nyu thesis film

Finding Dissertations

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NYU Dissertations Online

All dissertations completed at NYU are indexed in the online database  Dissertations and Theses Global. Users who wish to access NYU dissertations, especially dissertations completed since 1997, would be best served by searching this database. Many (but not all) dissertations will be available in full-text.

Dissertation Search Tip:

When searching the database, you can use the Advanced Search functions to limit your results to only dissertations completed at NYU or you can leave the "institution" field blank to search dissertations completed anywhere. 

Why can't I see the full-text? 

When dissertation authors submit their work to Dissertations and Theses Global , they have the option to  embargo the full-text for up to two years from that point. Authors may choose to embargo their dissertations for several reasons, for example, if they are planning to publish the dissertation (or a version of it) as a book. There are currently no options for NYU students to access the full-text of a dissertation if the author has chosen to embargo.  In some cases, the author can extend the embargo beyond 2 years. It is estimated that approximately 50% of dissertation authors at NYU choose to embargo.

Dissertations that have been embargoed will appear with the note, " At the request of the author, this graduate work is not available to view or purchase" in the upper right-hand corner of record.

• Dissertations & Theses Global This link opens in a new window Dissertations and Theses Global contains indexes, dissertations and some theses. Full-text is available for many dissertations and theses, including those from NYU.

NYU Dissertations in Hard Copy

NYU dissertations completed before 2007 are available in both print and microform at Bobst.

Bobst Library does not keep copies of any dissertations from the following programs:

• The Medical School and the Dental School maintain separate collections of their own dissertations
• Master's theses are not kept by Bobst Library. Check with the corresponding department or school to explore whether such theses are held.

Bound copies of dissertations are held offsite and must be requested through the catalog for delivery to the library.

Call number ranges for NYU dissertations (Dissertations from Tisch and Courant are under GSAS):

• LD 3907 .E3 - School of Education
• LD 3907 .G5 - Wagner School of Public Administration
• LD 3907 .G6 - Stern School of Business
• LD 3907 .G7 - Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS)
• LD 3907 .S3 - School of Social Work

Dissertations published before 2008 at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Wagner School of Public Administration, Stern School of Business, Silver School of Social Work, and Steinhardt School of Education are available on microform .

Using the Library Catalog to Find NYU Dissertations

If you already know the author or the title of the dissertation, you can search the Library Catalog with that information to locate our copy and either recall it from offsite storage or find it in the Microforms Center.

Search tip:

For those wishing to search Library Catalog for dissertations on certain subjects, perform an Advanced Search using the words "Dissertation" AND "[desired subject]."

• Search Library Catalog

Please note: NYU dissertations in the Proquest Dissertations & Global Theses database are indexed in Library Catalog regardless of whether or not they have been embargoed. Just because a dissertation record appears in the Library Catalog does not mean that it is available in full-text. 

Dissertations completed at NYU through 2007 are available on microform. Microform copies are located in the Microforms Center on LL2 of Bobst Library. These are arranged chronologically by school. Some of the older rolls of film contain more than one dissertation. These copies are each given a thesis number in chronological, alphabetical order. The thesis numbers are listed on each roll, corresponding to the cataloged location in the Library Catalog.

What are microforms?

Microforms are pieces of film that contain reproductions of magazines, journals, and other materials. Because newsprint and other types of paper often decay, microforms are used as a method of preserving content.  Microforms come in 2 formats: microfilm (on reels) and microfiche (sheets).

Where are the microforms?

Microforms are located on LL2 in the Microforms Reading Room.

Can I get help?

The Microforms Reading Room is staffed. In addition, notebooks with instructions are available.

Can I make copies?

All microform machines have printing capabilities; some machines also allow you to make PDFs.

Offsite Materials

Some of our materials are stored in an offsite facility. 

To get an item that is marked as offsite:

• Search for the item in the Library Catalog
• Click on the Title
• Click on the Availability Status/Call number link
• Click Request

Offsite materials usually arrive within 2 business days. You'll be notified once the item has arrived, and you can pick it up at the Circulation Desk.

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• Last Updated: Mar 29, 2024 1:48 PM
• URL: https://guides.nyu.edu/dissertations

Acclaimed Filmmaker and NYU Alumnus Cary Joji Fukunaga Creates Production Grant to Support Student Filmmakers

The production grant will fund student thesis films and create mentorship opportunities for aspiring filmmakers

NYU Tisch School of the Arts today announced the creation of a new production grant from NYU alumnus, director, writer, and cinematographer Cary Joji Fukunaga. The grant has been created to support historically underrepresented voices and to promote BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or people of color) stories in the film industry. It will be awarded to a student in the Graduate Film program to fund their thesis film—a vehicle that often helps graduating students launch their filmmaking careers—and includes a mentorship component.

The $20,000 production grant will be awarded in the spring of 2021 to a student who has demonstrated financial need and as a requirement of the grant, the award recipient will participate as a mentor in the Cary Fukunaga Production Award Mentorship program with mentees selected from NYU Tisch Future Artists participants. Future Artists is a free arts education program for New York City high school students taught by Tisch’s renowned faculty and is designed for groups that are historically underrepresented in media.     

For Fukunaga, the mentorship program was a requisite factor in the creation of the production award. He wanted to ensure that aspiring filmmakers would have access to film sets, hands-on experience, and witness creatives with similar backgrounds and experiences who are on their way to achieving their goals.                            

“My hope for this award is that it empowers an emerging filmmaker who will help bridge the representation gap for BIPOC stories in the industry and turn them into a role model for kids who may not see an obvious path to the industry from where they are now. When I was younger I certainly didn’t see how someone like me could make it and if it weren’t for a few people who encouraged me, I don’t know if I would be here today. It’s critical for young people to see someone just ahead of them on the path to becoming a filmmaker. Just by example, it gives them the confidence to keep pursuing their dreams.

“Diversity in cinema is essential; we need to hear from storytellers whose diversity better reflects our society. As for audiences, we need to experience more stories told from different points of view, not only to broaden our perspectives but to engender empathy, something we are in dire need of right now. Creating opportunities, instilling confidence, and establishing links from one generation to the next is one way we can effect real change in the industry” said Fukunaga.

Fukunaga’s short film VICTORIA PARA CHINO is a harrowing account of the deadliest smuggling incident in U.S history, where dozens of Central American and Mexican immigrants died in a refrigerated trailer in Victoria, Texas. Shot during his second year at NYU and screened at the Sundance Film Festival, the short won a Student Academy Award in 2005, along with numerous other accolades. A prolific writer and director, Fukunaga has received critical acclaim for his feature films SIN NOMBRE, JANE EYRE, and BEASTS OF NO NATION. His television work includes directing the first season of the HBO series True Detective which earned five Primetime Emmy nominations and wins in the Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Directing categories. Fukunaga is also the first American to helm a Bond film, with the upcoming NO TIME TO DIE.

“Cary is a visionary storyteller who brings a nuanced sensitivity and rare visual style to every project and with this grant, he has demonstrated his commitment to using that prestige and success to further inclusivity in Hollywood and beyond. We are grateful to Cary for his generosity in supporting the next generation of filmmakers,” said Dean Allyson Green, NYU Tisch School of the Arts.              

“With one of the most diverse filmmaking programs in the country, NYU Tisch knows first-hand the captivating, unique, and fresh storytelling that emerges when filmmakers from different backgrounds are given the opportunity to cultivate their individual voices—they create the stories that define and shape the future of American and world cinema,” she continued.                         

The Cary Fukunaga Production Award will be granted based on a proposal for the student’s thesis project, including a director’s artistic statement of intent and a screenplay. The submissions will be judged by Fukunaga and a panel of NYU Graduate Film faculty and industry Professionals.                         

Future Artist program participants in filmmaking, dramatic writing, game design, theatre, recorded music, and dance will be eligible to apply for the mentorship opportunity. The selected mentees will have the opportunity to engage with the Fukunaga Award recipient and members of their film crew throughout the semester to learn about the filmmakers’ artistic journeys and process of actualizing their winning film project, while also exploring their future goals and engaging in conversation with the Graduate Film students. Meetings in spring 2021 will take place virtually.                                   

Further information and updates about the Cary Fukunaga Production Award will be available at tisch.nyu.edu/grad-film/festivals-awards. The Cary Fukunaga Production Award is open to students in NYU Tisch’s Graduate Film program who have a deep and abiding commitment to filmmaking featuring the stories and/or voices of Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) and who would traditionally not have access to these resources. Candidates should also show an interest in mentorship for the younger generation of film students who themselves may not otherwise have access to opportunities in the film industry.                            

About NYU Tisch School of the Arts For over 50 years, the NYU Tisch School of the Arts has drawn on the vast artistic and cultural resources of New York City and New York University to create an extraordinary training ground for artists, scholars, and innovators. Today, students learn their craft in a spirited, risk-taking environment that combines the professional training of a conservatory with the liberal arts education of a premier global university with campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, Shanghai and 11 academic centers around the world. Learn more at www.tisch.nyu.edu.

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Film and Television (MFA)

Program description, dual degree.

The Graduate Division of the Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts is an intensive three-year conservatory graduate film production program that trains students in the art of cinematic storytelling. We focus on helping writer/directors develop a narrative voice and the technical virtuosity to express that voice in cinema. Our students learn by doing— writing scripts, directing and producing films and exercises, and shooting and crewing on each other’s projects. Every student has an opportunity to make a minimum of five movies while at NYU.

The program confers a Master of Fine Arts degree. The Graduate Film Program encompasses both fiction and documentary filmmaking. Each semester, courses in screenwriting, directing, aesthetics, acting, cinematography, editing, producing, and sound design complement specific filmmaking projects that provide hands-on training. Our students are well-prepared to transition into the professional world with a range of technical skills which often lead to employment in the industry, a reel of short films that can serve as calling cards, and a feature film script or television bible.

This program offers a  dual degree with the NYU Stern School of Business .

See  Admissions  for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.

All graduate applicants to the Tisch School of the Arts are required to submit the General Graduate Application , as well as a department-specific portfolio or creative supplement. Each of these can be submitted online.

See  Graduate Admissions  for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.

For international applicants, see  International Applicant Requirements .  Applicants with international credentials should be sure to check to see if their credentials are equivalent to an American Bachelor’s degree before applying.

Program Requirements

Second year.

Chosen in consultation with an academic adviser.

General Program Information

First-year students are immersed in all aspects of film production, attending classes that explore aesthetic principles as well as technical applications. In addition to their course work, students write and direct three short films in their first year, working on each other’s projects by rotating crew positions.

Course work continues through the second year and culminates with each student directing a 10-minute second year narrative film, and also crewing on five of their classmates’ second year films, which culminates in a year-end Second Year Showcase of all the completed films. While most students will graduate as writer-directors, they can begin to specialize in the areas of Editing, Cinematography and Producing in the spring of second year.

The primary focus of the third year is the development of a thesis project, which can be a narrative or documentary film, a TV pilot or web series, a feature screenplay or TV/web series written pilot and bible; or an editing or cinematography reel of work done on other students’ projects. Students may also graduate as producers, with a producing thesis portfolio. During this third year, students are also able to participate in collaboration classes with students from other Tisch School of the Arts programs, such as the Design, Graduate Acting and ITP departments. Students undergo rigorous training in and out of the classroom in preparation for their thesis project. Several advanced courses are also available as electives in the third year that prepare students for their transition to the professional world. Students may elect courses in feature screenplay writing and are encouraged to complete a feature-length script by graduation. Each thesis is reviewed by a faculty committee, which then recommends the student for graduation.

Sample Plan of Study

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:

• Understand the technologies involved in making narrative films including film and digital cameras, AVID editing systems and workflows, audio recording and mixing, lighting instruments and related grip equipment.
• Understand dramatic structure and dialogue in writing of short and feature-length narrative scripts.
• Understand the stages and elements involved in the safe production of short and feature-length narrative films, including development, financing, budgeting, scheduling, set operations, post-production, marketing and distribution. Also includes learning how to use industry-standard software for budgeting and scheduling.
• The understanding of the director’s role and capacity to execute same with originality, including drawing out and shaping performances from actors, design and direction of mise-en-scene (camera and staging), and the use of design and location elements appropriate to the original telling of the author’s narrative, in a cinematic (as opposed to theatrical) way.

NYU Policies

Tisch policies.

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages .

Additional academic policies can be found on the Tisch academic policy page .

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• Applying to Film School

NYU Tisch: How to Apply for 2024, Acceptance Rate, and What To Expect as an NYU Film Student

• Author Alexa Pellegrini
• Publish date Aug 26, 2022
• Updated Oct 6, 2023
• Article read time 36 min read
• Tags east coast film schools film school application advice graduate film school how to apply to film school kanbar new york university nyu nyu tisch undergraduate film school

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Nyu tisch graduate film programs and how to apply for 2024 entry, nyu tisch kanbar institute of film & television mfa ​, year 1 ​.

• 3 short films over two semesters
• MOS Project: 1 black and white silent film shot on 16mm celluloid
• Observational Character Study (OCS): 5-minute digital film
• Spring Narrative: 1 sync-sound, 7-minute digital film

Year 2 ​

• Primarily elective
• Stay in writing/directing or specialize
• Prepare to design year 3 thesis film
• The Second Year Film: 1 10-minute, sync-sound film (digital or celluloid film)

Year 3 (and Year 4) ​

• Short or feature-length documentary
• Feature script
• Television pilot
• Micro-budget feature film (less common)

FIlmSchool.org admitted student perspective ​

• What would you have done differently about your visual sample?
• What would you do with your life if film (and all jobs/hobbies related to it) suddenly ceased to exist? ("I said - assuming I had lots of money - I would travel the world." )
• Tell us a personal story and explain every beat, all your emotions, and how it resolved?

How to apply ​

• Video – Must be either narrative fiction or documentary and have a total run time of no longer than 15 minutes; upload videos longer than 10 minutes to YouTube or Vimeo with an accessible link. Foreign films must be subtitled in English.
• Photography – Submit 10 photographs (stills) in black and white or color, with or without commentary. All subjects are welcome, but photos must be a minimum of 72 dpi.
• Dramatic Story – 1 short narrative writing exercise, up to two pages in length. Format double-spaced, 12-point font, prose style, and save a PDF. Build dramatic tension by ending with one of these lines:
• Dialogue Scene – Write an interesting conversation between two people that reveals something about the characters. Give a one-sentence description of each character, but include only essential details. Format as a screenplay, 12-point font, and save as a PDF. No cover page is necessary.
• Concept – In only one page, write about the concept for a feature-length script, narrative film, or documentary that you would like to develop. Format double-spaced, 12-point font, and save it as a PDF.
• The general application requires two Letters of Recommendation from academic, artistic or professional references.
• The Statement of Purpose must be 3 pages or fewer and explain who you are, why you want to attend the Kanbar Graduate division, and how the program can help you in your career trajectory. Explain your academic and professional goals, and describe how your successes and failures shaped your worldview. Finally, explain the types of stories you want to tell. Format double-spaced, 12-point font, and save it as a PDF.

Rita and Burton Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing MFA ​

Filmschool.org admitted student perspective ​.

• Two Letters of Recommendation
• Personal Statement: Explain in 750 words or fewer why you want to attend the Dramatic Writing Department, your academic/professional goals, and your interests as a writer
• Full-length screenplay (up to 120 pages)
• Screenplay (90-120 pages)
• Original episodic pilot (25-60 pages

NYU Tisch Kanbar FTV/Stern School of Business MBA/MFA Dual Degree ​

Year 3 ​.

• Short Answer: Professional Aspirations – Reply to “What are your short-term career goals?” in 150 words or fewer. Format double-spaced, 12-point font.
• Change: ____ it : Redesign Stern’s call to action in 350 words or fewer by filling in the blank with a word that speaks to you and your creative/professional goals. For example: “Change: dream it” or “Change: empower it.” Format double-spaced, 12-point font.
• Essay 2: Personal Expression (a.k.a. "Pick Six") : Paint a self-portrait in six images; open with a 3-sentence or fewer introduction about your selection. Include a one-sentence caption describing the significance of each image.
• EQ Endorsement : NYU Stern seeks applicants who present exceptional emotional intelligence. 2 EQ endorsements are required for admission; one must come from a current supervisor, and the other can be personal or professional.
• Essay 3: Optional – Provide additional details about your academic and/or professional background in 250 words or fewer. Format double-spaced, 12-point font.
• Official TOEFL/IELTS scores: International students may need to submit test scores. (Read “International Applicant Guidelines” to see if you may qualify for a waiver.)

How to request a graduate application fee waiver ​

Nyu tisch graduate readmission application ​, ready to apply​, more in applying to film school, should you attend a for-profit film school the truth about full sail university, new york film academy, and the los angeles film school.

• Alexa Pellegrini
• Nov 6, 2023

AFI Conservatory: How to Apply for 2024, Acceptance Rate, and What to Expect as an AFI Fellow

• Aug 7, 2022
• Updated Oct 16, 2023
• 23 min read
• Reaction score: 1

UCLA Film School: How to Apply for 2024, Acceptance Rate, and What To Expect as a UCLA TFT Student

• Oct 14, 2023
• 54 min read
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Loyola Marymount University: How to Apply for 2024, Acceptance Rate, and What To Expect as an LMU SFTV Film Student

• Nov 18, 2022
• 51 min read

USC SCA: How to Apply for 2024, Acceptance Rate, and What To Expect as an SCA Film Student

• Nov 2, 2022
• Updated Sep 20, 2023
• 39 min read

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Kanbar Institute of Film & Television Undergraduate Film & Television

Our program mentors young artists in the traditions and innovations of an evolving media landscape that is deeply rooted in visual storytelling..

Together, our faculty, staff, and students create more than 5,000 films per year.  

Since 1965, our program has had a significant impact on the cultural and artistic landscape. Notable graduates include directors Chris Columbus ( Rent, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Night at the Museum ), Melina Matsoukas (Beyoncé's  Lemonade ,  Master of None ), Ryan Fleck ( Captain Marvel ) and Jon Watts ( Spiderman: Homecoming ); editor Sally Menke ( Pulp Fiction ); independent filmmakers Alfonso Gomez-Rejon ( Me and Earl and the Dying Girl ) and Joel Coen ( No Country for Old Men ); cinematographers Rachel Morrison ( Mudbound ,  Black Panther ), Reed Morano ( Frozen River , Director:  The Handmaid's Tale , Cinematographer: Beyoncé's  Lemonade ), and Ernest Dickerson ( Do the Right Thing ); TV writer/producers Vince Gilligan ( Breaking Bad ), Damon Lindelof ( Lost ) and Emily Whitesell ( Homicide: Life on the Street ), documentarians Nanette Burstein ( American Teen ) and Morgan Spurlock ( Super Size Me ), experimental filmmaker George Von Steiner and Pixar Studios animation artists Alex Woo and Andrew Coats.

Director: Alejandra Parody, First Run Festival, 2016, 2nd Prize

Director: Brian Blum, First Run Festival, 2018, King Award Winner 1st Prize

Blood & water.

Director: Theo Rosenthal, First Run Festival, 2018, King Award Winner 2nd Prize

Director: Tristan Daley, First Run Festival, 2016, 3nd Prize

Debt to society.

Our students are part of a community of young, passionate artists who grow together, support each other & succeed together. Our credo is learning by doing. Students are actively creating work and encouraged to take risks as they discover their own individual voices. Students leave the program having developed an excellence in their craft and a strong conviction in the unique stories they have to tell.

Chair, Undergraduate Film & Television