How to Apply

The application for the 2025 - 2026 academic year is now open. The deadline to apply is January 3, 2025.

Eligibility:

  • Applicants from all disciplines of undergraduate study, not just those who have specialized in theatre and/or film design, are equally welcomed. 
  • Prior experience in theatre or film production is preferred but not required.
  • An interview and portfolio review are required for admission.
  • Admission is limited to full-time graduate students beginning in September only.

STEP 1 - COMPLETE TISCH GRADUATE APPLICATION

A graduate candidate in design must submit the application provided by the Tisch Office of Graduate Admissions, stating the particular field of interest. Final decisions of acceptance depend on completing both departmental interview/portfolio requirements and New York University admissions requirements.

Applicants for whom English is a second language must submit official results of an English Language Proficiency test before an interview will be scheduled.  Please carefully review the guidelines on the Tisch Graduate Admissions Website. Some candidates will be eligible for an exemption.

STEP 2 - PORTFOLIO 

Please submit a digital portfolio of your work.

Portfolio Requirements

Please include examples A - C (and D optional).

A. Examples of your design work for the stage and/or film such as sketches, models, photographs of models, production photographs, rough sketches, light plots, drafting, etc. These do not have to be from realized production work. Among your work samples, you should include:

  • Applicants in the area of Scenic Design must include at least one three- dimensional ½” or 1:25 (not digital) scale model for one scene of a script that is in color and shows 3D textures that you have designed and built with scale figures.  Please include  a scale ground plan for the same model.  Please also include  five drawing examples of architecture, interior architecture and furniture details in pen or ink. 

  • Applicants in the area of Costume Design must include sketches (15 minimum) for at least one script, including research, fabric swatches, and detail drawings, as well as five examples of figure drawing.

  • Applicants in the area of Lighting Design must include light plot and full paperwork for two to three projects (one project from work outside of school preferred), a one-page statement about your ideas of light for the projects and how you executed them, and drafting of these productions and photographs. 

  • Applicants in the area of Production Design must include a rough rendering (by hand) of a set design or production design from a scene in a film 

    • You can draw by hand and shade or color on the computer if you desire.

    • This should be a fresh take on an existing movie that you know.  This should be from an important moment in the story of the film, a sequence or beat that is reflective of what this story and these characters are about or fighting for. Think about a scene that makes the trailer of the film.

    • Please indicate in a 2 -3 sentence description what choices you made.

B.  HAND DRAWING EXAMPLE. Please include at least  5- 10 drawings. Candidates in all design disciplines apply to our program and are accepted at many different skill levels.  Our goal in this exercise is to understand your visual communication skills, not technical polish.  We wish to learn more about you as a visual thinker.

  • These drawings should all be made on paper and by hand. They can be expressive, gestural or more observed drawing studies.

  • You may include loose architectural drawings, doodles of people, figures or imagined scenes, perspective studies or abstract. Whatever comes to mind.

  • They can be pencil, watercolor, pen, collage or mixed media (whatever you enjoy) but something that reflects your personal style and sensibilities

Additionally in this section please submit one of the following exercises:

  • Draw a door and window from a place familiar to you where you can spend time studying the objects.  Use a large piece of paper and pencil. Drawings should communicate the function and the idea of both the door and window.  Consider: How do they work?  What is their function? What do they look like?

Or: 

  • Draw a button and lapel from a garment you can spend time studying.  Use a large piece of paper and pencil. Drawings should communicate the function and the idea of both.  Consider: How do they work?  What is their function? What do they look like? 

C. SAMPLES OF YOUR ARTWORK. Applicants are encouraged to share any additional work that shows their work as an artist.  How do you show up as an art maker?  Are there other ways you engage the world as an artist that you can share?

OPTIONAL:

D. Personal Introduction Video – We encourage you to submit a filmed introduction to yourself and why you are interested in the Design program (no more than 2 minutes max). Tell us about you, your voice and style. Why this? Why now?  What is your background as a designer/artist/filmmaker? What does design mean to you? (feel free to be creative with this)

If you have questions, please contact Barbara Cokorinos at 212-998-1956 or bac@nyu.edu. You will be contacted regarding an in person portfolio interview after the faculty have reviewed your application and portfolio materials.

STEP 3 - INTERVIEW

We will contact you to schedule an interview and you will be able to choose your preferred date from options that will be provided. Interviews will be conducted in-person in New York City. If you are unable to come to NY, a Zoom interview can be scheduled. We understand that travel restrictions and distance can keep applicants from traveling to New York, but please make every effort to attend an in person interview.

The candidate in design should bring to the interview:

  • A portfolio of your work (outlined above). Applicants interviewing in person are encouraged to bring a physical portfolio. It may be the same materials that you submitted electronically.

  • A personal statement: Why do you want to study at NYU’s Design for Stage and Film graduate school at this moment?  What has prepared you uniquely for this investment? What do you imagine you will most benefit from by studying here?

  • A résumé of your experience in professional and nonprofessional theatre and/or film and any related experience.

 

A Few Thoughts About Your Application 

  • Consider that too many images on a single page can be difficult to understand.  Can we view your portfolio without having to zoom in and zoom out.
  • Share what you are most interested in and proud of.  It is important for the reviewers to see what connections you make to your design work.
  • The committee loves seeing hand made work in person.  Please bring models, drawings, samples to your interview.  It can be challenging to travel with but greatly aids the conversation.

DIGITAL PORTFOLIO

  • Please preview each file prior to submission. If any of your media is not supported please convert it to a supported format, or upload to an external site (for example YouTube or Vimeo) and provide the URL instead.
  • In the Description Section of each uploaded sample, please provide a brief synopsis of the work and specify your role in the project (author, director, producer, photographer, etc.) 
  • Please do not upload a PDF document to this page as they do not render correctly in the digital portfolio section. 
  • If you have a PDF you wish to upload as your portfolio, please refer back to the department specific page in the online application and upload it there.
  • We frequently receive portfolios with too many images per page.  This design doesn’t allow us to fully comprehend your work. Please limit the number of images per page.  Clarity and design is more important than a large quantity of information. Do not expect the reviewer to zoom in on images.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions. Email or phone Barbara Cokorinos, Administrative Director, at bac2@nyu.edu or 212-998-1956. We look forward to receiving your application and seeing your work!