US · Bachelor's
NYU Tisch School of the Arts
BFA Film & Television
NYU Tisch School of the Arts
Course Overview
NYU Tisch's BFA Film & Television (Kanbar Institute) is consistently ranked the #1 undergraduate film school in the US (Hollywood Reporter, Variety) and counts Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Ang Lee, Joel Coen, Charlie Kaufman, Rian Johnson, Greta Lee, Lady Gaga, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Donald Glover among its alumni. The four-year BFA is intensive production-focused — every student directs short films from semester one, writes their own scripts, and graduates with a polished 15-20 minute thesis film.
The degree is built around four years of escalating production craft: Year 1 (Sight & Sound), Year 2 (Fundamentals of Filmmaking + Writing the Short Script), Year 3 (Intermediate Production + first long-form narrative shoot), Year 4 (Senior Thesis Film — fully crewed 16mm or digital production with a $5,000+ budget). Students also take liberal arts at NYU's College of Arts and Science (one-third of the credits).
For Sri Lankan applicants this is the most competitive creative-arts admit in the US — acceptance rates are sub-25% (sub-10% for international applicants), and admission is driven 50/50 by academic record and creative portfolio (short film reel, script sample, photo essay, or 'Tisch Creative Submission'). The film community in Sri Lanka — Lester James Peries Foundation, Asian Film Academy alumni, Cinema Sri Lanka collective — has produced a small but successful Tisch pipeline.
Entry Requirements
Academic
- check_circle Sri Lankan A/Ls: 3 strong passes (A or B grades) — Tisch is more flexible on subject mix than the arts and science schools but academic record still matters.
- check_circle Cambridge International / Edexcel A-Levels: ABB or stronger.
- check_circle IB Diploma: 35+ points.
- check_circle Tisch Creative Submission: portfolio of original creative work — short film reel (5-10 min), an original short screenplay, a personal essay on creative vision, and 'Why NYU Tisch' essay. This is heavier-weighted than academic record.
- check_circle Common Application + NYU supplemental essay. Two recommendations (one academic, one from a creative mentor). SAT/ACT are test-optional through 2026.
English Proficiency
- check_circle TOEFL iBT: 100 Overall recommended (no formal minimum).
- check_circle IELTS Academic: 7.5 Overall.
- check_circle Duolingo English Test: 125 Overall.
- check_circle Waived if your school qualification was taught and assessed entirely in English for the last 4 years (most Sri Lankan applicants from Edexcel / Cambridge International streams qualify with an MOI letter).
Estimated Cost of Study
| Expense Category | Amount ($) | Approx. LKR |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition Fee (per year, 2026) | $67,000 | Rs. 21,440,000 |
| Production Materials Fee (per year) | $2,500 | Rs. 800,000 |
| Room & Board + Living (per year, NYC) | $28,000 | Rs. 8,960,000 |
| F-1 Visa, SEVIS & Travel | $1,500 | Rs. 480,000 |
| Total Year 1 Investment | $99,000 | Rs. 31,680,000 |
*LKR conversion based on current bank rates. Subject to change.
Career Outcomes & PR
Eligible for 12 months of F-1 OPT plus the 24-month STEM extension if students elect the Film and Television Production degree variant (recently STEM-classified). Tisch grads place across all the majors — Netflix, A24, HBO, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures, Lionsgate — plus independent production companies and the writer-director pipeline. Tisch alumni hold a disproportionate share of Oscar, Emmy, Sundance, and Cannes awards. Median first-year working salary $50,000–$70,000.
Related Programs
BA (Hons) Media and Communication
Murdoch University Dubai
BA (Hons) Journalism
City, University of London
Bachelor of Communication Studies
Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, NTU Singapore
Ready to Start Your Journey?
Our counsellors have helped hundreds of Sri Lankan students secure placements in US. We handle everything from applications to visa processing.