School of Film and Television LMU.edu
Apply Visit Give
Apply Visit Give
School of Film and Television LMU.edu
Apply Visit Give
Apply Visit Give

MFA Application Requirements

Applicants must submit all the following materials to the Graduate Division by the deadline of November 15, 2024.

LMU Graduate Application

1. Graduate Online Application and $50 application fee

LMU offers an easy online application. Apply today!

NOTE: Applicants may only apply to ONE graduate program per year. Applicants may NOT apply simultaneously to more than one SFTV graduate program.

2. Official Transcripts

Please contact the Registrar's Office of each college or university you have attended and request one official copy of your transcripts be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office. If ordering electronic transcripts, request one copy be released to graduateadmission@lmu.edu. For current or former LMU students, please read here. Unofficial transcripts cannot be uploaded. Transcripts should be sent to:

Graduate Admissions Office
Loyola Marymount University
1 LMU Drive, Charles Von der Ahe Building, Suite 235
Los Angeles, CA 90045-2659

3. Transcript / Credit Evaluation

Applicants who have completed their post-secondary education from an institution outside the U.S. must have their transcripts evaluated and translated by a U.S.-based transcript evaluation service before the application is considered for admission. A few commonly used evaluation service agencies are as follows:

The purpose of the evaluation is to verify that your post-secondary degree is the equivalent of a U.S. Bachelor's degree. A "course-by-course" transcript evaluation identifying your GPA is required.

4. English Language Proficiency Requirement (International Applicants Only)

TOEFL / IELTS: Applicants must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) unless they received a high school diploma or a bachelor's degree in the United States. Exceptions to this rule may be made for students from countries where English is one of several official languages, as well as at the discretion of the school's administration. The minimum TOEFL score for admission into most graduate programs is 100 internet-based and IELTS Overall Band Score of 7.

Please request that ETS or IELTS send your official scores to LMU Graduate Admissions. The LMU Institution Code is 4403 to request the TOEFL.

Note: If, after admission to a graduate program, the applicant's proficiency in English should prove inadequate, the University reserves the right to require additional proficiency in English. Failure to comply will result in disqualification from the graduate program.

5. GRE Scores

The GRE is required for all applicants with an undergraduate GPA below 3.0.


SFTV Supplemental Graduate Application

1. Personal Statement

Tell us your story. How have your life experiences, choices, and values shaped you? Is there an unforgettable moment in your life that has impacted you? What are the unique stories you want to tell as a filmmaker?  Tell us about artists (filmmakers or otherwise) and creative influences that have inspired you. Why do you want to attend a film program, and why specifically the Film and Television Production program at Loyola Marymount University? What specialization (Creative Producing, Directing Fiction, Directing Non-Fiction, Cinematography, and Editing) are you most interested in, and why? (fewer than 1,200 words).

2. Visual Samples

SFTV considers applicants with a unique voice and vision, storytellers who are in the early stages of their filmmaking careers, as well as more experienced applicants:

Submit the following visual sample:

  1. A two-to-three-minute film shot with your cell phone and edited with any digital software in response to the following prompt: "An interesting person, place, or thing, I recently discovered." Pay particular attention to story structure (e.g. a good beginning, middle, and end). Think outside the box! 

3. Creative Samples

Applicants to the graduate program in Film and Television Production must submit the following creative sample:

  1. A half-to-one-page outline of a short-format film project you would like to create. This outline should be in treatment form (not script format). It should give us a sense of the stories you want to tell, and the genres you want to work in.
  2. "The Unforgettable Moment": Write one single-spaced page describing a truly unforgettable moment you either experienced or witnessed. 

4. Video Recording

Create a video of two minutes, telling us who you are and what kind of stories you want to tell. Simply record yourself telling your story on camera. Do not script it, and do not 'perform' – be yourself! The recording will not be viewed past the two-minute mark.

5. Portfolio List

The portfolio list is a written record of your creative material, including but not limited to film or television. It should include the title and a logline (if appropriate), the year of completion, and your creative role in its production. The material should give an idea of the range and depth of your creative experiences so far. 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—submit only a list of your work.

An example of the Portfolio List is:

  1. July 2014, A Day in the Life, digital video, 12 minutes. Creative role: 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 project, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI.
  2. March 2013, Doorways, a series of five black-and-white photographs. Creative role: Photographer. "Second Prize Winner" in the Des Moines Sunday Journal photo contest.
  3. February 2011, Cellomorphosis, short story. Creative role: Writer. A variation on the novella by Franz Kafka: published in Writing, vol. IV, 2010, at Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts.

6. A One-Page Resume

7. Two Letters of Recommendation

Select your recommenders carefully, as this is a critical portion of your application. Each recommender must have supervised your work. Do NOT send letters from colleagues or friends. We prefer that you provide one academic letter and one professional letter, or two academic letters. You must submit the recommenders' information through the online graduate application. Recommenders will be required to submit the letters electronically. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that the letters are received.

Need Help?

If you need more information or need assistance, please contact sftvgradprograms@lmu.edu or 310.258.4630.

For Undergraduate Admissions, please contact admissions@lmu.edu.