Students currently enrolled at LMU who are interested in joining the School of Film and Television are encouraged to apply for internal admission to one of our major or minor programs during their first year at LMU. All applicants are required to meet the following criteria to be eligible to apply to one of our major or minor programs:
- Be in good academic standing with no history of academic probation*
- Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25*
- Apply no more than two times to one program (if rejected on their first application)
Please note we are currently offering internal admission to students interested in our Animation, Film Studies, and Screenwriting programs only. We do not have an internal admission process for our Film and Television Production and Recording Arts major programs. Please read the admission process for each program below.
*The Screenwriting Department has differing requirements to apply for internal admission
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You can find more information about the Animation major and minor programs here on our website, including the courses we are offering for the upcoming semester. Prospective students are encouraged to take ANIM 101: Discovering Animation to get a sense of the program before applying.
Major Application Requirements:
- Completion of an online application
- Submission of a creative portfolio that includes 10 to 15 pieces (can be animation, drawing, painting, anything that demonstrates your artistic vision)
- Submission of a personal essay that is between 3-5 double-spaced typed pages explaining your academic objectives and future goals within the Animation major
- Completion of one letter of recommendation/evaluation completed here. You may forward this link to an evaluator of your choice for them to complete. PLEASE NOTE: recommendations are confidential and are not available to the applicant
- Submission of a graduation plan made during an appointment with your SFTV Academic Advisor. You can schedule an appointment in LionConnect
Minor Application Requirements:
- Completion of an online application
- Submission of a creative portfolio that includes 3 to 6 pieces (can be animation, drawing, painting, anything that demonstrates your artistic vision)
- Submission of a personal essay around 3-5 double-spaced typed pages explaining your academic objectives and future goals within the Animation minor
- Submission of a graduation plan made during an appointment with your SFTV Academic Advisor. You can schedule an appointment in LionConnect
- Completion of one letter of recommendation/evaluation completed here. You may forward this link to an evaluator of your choice for them to complete. PLEASE NOTE: recommendations are confidential and are not available to the applicant
Deadlines:
- Fall Internal Admission: November 6th
- Spring Internal Admission: March 15th
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More information about the Film, TV and Media Studies major and minor programs can be found here on our website, including the courses we are offering for the upcoming semester.
Major and Minor Application Requirements:
- Completion of an online application
- Submission of a personal statement no longer than 500 words explaining your interest in the Film, Television and Media Studies major or minor program
- A graduation plan with a semester-by-semester breakdown of how you plan to complete the requirements for the Film, Television and Media Studies major or minor within the expected graduation timeline. If you need help making a plan, set up an appointment with SFTV Advising for further assistance
Deadlines:
- Fall Internal Admission: February 28th/29th
- Spring Internal Admission: September 30th
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More information about the Interactive, Gaming and Immersive Media (IGIM) minor program be can found here on our website, including the minor requirements.
To be admitted into the IGIM minor program, students must complete the following courses with a minimum 'B' grade:
- CMSI 1010: Computer Programming and Lab
- ANIM 250: Intro to Interactive Animation
Once students have completed these courses, they can submit the Change of Academic Program form through the Office of the Registrar's website to declare the minor program. There is no other application process that needs to be followed to declare the minor program.
Please be advised the form will be denied by our SFTV Assistant Dean if they find the student has not completed the courses with the required minimum grades.
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The Film and Television Production undergraduate major is not accepting applications for internal transfer due to unprecedented enrollment levels.
For more information on the International Documentary Filmmaking minor, please visit the LMU Study Abroad Website: International Documentary Filmmaking Minor in Bonn Germany.
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The Recording Arts undergraduate major is not accepting applications for internal transfer.
For more information, please contact SFTV Advising or the RECA Department Chair.
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More information about the Screenwriting major and minor programs can be found in the University Bulletin. Please note that the SCWR programs take careful planning since the courses are sequential and can not be taken concurrently.
Major and Minor Application Requirements:
- Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and be in good academic standing during application (history of academic probation is fine)
- Completion of an online application
- Completion of gateway courses (read below for more information)
- Submission of two creative writing samples, with at least one of them being a completed screenplay. Other creative materials may include non-fiction essays, short stories, scripts, and other static written creative materials
- Submission of a personal essay, no longer than 5 double-spaced typed pages, representing you as an individual, your academic objectives and future goals with an explanation of how becoming a major within SFTV will help you achieve your goal
- Submission of a graduation plan that is made during an appointment with your SFTV Academic Advisor. Please use LionConnect to schedule an appointment
- For Major Applicants Only: A minimum of two evaluations/recommendations completed here. Recommenders may be LMU faculty, staff, students or any other contact with whom you have collaborated on relevant creative work. We suggest at least one academic evaluator and one creative evaluator. PLEASE NOTE: recommendations are confidential and are not available to the applicant.
Gateway Courses:
Please note that internal admission into the Screenwriting programs is dependent on the application AND completion of three gateway courses:
- SCWR 1120: Storytelling for the Screen, completed with a minimum B
- SCWR 2220: Breaking the Feature
- FTVS 1010: Art of Cinema
The screenwriting gateway courses must be taken sequentially, meaning they cannot be completed at the same time as SCWR 1120 serves as a prerequisite for SCWR 2220. FTVS 1010 can be completed concurrently with either SCWR course and students can apply when SCWR 2220 is in-progress
The gateway courses typically have restrictions on them, which will prevent many non-SFTV students from registering into them. To request clearance to register for these courses, please fill out the Screenwriting Program Questionnaire. This questionnaire allows the Screenwriting Department to track students who are interested in the program as well as ensure registration clearance to the gateway courses is given to prospective students within a timely manner.
Deadlines:
- Spring Application Deadline: February 28th/29th
- Fall Application Deadline: September 30th
If you have further questions on the internal admission process for one of our major or minor programs, please email us at sftv-advising@lmu.edu.
Please note that students should not submit a Change of Program form until after they have been notified of their admission into one of our programs (except for the IGIM minor program). Our office will deny any Change of Program forms submitted by students that have not yet received a decision on their internal admission application.