FILM-MFA - Documentary Film and Video (MFA)

Master of Fine Arts in Documentary Film

Situated in the Department of Art & Art History, the Master of Fine Arts program in documentary production provides a historical, theoretical, and critical framework within which students master the conceptual and practical skills for producing nonfiction film and video. The MFA is a terminal degree program with a two-year, full-time curriculum synthesizing film praxis and film and media history, theory, and criticism. Courses provide an intellectual and theoretical framework for developing students’ creative work. Students proceed through the program as a cohort.

Fields of Study or Degree Options

Fields of study for the MFA degree are offered in Documentary Film.

Admission

The program requires residency for two consecutive years. The admissions committee seeks applicants with work experience beyond their undergraduate years and can articulate why they want to learn documentary film production. The committee looks for evidence of the likelihood of success in a rigorous academic program emphasizing creative work. The conceptual and technical skills required for documentary work are sufficiently different from fictional narratives to make the Stanford program inappropriate for students interested in fiction filmmaking. The program does not allow for deferred admission or a mid-year enrollment.

Portfolio

The department requires a film or video work for which the applicant has had creative control. The sample work must be well labeled and accompanied by a brief synopsis, the clips’ running time, the production circumstances, and the applicant’s role. The admissions committee will view 15 minutes of work samples. Applicants may submit multiple projects and should include notes on which portion of their work to consider (up to 15 minutes). Work on which the applicant had only a production assistant role is inappropriate for submission. Student work, however, is appropriate for consideration. Applicants with minimal film or video production experience should submit an example of their best creative work in any medium.

Portfolio Specifications—See the department’s Graduate Admission website for portfolio requirements.