

Requirements

Admission Requirements

DCMP is not currently accepting applications for the MFA program. View the department website for updates.

Application Deadlines

The deadline for U.S. and international students is December 1. 

Application Guidelines and Resources

MFA applicants must:

  • Hold at least a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university and provide transcripts from every institution attended.
  • Have an undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.75.
  • If international, provide TOEFL or IELTS scores.
  • Provide three letters of recommendation.
  • Provide a statement of purpose.
  • Provide a portfolio of relevant media work, such as video, photographs, sound pieces, websites, and other media art projects. Format preference is Vimeo. Please include a link to your online portfolio in your personal statement.

In the online application, select IDMP-MFA as the academic plan.

Transcripts

For review and decision purposes, applicants are required to upload an unofficial copy of their transcript(s) in the online application. The program requires a copy of the scanned transcript from each undergraduate and graduate institution that you attended. This includes community colleges, summer sessions, and extension programs. While credits from one institution may appear on the transcript of another institution, unofficial transcripts must be submitted from each institution, regardless of the length of attendance and whether or not courses were completed. Failure to list and submit transcripts from all institutions previously attended is considered to be a violation of academic ethics and may result in the cancellation of a student's admission or dismissal from the university.

Candidates will only need to provide official transcripts only after they are recommended for admission.

For more information about this program, visit the department website or contact the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies or CMCI Graduate Advising.

Program Requirements

The IDMP MFA is a three-year degree program requiring the successful completion of 60 credit hours of coursework, a first year review, second year review and thesis defense. The thesis consists of an original, media-based project and a written reflection that situates the project within the field of documentary media practices.