The School of Film and Television offers three Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degrees:

• Film and Television Production (PROD)
• Feature Film Screenwriting (FFSW)
• Writing and Producing for Television (WPTV) 

All applicants must have a Bachelor's degree from an accredited university.  SFTV welcomes applicants who have earned degrees in unrelated fields.  There are a limited number of openings in SFTV graduate programs.  Applications are reviewed and accepted for the Fall semester ONLY.

Applicants must submit all materials to the Graduate Division by the deadline of January 15.  These materials are comprised of:

1. Application and $50 application fee
2. Personal Statement
3. Creative Samples
4. Portfolio List (recommended--not required)
5. Two letters of recommendation (one academic, one professional)
6. All transcripts
7. GRE scores  

Additional Information

• To download the MFA program brochure click here .
• To complete an online application click here.
• For more information, contact Mary Abshire, Administrative Assistant for Graduate Programs, at 310.338.5991

1.  APPLICATION

LMU offers an easy online application.  Please visit the Graduate Division website to get started:  
http://graduate.lmu.edu.  
NOTE:  You may apply to only ONE graduate program per year.  Applicants may not apply simultaneously to two different SFTV programs.

2.  PERSONAL STATEMENT (required for all programs)

Your personal statement is the most important element in your application to SFTV.  Take time to write a statement that reflects your creative sensibility:  what areas do you want to further explore?  Tell us about yourself.  How have your life experiences, choices, and values shaped you as a storyteller and influenced your unique voice?  Tell us about the storeis that matter to you.  Describe the films and television shows that you love, and give us specific details as to why.  Finally, why do you want to attend the Flim and Television graduate program at Loyola Marymount University?

3.  CREATIVE SAMPLES (required for all programs)

We strongly recommend that Production program applicants submit visual samples of their work.  See your two options for visual samples below.  Applicants who submit visual samples may also submit a writing sample.  Applicants who do not submit a visual sample are required to submit a writing sample.

Feature Film Screenwriting (FFSW)
Applicants to the graduate program in Feature Film Screenwriting must submit two scripts for their creative sample.  Choose one of the following options:
a)  Two full-length screenplays
b)  One full-length screenplay and a one-act play 

Writing and Producing for Television (WPTV)
Applicants to the graduate program in Writing and Producing for Television must submit the following two creative samples:
a) One 'spec' script from an existing half-hour or hour television series.  The series does not have to be currently in production.
b) One original pilot for a half-hour or hour series.  

Film & Television Production (PROD)
Applicants to the graduate program in Production have the option to submit visual and/or writing samples of their creative work.  In order to be most competitive, we strongly recommend that applicants submit visual samples of their work.  We suggest that you include any creative work in traditional or multi-media formats that illustrate a particular talent or expertise that you would like to highlight for the selection committee. 

PROD applicants, select ONE of the following three options:
1)  Two visual samples
2)  One visual sample and one writing sample
3)  Two writing samples 

Choose one of the following for your visual sample:

a)  Film or digital video:  Create a brief narrative video; it may be live-action, animation, or documentary.  It should reflect your creativity.  SFTV is open to students utilizing a variety of approaches to visual storytelling.  (Maximum Length: 5 minutes.)

b)  Still photography:  Prepare a sequence of 10 photographs that tells a narrative story.  The sequence images may be black and white or color.  Include a one-page description of the story.  Explain the various choices you have made and why.  Include this description in your creative materials.  Please clearly label the document and URL.  It must be a PDF file.

Writing Sample (Production program applicants ONLY.  Choose one of the following.)

a)  Write a 1-2 page outline for a three-minute film that contains no dialogue.  The story should be communicated visually.  It can be non-fiction or fiction.

b)  Write a 1-2 page treatment for a feature-length movie which you would like to develop.  It may be a documentary or a fictional story.

METHOD FOR CREATIVE SAMPLE SUBMISSION:
We strongly recommend that applicants submit a URL for the visual sample.  Indicate the URL on the first line of your Creative Portfolio list.  We prefer that you DO NOT send us hard copies of visual samples.  You may use websites such as VIMEO, YouTube, or any other website that the Admissions Committee can access in the United States.  To ensure committee access, we suggest that you do not password protect your visual samples.

4.  PORTFOLIO LIST (PROD APPLICANTS ONLY.  Recommended.  Not required.)

The portfolio list is a written record of the applicant's creative material.  It should include a concise description of each project, the month and year the project was completed, the applicant's creative role and the purpose of each project.  The material, which does not need to be film- or television- related, should give an idea of the range and depth of applicant's creative ability.  Formal recognition - such as awards, publications, jobs and exhibitions - should be noted.  The name of the institution or publication should be included when listing creative materials prepared for a class or publication.  Please do not submit any of these materials to us - this is just a list of your work.  An example of the Portfolio List is below:

1.  July 2008, A Day in the Life, digital video, 12 minutes. Position: writer/director. A documentary on a homeless Iraq vet who has lived on the streets since his return from the military. Created for senior-year multimedia term project, San Rafael High School, Miami, Florida.

2.  March 2008, Doorways, a series of 5 black-and-white photographs. Position: photographer. "Second Prize Winner" in the Des Moines Sunday Journal photo contest.

3.  February 2007, Cellomorphosis, short story. Position: writer. A variation on the novella by Franz Kafka: published in Writing, vol. IV, 2007, at Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts. 

5.  LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION (required for all programs)

Your letters of recommendation will be read carefully.  We recommend that you provide at least one academic letter and one professional letter.  Applicants must submit their letter electronically through the online application.  If your recommender prefers to mail the recommendation letter, please provide them with the recommendation form available from the Graduate Admissions web page.  Applicants are responsible for making sure the letters have been received.  Application packets will not be reviewed unless they are complete.

6.  OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS (required for all programs)

We require two official sealed transcripts supplied by all schools you attended.  These letters should be included in your application packet or mailed separately by the school.  We recommend you send your transcripts to the Office of Graduate Admissions at least 3 week prior to the application deadline.  Transcripts should be sent to:  

Graduate Admissions
Loyola Marymount University
1 LMU Drive, Suite 1840
Los Angeles, CA  90045-2659 

All international applicants must submit a transcript evaluation before their application can be reviewed.  Please visit the Graduate Admissions page for more information:
http://graduate.lmu.edu/apply/international students. 

7.  GRE REQUIREMENT (see requirements below)

As of November 1, 2012, the GRE is no longer required for all applicants.  However, we strongly recommend that all applicants submit GRE scores as further evidence of their academic performance.  The GRE is required for all applicants with an undergraduate GPA below 3.0.