Course Dates

This yearlong program runs from October 2, 2023 through June 3, 2024

Fall Quarter Start Date: October 2, 2023
Fall Quarter End Date: December 7, 2023

Winter Quarter Start Date: January 8, 2024
Winter Quarter End Date: March 14, 2024

Spring Quarter Start Date: March 25, 2024
Spring Quarter End Date: May 30, 2024

Certificate Ceremony: Takes place online on June 3, 2024

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Tuition

$6,750

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Class Size

Workshops are limited to 16 students

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Application Deadlines

International Students: May 15, 2023

US Students: June 19, 2023

Please note that admission for this program is on a rolling basis. The program will likely be full by the application deadlines. We recommend that you apply early.

You are welcome to confirm with us that we received your application by emailing us at professionalprograms@tft.ucla.edu. Otherwise, the earliest you would hear back from us would be in early May.

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LATE Applications

It is possible that late applications may be considered after the posted deadlines, but only if a spot is still available in the program. Please email us at professionalprograms@tft.ucla.edu for permission to submit an application after the posted deadlines. Do not submit a late application without emailing us first.

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APPLICATION PROCEDURE

The Professional Program in Acting for the Camera features a selection process based on supporting application materials as well as a live callback.

Applicants must be at least 21 years old by the start of the program.

Please note that this program is limited to 16 students per year. Admission is very competitive. Students applying to our Acting for the Camera program will only hear from us if they advance to the callback level. After callbacks, students are generally notified, either way, by email, within two weeks following their callback.

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CALLBACK NOTIFICATION

The first callbacks will not begin until late May.

Applicants are notified via email if they have been invited to a callback for consideration. (This will happen in early May at the earliest.)

Check your spam filter for a message from one of our tft.ucla.edu email addresses.  Hotmail, msn and other hosts often send our UCLA emails to your spam filter. We highly recommend you create a gmail address for your application.

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APPLICATION ITEMS

VERY IMPORTANT - BEFORE YOU UPLOAD ANY FORMS OR TRANSCRIPTS, make sure that you have blacked out your social security number, home address, student ID#, or any other private information that could be compromised during transit from your server to ours. Applicants who do not follow these instructions will not be considered. 

Before clicking the Start Application button, please have the following ready to upload:

1. Statement of Purpose
   The Statement of Purpose is simply a short essay in which we'd like you to tell us a little about yourself and your acting goals. Your Statement of Purpose should be one full page in length, single or double-spaced. Once written, copy and paste the text into the correct field on the application page.
2. Acting Resume
   Previous credits in theater, film, television and digital content, as well as previous industry-related education and any union affiliations should be included.
3. Headshot
   Please include your most recent headshot.
4. A Link to Your Acting Reel
   Students are required to submit a link to an acting reel of their work. PLESE MAKE SURE YOUR LINK WORKS. IF IT DOES NOT, YOUR APPLICATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. Reels should convey range and the applicant's ability to emotionally connect with another actor. PLEASE DO NOT SEND US A MONOLOGUE. Please do not email a reel as an attachment. We will not open it. Instead, please upload it to a public or private youtube, Vimeo or personal web page and include the guest password information we will need to view it in the proper box on the application page. Applicants can still be considered for the program even if a professional reel cannot be provided. Instead, please send a link to two short scenes with different partners. Again, no monologues. Recording on an iPhone is fine, but please make sure the sound quality is strong. Due to the pandemic, recording on Zoom with a partner in a another location is fine as well. Upload the video to a public or private youtube, Vimeo or personal web page and include the information needed to view it in the proper box on the application page. (International Students - A portion of your reel MUST BE IN ENGLISH to be considered.)

Be sure to sign the Professional Programs Policies on the application page, or your application cannot be considered.

 

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TUITION PAYMENT PROCESS

After a successful callback, students may be invited to attend the program. If you are accepted into the program, you will be contacted with instructions on how to pay your $2000 tuition deposit.  A deposit must be paid to hold your spot in the program.

The full tuition balance will be due a few weeks before the start of the program. Tuition must be paid in full before the program begins. 

Our UCLA tuition payment portal can only accept payments by credit or debit card. Tuition cannot be paid by check or money order. 

There is no application fee for our programs.

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FINANCIAL AID

Although our programs are graduate-level, they do not earn academic credit. For this reason, we know of no loans, financial aid, scholarships, or military waivers that are available for our applicants.

REFUND POLICY AND SCHEDULE

Applicants who would like to withdraw from any of our courses must do so in writing. Students may simply email us at professionalprograms@tft.ucla.edu.

The refund schedule for the 2023-2024 Professional Program in Acting for the Camera is:

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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - VISA INFORMATION

If you are a non-native English-speaking student, please be advised that our professional programs are intensive and that all work must be practiced in English. A sufficient command of the English language is necessary to participate in our on campus courses. A TOEFL score of 560 (paper based) or 87 (internet based iBT) or IELTS overall band score of 7 or higher will be necessary to participate in this course.

The only visa approved by the U.S. government and UCLA for the Professional Programs is the F-1 visa. No other visas will be accepted.

Participation in TFT Professional Programs is prohibited under the B1/B2 visas/ESTA visa waiver program (WT/WB).

If you are going to enroll in the Professional Programs and need an F-1 student visa, you will first need to apply for a UCLA I-20 document. The I-20 is the document that you will bring to your local U.S. Embassy/Consulate in your home country in order to obtain the F-1 student visa.

First, apply for the UCLA Professional Program of your choice per the admission instructions. If you are admitted, only then you can request an I-20 application from UCLA. At that point, you will need to complete the I-20 application and provide several supporting financial documents, as well as a copy of your passport biographical page. We will send you the specific instructions in an email.

To allow enough time to obtain the F-1 student visa, you must apply to our programs by the posted International Student Application Deadline. International students are strongly encouraged to apply for the Professional Programs as early as possible. The longer the wait, the less likely it will be that you will have enough time to secure your student visa before the course begins. International students may not arrive late for the program.

Please be advised that there is a non-refundable of $340 I-20 processing fee payable to UCLA’s Dashew Center. You will be charged this fee once you decide to enroll in the program and go through with the I-20 request process. In addition, please be aware that students entering the United States on a F-1 student visa must first pay for the I-901 SEVIS fee (www.FMJfee.com) to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. There will also be a DS-160 student visa application fee (https://ceac.state.gov/ceac) to pay to the U.S. Department of State.The mentioned fees are non-refundable.

There are NO off-campus employment authorizations through Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and/or post-degree completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) available for our Professional Programs students studying on the F-1 visa status for any of our programs. They may not work in the U.S. after the program ends under OPT work authorization. During the program, F-1 students may only work on-campus, for up to 20 hours per week, in jobs that are paid through the UCLA payroll system. F-1 students cannot engage in off-campus employment, paid by other companies. Please note that our students are considered Guest Affiliates/UCLA Guests, and are not eligible for MyUCLA accounts, which can make finding a job on-campus difficult. The UCLA Professional Programs and the UCLA Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars are not able, in any way, to help students search for or secure employment.

 

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at professionalprograms@tft.ucla.edu.