Master of Fine Arts in Independent Film and Digital Imaging

Governors State's Master of Fine Arts in Independent Film and Digital Imaging (IFDI) facilitates the development of your voice as a professional filmmaker or photographer, helping you to reach your academic, creative, and professional goals. The IFDI MFA program is dedicated to internationally recognized films and photography that draw on evolving technology to celebrate diverse visions, especially those currently underrepresented in film and the photographic arts.

The MFA-IFDI is centered on authorship. We guide each of our students through all the creative processes of photography and film. Our filmmakers are engaged in individual and small crew development, production, post, and delivery - we want you to focus on conceiving your thesis from the very beginning so that your coursework dovetails in the writing, directing, and producing of a beautiful documentary or drama. Our photographers are working on techniques and aesthetics that will lead to a celebration of their work in a gallery exhibition. Our class sizes are capped at 12 and we maintain a strong emphasis on getting to know and nurture the development of each student on an individual basis. Our students range in age from their 20s to their 70s, but the majority are mid-career and looking for the opportunity to blossom in creative ways that they have never experienced before.

Applicants must submit evidence of the following to the Office of Admissions -
an undergraduate major in Film, Media, Multimedia, Communications, English, or related areas
appropriate prerequisite coursework with a minimum prerequisite GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
official TOEFL scores (if applicable)
a 50 application fee
a digital portfolio: for students in Filmmaking, please share a sample of a prior production via a link on vimeo, youtube, or personal website, or a sample screenplay, for students in Photography and Digital Imaging, please share a web link to samples of your work
up to three letters of reference from individuals who can speak to your strengths as a potential student.
a personal statement of intent with respect to your goals for the degree and artistic philosophy
a current resume

For the IELTS, applicants must meet the minimum acceptable score of 6.0 academic version.
TOEFL Internet (iBT) - overall score 80 with minimum (Reading - 20, Writing - 20 , Listening - 20, Speaking - 20)
TOEFL -PBT - overall score 550 with minimum scores (Reading - 54, Writing - 58 , Listening - 55)