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FAQs

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  • Can I apply for Spring admission?

    No. With the exception of Performance Studies, all of our programs begin in the Fall. (M.A. students in Performance Studies begin full-time enrollment in June; Ph.D. students in the program begin in September.)

  • Can I apply to more than one program?

    You may apply to a maximum of two programs per academic year as long as you observe the deadlines for each department. You must submit two separate online applications, two application fees, and two sets of recommendations and transcripts. We cannot use one set of materials for two applications.  Please mark very clearly on all your documents for what department they are intended.

    Note: You should not apply to both the Cinema Studies MA program and the Moving Image Archiving and Preservation programs, or the New York City Graduate Film program and the Tisch Asia Graduate Film or Animation programs, or the New York City Dramatic Writing program and the Tisch Asia Dramatic Writing program.

  • Can I be considered for a Ph.D. program if I don't have a master's degree?

    No. Only the Department of Cinema Studies and the Department of Performance Studies offer Ph.D. degrees and you must have a MA or MS degree to be considered for them. The MFA or Master's in Music degree is not applicable for Admission to either Ph.D. program.

  • Can I be exempted from taking an English Proficiency test?

    Non native speakers of English need to demonstrate proficiency in English by taking the Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL),  the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination, or the American Language Institute (ALI) proficiency examination (at the NYU campus or any U.S. campus that offers the test). 

    You may seek an exemption if you: 

    1) are completing or have completed a four-year bachelors degree in the United States that is not a BFA, BM, or technical degree and you have earned an overall grade point average of 3.0 or better;

    or  

    2) have had continuous residency in the United States or an English-speaking country for a period of no fewer than five years;

    or 

    3) can provide proof of extensive secondary and post-secondary education with exposure to the English language as an integral part of the curriculum. 

    Exemptions are discretionary even when one or more of the above criteria are met and must be approved by the Director of Graduate Admissions before you file or complete your application online.

  • Can I charge my application fee?

    Yes, the online application requires that you pay by credit card or e-check.

  • Can I defer my admission?

    Due to the nature of the conservatory training program and the rigorous nature of the selection process, we do not grant admissions deferment for any of our programs.

  • Can I fax my application to you?

    No. The application itself is the only thing that cannot be faxed. It is a legal document and so we must have an original.

  • Can I study part-time?

    Under special situations, the Cinema Studies department will allow MA candidates to attend part-time. However, part-time study is open to U.S. citizens only. Visa restrictions require all international students to study on a full-time basis.

    All other Tisch programs are full-time only.

  • Can my application be reviewed without the TOEFL/IELTS/ALI results?

    If you are a non native speaker of English and have not received an exemption, review of your candidacy for admission may be delayed until results are received by the Graduate Admissions Office. TOEFL scores must be less than two years old. You should schedule your examination well in advance of the application submission deadline for your department. In the interest of time you may enclose the student issued copy of your test results with your transcript package. This will allow us to begin the review process. The official test result copy should follow shortly.

  • Do I have to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)?

    Cinema Studies (MA and Ph.D.) and the Moving Image Archiving and Preservation Program (MA) are the only programs that require the GRE. We recommend that you take the exam well in advance of the December 15th admissions deadline.

  • I wasn't accepted last year, but I'd like to reapply. What do I do?

    Because of limited space, we can no longer hold application materials from one year to the next. If you applied last year and were not accepted, you will have to file all pieces of the application (transcripts, recommendations, etc.) again.

  • If I'm having trouble getting a recommendation or transcript to you on time, can I fax it?

    No. All recommendation letters must be submitted online. All transcripts must be official copies or notorized photocopies, so a faxed copy is not acceptable. Please make arrangements to have your recommendation letters submitted online and your transcripts delivered in a timely fashion.

  • Is a bachelor's degree required for all programs?

    Yes. You must have an undergraduate degree to apply to any of our Graduate programs.

  • Is it a problem if my undergraduate degree is in a field unrelated to what I want to study on the graduate level?

    No. We have many students who apply from a wide variety of undergraduate backgrounds. What is important is the creative material (portfolios, writing samples or auditions) for the conservatory training departments and evidence of strong scholarly and research abilities for our academic departments. If you feel you don't have enough experience in the field you want to go into, it may be a good idea to prepare by taking a noncredit course or gaining practical experience before applying.

  • Is it possible to get the $60 application fee waived?

    The online application system requires payment in order to be processed. Your application fee covers processing and other administrative costs. For this reason we cannot waive application fees.

  • What is the difference between the Cinema Studies and Graduate Film programs?

    Cinema Studies is an academic program that provides interdisciplinary study in the history, criticism, theory, and aesthetics of the moving image. It grants the Master of Arts and doctoral degree. The Graduate Film program is a conservatory training program in all aspects of Filmmaking. The department is mainly oriented towards live action, feature filmmaking with a heavy emphasis on production. It grants the Master of Fine Arts degree.

  • When will admission decisions be announced?

    Performance Studies MA applicants who start course work in June should hear from us between late February and early March. For all other candidates, the notification period ranges from March 15th to April 15th. In general, most decisions are finalized and sent by the first  week of April.

  • Why wasn't I accepted?

    Tisch School of the Arts policy does not permit us to discuss details regarding individual admission decisions with applicants. Tisch receives a large number of meritorious applications and our departments are very selective. Admissions committees within each department take into consideration a number of different attributes while evaluating applicants. Due to space limitations not all deserving candidates can be accepted.