The School of the Arts at New York University was founded in 1965 to provide rigorous conservatory training in theatre and film in the context of a great research university.

The School quickly established itself as one of the leading arts schools in the country, creating additional departments of dance, theatre design and lighting, and cinema studies within a few short years. The undergraduate Department of Drama was founded in 1974. The establishment of the Interactive Telecommunications Program (1979), the Department of Dramatic Writing (1980), the Department of Performance Studies (1980), the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program (1981) and the Department of Photography and Imaging (1982) rounded out an extraordinary period of growth in terms of enrollments and breadth of programs of study. In 1982 a gift from Laurence A. and Preston Robert Tisch made possible the acquisition and renovation of 721 Broadway, where most of the School’s programs are currently housed; in recognition of the Tisches’ generosity, the School was renamed the Tisch School of the Arts. Dance and Graduate Musical Theatre Writing remain at the School’s original site at 111-113 Second Avenue. In recent years the Tisch School of the Arts has seen the establishment of the Department of Art and Public Policy (1999) and the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music (2003).

Today, the Tisch School of the Arts enrolls 3200 students in 14 programs and departments, offering BFA, MFA, MA, MPS and PhD degrees through three major institutes: the Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television, the Skirball Center for New Media, and the Institute of Performing Arts. The School has just completed a major renovation of its film production facilities at 721 Broadway and is embarking on a $75 million capital campaign.
The Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television is composed of five separate programs and departments.

The undergraduate division of the Department of Film and Television combines professional training with studies in the liberal arts, leading to the B.F.A. degree.  The graduate division of the Department offers a three-year M.F.A curriculum in intensive professional filmmaking focusing on preproduction, production, postproduction, writing, directing, aesthetics, and the entertainment business.

The Department of Photography and Imaging is an undergraduate program centered on the making and understanding of images, offering classes in studio, photo history and criticism, and the liberal arts leading to the B.F.A. degree.

The Rita & Burton Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing is a highly focused academic and professional writing program for undergraduate and graduate students, committed to the rigorous training of writers for theatre, film and television.

The Interactive Telecommunications Program is a pioneering graduate center for the study and design of new communication media forms and applications.  The two-year program of study, leading to the Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S.) degree, emphasizes hands-on training that offers students the opportunity to acquire the experience necessary for the interactive artist’s craft.

NYU boasts one of the largest filmmaking facilities on the Eastern Seaboard, serving the needs of both our Undergraduate and Graduate film and video students. The facility is run by 11 full-time staff members and over 50 technical assistants that are both technically and professionally trained in many technical and aesthetic aspects of film production, including: film planning and production, equipment operation, equipment maintenance and repair.

The Production Center supports every aspect of the well-over 4,500 student projects shot every year, with technical seminars, industry-professional equipment, film stock and supplies, equipment repair services, and additional support for planning and development of student films. The equipment packages vary by level of study (fundamental through advanced/thesis), and are available to students enrolled in production courses. the production center consists of 5 areas which include the Advanced and Fundamental Equipment Areas, Repair Shop, Equipment Reservations Office, and the Production Office, which provides the students with the supplies and resources needed to produce a film or video.
Live-to-tape television productions are an everyday occurrence in our Television Studios, located on the top floor of Tisch School of the Arts. Each of our two fully equipped studios houses three Sony 3CCD camera, an Echo Lab video switcher, a Mackie 24-track sound mixing board, a Colortran digital lighting console, a character generator and a full complement of ancillary equipment.


Our Sight and Sound Video and Intermediate Television students complete more than 850 studio projects each fall and spring in the 12th floor studios. The Studio Manager supports the facility with the help of student Technical Assistants.
Admission to the Tisch School of the Arts is highly selective. We carefully evaluate each applicant based on a number of factors: academic record, standardized test scores, creative materials, recommendations, extracurricular involvement and an essay. In addition, an artistic review is required for admission to all Tisch programs. Each department has its own specifications for review.  Please visit the Audition/Portfolio page for your department's requirements.

Competitive applicants to the Tisch School of the Arts have done well academically, in addition to demonstrating potential in his/her chosen field. Also, participation in meaningful school and community activities is an important factor, and given the University's unique offerings and its urban environment, we look for evidence of character and maturity in potential students. Every applicant will be taken into account individually and given fullest consideration.
Director, Recruitment
Patricia Decker
721 Broadway, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10003

Phone: 212 998 1900