Switching Majors or Specializations

BFA Programs

All BFA students are admitted into their specific major—either Production or Animation—and switching between majors is not permitted.

Should a student wish to withdraw from one major and enter the other major, they must re-apply to the other major and start fresh with the next available cohort. For example, if a student decides during their first semester that they would like to withdraw from Production and join Animation, they would need to submit a new application to the Animation program and interview for a spot. If successful, they would join the next cohort of Animation students that begins their coursework in the major the following Fall semester. There is no guarantee that a student will be admitted into the other major; the student’s application will be assessed alongside all the other applicants.

As students progress through the program, faculty set up tracks each semester. This is principally to organize students into smaller sections and subgroups, and has no bearing on students’ choice of major.

Towards the end of their Junior year, each student selects a capstone area within their major as a primary focus for their studies in their final year.

MFA Programs

This policy governs requests by MFA Production students to switch from their originally admitted specialization (Producing, Directing, Production Design, Cinematography, Post‑Production, Visual Effects) into another specialization within the Production program. Switches between Production and Writing programs are not permitted. This policy is intended to preserve instructional integrity, cohort balance, and equitable access across MFA specializations while allowing limited flexibility when circumstances permit.

Specialization Caps

Each MFA Production specialization is capped at six students. Students are admitted directly into a specific specialization, and no specialization may exceed its enrollment cap.

Eligibility to Request a Switch

  • Students may request a specialization switch only if a slot becomes available in another specialization.
  • Specialization switches are not guaranteed and are approved on a competitive and selective basis.
  • Requests are permitted only during the first semester of enrollment. After the first semester has concluded, specialization switches are not permitted.

Notification of an Open Slot

When a specialization slot becomes available, administration will issue a formal call to all eligible MFA students announcing the open slot. The announcement will include the specialization, submission deadline, and required materials.

Application Requirements

Students interested in switching must submit a one‑page letter of intent explaining:

  • Why they wish to switch specializations.
  • How their background, skills, and goals align with the new specialization.
  • Why they believe they can successfully transition despite any missed coursework.

Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.

Review Process

  • The faculty admissions committee for the specialization with the open slot will review all submitted letters.
  • The committee may, at its discretion, conduct in‑person or virtual interviews with selected applicants.
  • Faculty will assess: Artistic and professional fit for the specialization; Evidence of preparation and commitment; The student’s ability to reasonably catch up on required coursework.

Faculty Recommendation

Following review, the specialization faculty will make one of the following recommendations to administration:

  • Approve one applicant for the open slot.
  • Decline all applications and leave the slot unfilled. Faculty are not required to fill an open slot if no applicant is deemed suitable.

Administrative Review and Final Approval

Administration will review the faculty’s recommendation and make a final determination. Approval is contingent on:

  • No negative academic impact to the student.
  • No disruption to program balance or cohort composition.
  • Continued compliance with specialization enrollment caps.

Administration reserves the right to deny a switch even with a positive faculty recommendation if program‑level concerns are identified.

Timing Considerations

  • Requests made earlier in the first semester are more likely to be approved, as there will be less coursework to catch up on.
  • Requests made later in the semester face a higher bar, as students will have missed more specialization‑specific coursework.
  • Faculty must be confident that the student can successfully remediate any missed material.

Requests After the First Semester

After the first semester has ended:

  • Specialization switches are not allowed.
  • Students wishing to pursue a different specialization must re‑apply to the program and, if admitted, restart the MFA program with the next year-group the following Fall semester.

No Appeals

Decisions regarding specialization switches are final and not subject to appeal.