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Columbia University School of the Arts

The Columbia University School of the Arts (also known as School of the Arts or SoA) is the fine arts graduate school of Columbia University in Morningside Heights, New York. It offers Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degrees in Film, Visual Arts, Theatre and Writing, as well as the Master of Arts (MA) degree in Film Studies. It also works closely with the Arts Initiative at Columbia University (CUArts) and organizes the Columbia University Film Festival (CUFF), a week-long program of screenings, screenplay, and teleplay readings.[1]

Type

1965 (1965)

~835 students

, ,
U.S.

Founded in 1965, the school is one of the leading institutions for the study of visual and performing arts in the United States.[2] Among the school's distinguished graduates are sculptors David Altmejd and Banks Violette, visual artist Lisi Raskin, painters Marc Handelman and Dana Schutz, screenwriter Jennifer Lee and James Mangold, screenwriter and actress Gülse Birsel and directors Kathryn Bigelow and James Gunn.

Programs[edit]

Film[edit]

The School of the Arts' Film Program is well-regarded in the field and offers Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degrees with concentrations in Screenwriting/Directing and Creative Producing. The program also offers a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Film Studies.


In 2016, the MFA film program accepted 72 students out of approximately 600 applicants.[10] The Hollywood Reporter ranked it number four in the top 25 American film schools of 2020.[11]

(2012) - actor on Carol's Second Act on CBS

Ito Aghayere

(2008) - theatre director, 2019 Tony Award Winner for Best Direction of a Musical

Rachel Chavkin

(2003) - playwright

Bathsheba Doran

(1971) - actor

Albert Hall

- British theatre director

Kathryn Hamilton

- stage actor and director

Nick Mangano

(1998) - actor

Anson Mount

(1997) - theater director

Diane Paulus

(1972) - actor

James Rebhorn

(1997) - theatre director

Jay Scheib

- director, actor, writer

Kathryn Shaw

(2015) - actor on The Neighborhood on CBS

Marcel Spears

(1998) - director and winner of a Tony Award, Obie Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award

Darko Tresnjak

(2003) - playwright, screenwriter, producer, creator, showrunner and executive producer of House of Cards

Beau Willimon

Columbia University

Official website

School of the Arts Film Program homepage

School of the Arts Theatre Arts Program homepage

School of the Arts Visual Arts Program homepage

School of the Arts Writing Program homepage

Columbia University Film Festival

Our Word: Writers of Color at Columbia University School of the Arts

Columbia: A Journal of Literature and Art