The Division of Film and Media Art will be considering applications for the M.F.A. and the M.A. on an alternation admissions cycle. Applications for the M.A. in Film and Media Art will only be considered for the 2012-2013 school year and then applications for the M.F.A. in Film and Media Art will only be considered for the 2013-2014 school year.
To be admitted to the graduate studies program in the Division of Film & Media Arts, an applicant must have obtained a Bachelor’s degree from a four-year accredited college or university, must have achieved a B average (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) in her or his major during the last two years of undergraduate coursework, must submit recent GRE scores with verbal score achievement of 450 and must have the approval of the graduate faculty in Film & Media Arts. An applicant whose grade point average or GRE score is below the required level may be admitted conditionally at the discretion of the graduate faculty in Film & Media Arts.
Several types of financial assistance are available to help meet the needs of students admitted to the graduate program in Film & Media Arts. In addition, guaranteed student loans and some grants may be available to students with demonstrated need.
Please read carefully before beginning your application:
Deadline and Application Fee
To assure full consideration for the fall term, application should be completed online and ALL supporting materials pertaining to the application for admission should be delivered to the Meadows Graduate Office BEFORE February 15th. Applications for admission without scholarship or assistantship consideration for the spring term should be submitted before November 1 are are considered only on a space available basis. Materials received from applicants who do not enroll will be retained by the Meadows Graduate Office for one year. All documents become the property of Southern Methodist University and cannot be returned. A $75.00 non-refundable application fee is required.
Transcripts
Request in writing one official transcript from the Registrar of each college or university previously attended, including summer terms. These may be sent directly to the Meadows Graduate Office. If the transcripts are sent to you, do not open the sealed envelopes, and mail them to the Meadows Graduate Office. A supplementary transcript covering work in progress at the time of the application must be furnished upon completion of that work. International transcripts that are not in English must be accompanied by official translations. We recommend the following services:
•Education Perspective (preferred)
•Foreign Education Credential Service (AACRAO)
•Educational Credential Evaluators
Recommendations
Three letters of recommendation are required. Letters of recommendation should be requested from professors who know the personal and academic qualifications of the applicant. When completing an online application you will have the opportunity to arrange for your letters to be delivered electronically. You will need a valid email address for each recommender. The Meadows Graduate Office can also provide forms for this purpose. If you need these please contact the Meadows Graduate Office for additional information.
Supplementary Materials
Applicants to the MA or MFA program in Film & Media Arts are encouraged to submit creative works. Résumés, tapes, CDs, DVDs, and/or research papers may be submitted to the Meadows Graduate Admissions Office directly.
GRE
Applicants must also take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test. The test scores should be sent from the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey directly to "SMU Meadows Sch Arts": School Code 6292, Department Code 4505 Radio, TV, and Film. Applicants who have not been enrolled in college in the last five years are exempt from these two requirements.
Financial Aid
Scholarships and graduate assistantships for qualified, admitted students are available from the graduate division. Candidates for graduate awards are encouraged to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This form is not required from international students on the F-1 visa. For additional information, contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, Meadows School of the Arts, PO Box 750356, Dallas, Texas 75275-0356 (telephone 214.768.3314).
Additional Documents Required for International Applicants
TOEFL
A score of a least 80 (minimum of 20 in each section) on the TOEFL iBT (or 213 or 550 on older versions of the test) is required of all international applicants whose first language is not English. Before an applicant can be considered for admission into a graduate program, the applicant must request the TOEFL score to be sent from the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey directly to "SMU Meadows School of the Arts", School Code 7640, and the appropriate Department Code in the Social Sciences category: 83 Communications. Applicants who have graduated from a U.S. or English-speaking university are exempt from this requirement.
I-20 and F-1 Visa
All international students admitted to a graduate program are required to provide:
• photocopy of passport page that shows official spelling of student’s name (submitted at time of application)
• proof of financial support, usually in the form of a certified letter from a bank (submitted following an offer of admission)