To be admitted to the Department of Film, you must meet the general University admission requirements.

Click here for information on admission to UWM.

Undergraduate Admissions

When completing the application form for admission to UWM, you may indicate your intent to pursue a film degree. The Film Department does not require any additional admission requirements beyond those of the university.

Transfer Students

The UWM application priority dates for transfer students are August 1 for fall term enrollment, or December 15 for the spring term. Once admitted to UWM, transfer students receive a transfer credit evaluation that shows all of the courses transferred from the institution(s) previously attended, and how these equate to UWM courses. Click here for additional information about UWM's and UW-System's Transfer Information System or call (414) 229-3800 for information on transfer credit policies.

The Film Department has additional requirements for transfer students. Transfer students with film production experience who wish to apply for Portfolio Review must also take the following steps:

1. Transfer students are required to follow the portfolio guidelines for the track to which they are applying.
   
   
2. The portfolio review is conducted the semester before you wish to begin study in the Film Department.
   
   
3. All work must be authored by the student, demonstrating skills — both imaginative and technical — that are comparable to those required in our classes. Commercial work and collaborations must be accompanied with a letter from the client or collaborator specifying the student's role in the production.
   
   
4. Make sure a current address is included with your materials — as well as a SASE if you want your materials returned — so that we may inform you of the results.
   
   
5. Should you not pass Portfolio Review, meet with the faculty advisor specified in your letter to determine the appropriate level to begin study. You can make improvements to your portfolio outside of the program and re-submit it, but be sure to confer with the assigned faculty person for suggestions.
   
   
6. In very special cases, arrangements are sometimes made to review existing work near the beginning of the first semester of study. Contact the Department Chair.
   
   

Transfer Credits
The granting of transfer credits in film/video and film electives is the prerogative of the Film Department and generally done after the student has passed Portfolio Review. Credits which may be acceptable to the University but not to the Department can be used as general elective credits and applied to the 120 credits necessary for graduation from UWM, but they will not be counted toward the completion of requirements in the major.

Students who wish to apply for transfer credit in the Film major must bring a syllabus from each course taken elsewhere as well as a copy of the work produced in the class. These items will be evaluated by Film Department faculty, and credit will be granted if appropriate.

Work produced in courses taken at other institutions should be clearly labeled, then dropped off in the department office (Mitchell B-70) for review. Generally, no more than 15 credits of transfer courses will be accepted for completion of the UWM Film BFA requirements, though we reserve the right to exceed this number in extraordinary cases.

All transfer students should make an appointment with a Peck School of the Arts Advisor or the Department Chair before the semester begins in order to determine the appropriate level of courses in which to enroll.

Graduate Students

The Department of Film offers attractive funding packages that enable graduate students to concentrate on producing the best work possible.