APPLICATION:

To apply to the Graduate Film School program in production, you must submit the Film School MFA in Production application to the Film School's Main Office:

College of Motion Picture, Television and Recording Arts
Attn: MFA Admissions
Florida State University
3100A University Center
Tallahassee, Florida 32306-2350

You will need to include the following support materials with your application:
* A 500 to 1000 word essay describing your background, artistic experiences, creative influences, personal objectives and future career goals.
* Résumé
* Two official transcripts sent directly to the Film School
* Photo copy of test scores - GRE (and TOEFL if international applicant).
* Official test scores should sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions at FSU
* Three letters of recommendation (college instructors or employers) preferably on official letterhead
* An optional portfolio (portfolio materials should not be sent in special binders as they will be placed in an applicant folder. Materials cannot be returned)

**Failure to provide and of these items may result in disqualification for admissions consideration.**

Admission to the Film School undergraduate program also requires official admission to Florida State University. APPLICATION TO THE UNIVERSITY AND TO THE FILM SCHOOL MUST BE MADE SEPARATELY. To obtain a university application and information, please contact the following office or apply online:

Florida State University
Office of Admissions
2249A University Center
Tallahassee, FL 32306-1009

Students are admitted to the Film School only in the Fall Semester. We accept applications for Fall Semester between November 1 and December 15 of the same year.

You must apply by December 15. No late applications will be considered.

After the December 15 deadline, all applications are processed and reviewed. All applicants selected for on-campus interviews will be notified by telephone as far in advance as possible, but not less than 10 days prior to the interview period (Late February to early March).

We accept approximately 24 graduate production students once each year for fall semester. Admission is highly competitive, requiring a record of high academic achievement. An undergraduate degree in film or television is not required.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

International applicants must submit two transcripts, one original official copy and one translated. If the applicant’s native language is not English, the applicant must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum score of 550 on the paper-based test, 213 on the computer-based test, or 80 on the Internet based test is required. TOEFL scores are considered official only when they are sent directly to the Office of Admissions from the Educational testing Service

International students should finalize the international admissions process with FSU, which requires documentation that the student has sufficient funding to cover all costs during the two years (six consecutive semesters) of the Conservatory program, as well as permit sufficient time for obtaining visas. The FSU Office of Admissions has determined that $32,182.00 per year would be required to cover all education and living expenses, making a total of $64,364 for the two-year period.

TUITION AND GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS

Admission is not limited to Florida residents. Approximately two-thirds of Conservatory students are from outside the state of Florida. Residents of states in the Academic Common Market, of which Florida is a member, may qualify for in-state tuition. This market currently is comprised of: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West
Virginia.

Tuition and fees for the MFA program are currently $11,036 per semester for out-of-state and international students (each semester for six consecutive semesters, including summers), and $3,018 for in-state students, for the 2003-2004 academic year. A limited number of graduate assistantships are available and are awarded on the basis of need and/or achievement. Assistantship stipends average $1,370 per semester and may be accompanied by fee waivers varying from $900 to $6,000 per semester dependant upon residency status and availability of funds.

To apply for an assistantship, please indicate so on the Conservatory application form and include a letter explaining your need. Information concerning other types of financial aid, including loans and college work-study, may be obtained by contacting the following office or going to their web site:

The Office of Student Financial Aid
Florida State University
University Center 4400A
Tallahassee, FL 32306-2430
(850) 644-0539

HEALTH INSURANCE

Students seeking degrees in certain majors, including film, assume any exposure to the particular hazards associated with that major. As protection for our students, the Film School requires that all student's present proof of health and accident insurance (name of insurer and policy number) prior to registration in the fall semester of each year. Students are expected to maintain this insurance throughout their enrollment in the Film School. registration will be administratively canceled at the end of the second week of classes for any student failing to provide proof of insurance.

SELECTION OF STUDENTS FOR ADMISSION TO THE GRADUATE CONSERVATORY

Admission to the school's program is determined by the Admissions Committee, which is comprised of a minimum of three faculty members.

The documents and data submitted by the applicants are examined by the committee members and a preliminary judgment is reached in regard to the applicant's apparent capability for the successful undertaking and completion of work required in the school's course of studies.

The criteria and factors taken into consideration by the committee include undergraduate grade point average (minimum of 3.0 grade point average in undergraduate course work completed beyond the sophomore year), test scores (minimum 1000 combined verbal and quantitative on the GRE), the personal statement by the applicants of their individual goals, interests and talent; and experience in working as a team member, the three letters of recommendations, and the resume.

Based upon this information, ratings are assigned by individual members of the committee to each of the applicants, reflecting their apparent aptitude and ability for successful creative work at the Film Conservatory. These ratings are then totaled and the 90 applicants with the highest ratings are invited to the Conservatory for interviews.

Interviews are held with each invited applicants to provide the members of the Admissions Committee with the opportunity to obtain additional information. The interview is approximately 30-minute long and may also include a group interview session with other candidates for admission.

Following the interviews with all 90 students, the Admissions Committee rank-orders the top 24 production applicants and those individuals are invited into the Graduate Film Conservatory. A rank-ordered list of alternates is also completed and held in reserve pending the acceptance of the invited applicants.