Selection of Candidates and Admission Criteria

Students applying to the Film and Media Studies Master’s program from outside the university should use the standard Graduate School application form and follow the standard application procedures of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Strong letters of recommendations from at least three instructors who can speak to the applicant’s academic skills relevant to graduate study in film and media studies are required. Completion of the GRE is not a requirement of admission. All applications to the Master’s program in FMS should have a strong academic foundation in critical writing and thinking. At least one writing sample of no less than 3,000 words is required of these applicants and a letter of approximately 500 words describing the candidate’s interest in Film and Media Studies and how their intellectual background has prepared the applicant for graduate study in FMS. Applicants who have completed an undergraduate degree who show outstanding promise in writing about film and media but do not have formal film/media studies training at the undergraduate level may be admitted. However, such candidates should expect to spend significant time on the reading and screening lists that are oriented toward general knowledge in the field and are required preparation for the comprehensive exam. 

Students who are currently enrolled as undergraduates at Washington University and are seeking the combined BA/MA degree should also use the standard application form of the Graduate School to apply and consult with the Director of Graduate Studies of FMS about the application process.

Resources and Support

Students may receive varying amounts of tuition remission and may receive fellowships as well. Students at Washington University who are accepted into the Accelerated BA/MA program will receive a scholarship for 25% of tuition charges for the MA year, subject to the standard enrollment and remission policies of the Graduate School.