Admissions Info for MFA in Film & Media Production
Deadline to Apply
The deadline for Fall 2024 admissions has passed. We only admit students in the fall. The Fall 2025 application window will open on September 1, 2024 and will close after December 1, 2024.
Qualifying Degrees
In order to be admitted to the MFA in Film & Media Production program in RTF, students must hold a bachelor's degree (or its equivalent) from an accredited institution. Undergraduate preparation, internships and professional experience should demonstrate sufficient preparation in film and video production to predict successful performance at the graduate level.
Suggested Timeline for Your Application
It can take 2 to 4 weeks after you take the general GRE test for the scores to arrive at UT Austin.
October
- Attend a virtual info session. (Not required—but can be helpful!)
November 20
- Complete ApplyTexas application; SUBMIT and PAY.
- Send test scores to UT Austin (#6882).
November 25
- Upload all supplemental materials using the "MyStatus Page" link that you get 24 to 48 hours AFTER submitting the ApplyTexas application.
November 29
- Check status of your application from the MyStatus Page.
December 1
- Application Deadline
Application: Step by Step
Step 1 – Online Application
Choose: The University of Texas at Austin (school), Radio-Television-Film -- MFA in Film & Media Production (major/degree).
Statement of Purpose: You can wait and upload this as a PDF in the MyStatus Page -- Step 2.
Letters of Recommendation: You should provide names and email addresses for three recommenders. Please contact us if your recommender is not able to use this online method. One or two letters (out of three total) from a professional reference is advised to show industry and life experience (these should be entered under "Academic References" section in the application).
Step 2 – Upload Supplemental Materials
Use MyStatus Page -- available after submitting and paying the application fee.
NOTE: You won't have access to the MyStatus Page until you complete the online application and pay the application fee.
Statement of Purpose: Write an essay that explains your education and experience so far, your future goals, and how you think our program will help you achieve those goals. Rule of thumb is to keep this concise, no more than two printed pages, double-spaced. No other essay is required.
Copies of Official Transcripts: The Graduate and International Admissions Center (GIAC) require a copy of your official transcript from each college and/or university that you have attended. U.S. applicants who have taken coursework through an Exchange Program, Semester Abroad or Study Abroad, please contact an Admissions Counselor at GIAC (512-475-7391) to determine if you need an original transcript from the foreign institution. Once you are admitted, you will need to send a hard copy of the official transcript.
Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV): Include education; work experience and internships; honors and awards; and publications or creative works.
Academic Writing Sample: This should be a report, article, review, or anything that you've written for a class (or similar). No page limit, we recommend something at least 5-10 pages long.
Portfolio (Creative Sample): You will need to provide a Vimeo URL for your video(s) to serve as your admission portfolio. Please provide the URL and password (if applicable) on a separate PDF document uploaded on your MyStatus Page. . ** See detailed instructions below
Instructions for Portfolio (Creative Sample)
Please include up to 20 minutes (doesn't have to be a full 20 minutes) of the best examples of your filmmaking work. We are open to all genres and styles. Include detailed descriptions in the document that lists the works you are including, related information about them (your role in the project, medium, dimensions, date completed, etc.), and your priority for viewing.
You must have a Vimeo account and upload your videos to VIMEO.COM. If you don't already have a Vimeo account, you will need to create one. Vimeo is free to use. If your video is larger than 500MB you may also consider signing up for a free month of Vimeo Plus. Otherwise, you may consider compressing your video to a smaller file size. Please review the Vimeo Help Center/FAQ and Compression Guidelines if you are having trouble uploading your videos. TEST your upload to make sure that it can be viewed with no problems.
By uploading your video to Vimeo, it will be live and viewable to the public on Vimeo.com. If you do not want the public to be able to view your video, you will need to password-protect the video (detailed instructions are available on Vimeo.com) and provide the password with the URL in your application. The University of Texas at Austin Radio-Television-Film department will not share your password-protected videos with anyone other than faculty on the admissions committee.