MIAP FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: When is the application deadline?
A: The application deadline is generally January 15 for admission the subseqent September (fall semester).
Q: Can I apply for spring or summer admission?
A: MIAP only admits students in the fall semester.
Q: Is the General Record Examination (GRE) or another standardized test required for admission?
A: No. See our application requirements here.
Q: Do international students attend MIAP?
A: Absolutely! MIAP has graduated students coming from a variety of countries. More information about applying as an internationl student can be found here. NYU has a range of resources and services for international students.
Q: Does MIAP offer financial aid?
A: Students who indicate a need for financial aid on their application typically receive partial scholarship funding over the course of the first year that is renewable for a second year, and generally receive additional financial aid during two semesters when part-time internships are reuqired (spring of the first year, fall of the second).
Some students also receive an internship award during the summer term. Students are not placed into teaching or teaching assistant positions while in the program, but occasionally grant-funded research assistant positions become available with an associated stipend.
MIAP students do not traditionally receive full funding, so they generally supplement scholarship and/or internship awards with external sources of funding. U.S. Citizens and eligible non-citizens can fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to apply for federal financial aid.
Even students who were not eligible for federal aid as undergraduates are strongly encouraged to apply. From studentaid.ed.gov: “In almost all cases, graduate students are considered independent...and are not required to supply parent information on the FAFSA.” See the graduate federal aid brochure here.
International students may also want to research municipal or federal funding from their home countries, as well as the Fulbright Foreign Student Program to see if a Fulbright scholarship may be available to residents of their home country pursuing graduate study in the U.S.
We also encourage all applicants to explore external scholarship opportunities such as scholarships offered by the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA), the Society of American Archivists (SAA), and the Film Noir Foundation. Other external opportunities and scholarship search services are listed on the NYU Office of Financial Aid website. Prospective students may also want to reference the Tisch Office of Student Affairs Guide to Scholarships, Fellowships, and Grants for Students in the Arts.
Q: Are applicants required to have prior experience in film and video handling or archiving, or have a film studies background?
A: No, neither prior experience handling audiovisual media or archiving, nor a background in media studies is required for admission into the MIAP program. However, when considering admissions decisions, MIAP does look favorably upon an applicant’s efforts to seek out related internship or volunteer opportunities, such as working for a film festival, local archive, or a media publication. In addition, taking coursework or doing independent research on film or moving image related topics is also recommended, but not required.
Q: Does MIAP offer information sessions?
Yes! MIAP hosts at least two information sessions each fall during which prospective applicants can meet faculty/staff and learn more about the program. Session dates are posted on the Prospective Students page of MIAP's website.
Q: Is it possible to come and visit MIAP and the NYU campus?
A: Yes, after attending an information session. Please email tisch.preservation@nyu.edu for more information.
Q: Can applicants apply to both the M.A. in Moving Image Archiving and the MA in Cinema Studies?
A: At this time, applicants can apply to either the MA in MIAP or the MA in Cinema Studies, but not both at once. For more information about the latter, applicants should visit the MA in Cinema Studies page of the Department's website.
Q: Is there a PhD in Moving Image Archiving and Preservation?
A: No, but depending on their interests, students who want to pursue a PhD after the MA program in Moving Image Archiving and Preservation may consider a doctoral program in cinema or media studies, library and information science, or related area.
Q: What is the difference between a Master of Arts in Moving Image Archiving and Preservation, and a Master of Library Science with a concentration in Media?
A: The MA in MIAP looks beyond libraries to other kinds of organizations such as museums of art, natural history, and motion pictures, archives, historical societies, and corporate institutions and how they manage and preserve their audiovisual collections. The MA in MIAP, through its home in the Department of Cinema Studies, also incorporates the history and theory of film and television into its curriculum.
Q: Who should I contact if I have questions about the online application system?
A: Applicants should contact the Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Admissions Office at 212-998-1918 or tisch.gradadmissions@nyu.edu.
Q: Who should I contact if I have general questions about the MIAP program?
A: Please write to tisch.preservation@nyu.edu.
Q: Where can I find more information about the MIAP program?
A: Please explore our website for information on the MIAP curriculum, program news, research & outreach, as well as examples of student work, internships, and alumni employment.