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Our next admission cycle is for the Fall 2026 semester.
Applications for Fall 2026 will open in October 2025. 
The deadline to apply is FEBRUARY 15, 2026.

To qualify for admission consideration, applicants must meet the general university minimum admission requirements AND the MFA in TVFT program minimum admission requirements.  Applicants who do not meet these minimum requirements might not be considered for review by the program admission committee(s).

The general university minimum admission requirements are:

• Completion of a four-year Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Completion must occur by the end of Summer for Fall admission, or by the end of Fall for Spring admission;
• Good academic standing at the last college or university attended;
• Grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.5 in an acceptable earned Bachelor's degree (or a GPA of at least 2.5 (out of 4.0) in the last 60 semester (or 90 quarter) units attempted);
• Meet English Language Proficiency if the Bachelor’s degree was not earned at an accredited college/university where English is the only language of instruction.

The MFA in TVFT program minimum admission requirements are:

• Grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 in an earned Bachelor's degree
• Submission of completed application materials through CSU Apply, which includes application, cover letter, CV/resume, personal statement, unofficial transcript(s), two references, and required submission materials.

Our next admission cycle is for the Fall 2026 semester.
Applications for Fall 2026 will open in October 2025. 
The deadline to apply is FEBRUARY 15, 2026.

By the deadline listed above, you must submit the following through CSU Apply:

• Cal State Apply application
• Cover letter
• Resume and/or curriculum vitae (CV)
• Personal statement
• Unofficial transcripts
• Two references
• Required: sample submission materials (more info below)

• Optional: Additional submission materials (more info below)

  PLEASE NOTE: Finalist applicants will need to be available for either in-person or online (Zoom) interviews with the Admissions Committee. Dates for these interviews are TBD. Applicants who advance to final interviews will be contacted directly via email to sign-up for dates and times. 

After submitting your application, you will also be required to submit the following:

• Official transcripts: Submit official U.S. academic records/transcripts and other requested information to the Admissions Office.
  • For more information about how to submit official documents, please visit https://www.calstatela.edu/admissions/submitting-documents

International Applicants must also submit:

• Foreign credential evaluation report – Submit official non-US transcripts, including the issuing institution’s grading scale, to either the International Education Research Foundation (https://apply.ierf.org) or to World Education Services (https://www.wes.org)
  • For more information, visit our IERF/WES page at https://www.calstatela.edu/admissions/ierfwes
• TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, or Duolingo (DET) test scores – This is required if you do not possess a Bachelor’s (or advanced) degree from an accredited college/university where English is the only or primary language of instruction.
  • For more information, visit the English Language Proficiency page (https://www.calstatela.edu/admissions/english-language-proficiency)

Questions? Contact us: mfatvft@calstatela.edu

COVER LETTER
Your cover letter should be one page or less and should briefly introduce yourself.

PERSONAL STATEMENT
The personal statement (no more than 1200 words) is very important in the admissions process and should answer the following three questions: 

UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS 
Upload one unofficial transcript from the college/university where you earned your most recent degree (e.g., bachelor's, master's, doctorate) to the ‘Unofficial Transcript’ slot. Up to four recent transcripts from other colleges/universities attended may be uploaded to the ‘Additional Unofficial Transcript’ slots.

Your name and the name of the school must appear on the first page of each file. Any unofficial transcripts missing this information will not be considered and will delay the processing of your application.

If the transcript is not in English, it must include an ATA-certified direct English translation.

REQUIRED SAMPLE SUBMISSION MATERIALS

We are looking for creators of all kinds — actors, writers, digital storytellers, performers, visual artists, filmmakers, content creators, and more — who have powerful stories to share through their work.

Whether your medium is on the page or the stage, inside the frame or the rehearsal hall, behind the camera or backstage, if you consider yourself an artist with stories to tell, we want to hear from you.

We recognize that excellence comes in many forms. To help us get to know your work, please upload at least two samples from the following list:

• Link to your acting reel. (you will upload this on the "questions" page.

• A prepared audition video. Prepare and record an audition video consisting of a slate and two contrasting monologues, each a minimum of 1 minute long. The total length of the video should be 5 minutes or less. Be sure to include the title of the play, playwright, and character in your slate. You can upload to YouTube, Vimeo, or your own website, but the link you provide must be viewable (not password protected).

• Videos you have worked on.  This can be a film, or other digital media,or recording of live performance. (please make sure we know your role ex: actor, director, editor, cinematographer, grip, AD, sound designer, special effects, producer, line producer, etc.)

• Video game content (graphic design, character concepts, storyboards, dialogue, etc.)

• Design portfolios – scenic, costume, lighting, sound, projection, FX, art direction

• Script Writing sample:

  • In the first Writing Sample slot, upload up to 15 pages of a screenplay, spec script, pilot script.

  • In the second Writing Sample slot, upload a 1-3 page synopsis/beat sheet of full­-length work you excerpted in sample #1 (e.g., screenplay, spec script, pilot script, or play).
  • All writing sample submissions need to be in English. Your spelling, grammar, formatting, and structure will be considered for acceptance into the program.

These should represent the best of your creative output, ideally showing both craft and original ideas.

Notes:

• You may submit links (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo, portfolios) or upload files directly.
• Collaborative projects are welcome; please specify your role clearly.
• If your work needs context, feel free to include a short description.

We look forward to meeting you through your work.