Masters Degree Program

Tuition
The current University of Rochester graduate tuition rate is approximately $45,000 (USD) per year. Students admitted into the program will be considered for a scholarship of up to half the graduate tuition.

Financial Aid
Applicants admitted into the program will be considered for a scholarship of up to half the graduate tuition. Further information about financial aid can be found here.

Please read the following notes carefully before submitting your application.

• The minimum educational requirement for admission is an undergraduate degree.
• Due to the structure of the course, part-term registrations are not permitted. Class enrollment is limited to ensure maximum exposure to the preservation activities and optimize the efficiency of the learning process.
• Classes are conducted in English. The ability to speak, read, write, and comprehend English is mandatory. TOEFL scores are required for applicants who are not native English language speakers.
• Applications for admission are accepted in accordance with our non-discrimination policy.
• Activities in a film archive include lifting heavy materials (film cans), working in below-average temperatures (collection storage vaults), and limited exposure to chemical agents (e.g., the by-products and fumes resulting from decomposing nitrate and acetate film). While the school ensures that all precautions are taken to prevent harmful consequences from such activities, the museum is not responsible for any injury resulting from careless handling of film or film-related material.
• Applications will not be processed until all materials have been received.
• Applicants to the Selznick Graduate Program in Film & Media Preservation must submit a completed application no later than January 15 of the year in which September admission is sought. Late, or incomplete, applications will not be accepted.
• The applicant will receive written notification of the Selznick School Admissions Committee's decision by April 15.

IMPORTANT: Upon receipt of the signed enrollment agreement a place will be held for the student. The school will not guarantee a place without receipt of the signed agreement.

Admissions Procedure

IMPORTANT: All applicants must complete the online application for the graduate Masters Program at the Department of English at the University of Rochester's website.

The application includes the following material:

1. A cover letter of application and intent that specifies goals and ambitions in the preservation field, written and signed by the applicant
2. A curriculum vitae or résumé
3. A completed application form
4. Three letters of recommendation two personal and one professional
   • Personal references: Letters from two individuals whom the applicant has known as a friend, employer, or teacher for two or more years.
   • Professional reference: One letter from someone who has observed the applicant's interest in film archiving and skills related to preservation work.
5. Applicants must provide a ten to twenty page writing sample (such as an essay from undergraduate or previous graduate coursework)  demonstrating their ability to write a substantial analysis of film, literature, or critical theory.
6. An official transcript showing the date of conferral of degrees

The Selznick Graduate Program in Film and Media Preservation consists of a two-year course of integrated study. In their first year, students will work primarily at the L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation at the George Eastman Museum and attend classes at the University of Rochester. In their second year, students will work primarily on the River Campus of the University of Rochester, completing the course work and the required essay for the master of arts degree in English.

First Year

Requirements: Two Semesters (24 credit)
Fall semester, first year:

• Three, four-credit courses:
  • Museum Practice
    An intensive course designed to familiarize the student with the curatorial standards and
    practices for conserving moving image materials and related collections in a museum
    environment. Specific focus will be placed on museum and collection management issues
    in the areas of administration, acquisitions, research, cataloging, processing, as well as
    exhibition and preservation of film and moving image media formats.
  • Curatorial Theory and Practice
    A survey course designed to acquaint the student with the history of the international
    motion picture archive movement. Major areas of investigation include: the origins of the
    theory and practice of motion picture archiving and preservation at the regional and
    national levels, collection acquisitions and management procedures, developing an
    institutional mission, in addition to the design and management of research,
    conservation, exhibition, and storage facilities.
  • Film Conservation and Restoration
    A hands-on course designed to bring the student in direct contact with motion picture
    film formats and thereby develop an understanding of movies as legitimate museum
    artifacts. Instruction will be given in recognizing film formats, analyzing specific types of
    physical damage and deterioration, and developing strategies for their repair and
    conservation. Emphasis will be placed on learning the techniques and procedures for the
    preservation, restoration, and conservation of motion picture materials.

Spring semester, first year:

• Three, four-credit courses:
  • Moving Image Archive Management
    The conservation of motion picture collections requires a complex set of professional
    knowledge and management skills. This course will introduce the student to the
    challenges involved in conserving and managing moving image collections, including
    issues related to acquisition, public access, intellectual property rights, proven strategies
    of conservation, as well as staff development and fund raising.
  • Laboratory Work
    An introduction to the techniques, standards, and practices of motion picture laboratory
    conservation procedures. The course instruction will concentrate on the steps involved
    in preserving moving image formats, including: inspecting, repairing, and evaluating
    image characteristics, as well as an introduction to digital preservation technologies.
    Field trips to major film restoration facilities will be included.
  • Personal Project
    Under the direction of the curators and staff of the George Eastman Museum Moving
    Image Department, the student will select, plan, and undertake a significant project
    designed to challenge his/her abilities to function at the professional level in a motion
    picture museum or archive. Some relevant projects include: public programming and
    exhibitions, collection management, processing and conservation of motion picture
    related materials, in addition to acquisitions and cataloging.

Second Year
Requirements: Two Semesters (24 credit) and Summer Semester (6 credits)

Fall semester, second year:

• One of the following options:
  • Three four-credit courses in English, film and media studies, or other appropriate coursework
  • Two four-credit courses plus one four-credit teaching assistant pedagogy training assignment*

Spring semester, second year:

• One of the following options:
  • Three four-credit courses in English, film and media studies, or other appropriate coursework
  • Two four-credit courses plus one four-credit teaching assistant pedagogy training assignment
     

*The TA pedagogy training may be opted for in either fall or spring of the second year, but not both. This training will carry with it a registration in ENGL 580 as well as a tuition award for engaging in this training. Please discuss with the MA Selznick faculty advisor in the English Department to determine placement.

Summer semester, second year:

• Register for six-credits of ENG 491: Master's Reading Course, plus ENG 897 (this does not carry credits, but needs to be added for full time status in the summer). 
• Essay: Work on your MA essay in consultation with your faculty advisor(s). The submission deadline for the MA essay is August 1.
• Arrange a deadline with your instructors to finish any incompletes so that your final grade to the dean’s office can be submitted no later than the end of the first week of August. If your grade is not reported by then, you will not be able to graduate in the summer of year two.

Art and Music Library
The Art and Music Library houses the Multimedia Center Collection, which includes DVDs, videocassettes, and laserdiscs on subjects including: language learning and culture, history, music, art, and commercial films in their original language. The library includes several viewing stations, and has capabilities for viewing Videos in PAL, SECAM, M-PAL and N-PAL. There are also codefree DVD players for viewing region 2-5 DVDs.

The library also contains approximately 65,000 books on visual arts, art theory, architecture, and photography. The collections also include: more than 1,500 CDs, 800 browsable LPs, audio cassettes, and 2000+ musical scores. The library houses eight public work stations and four audio listening stations with CD players, cassette decks and turntables. A slide scanner and a flatbed scanner are available for use with Adobe Photoshop software. Color (and B&W;) printing is available from three public workstations. There is a group study area located in the Visual Resources Collection. The Art and Music library has partnerships with the art and art history department, the George Eastman Museum, the Memorial Art Gallery, the Multimedia Center, the music department, and Sibley Music Library.

Rush Rhees Library
Rush Rhees Library contains close to 42 miles of shelving. There are hundreds of lockers and carrels available to students, plus 55 private studies available to researchers and there are about 100 microcomputers (PC and Macintosh) for student use. The Rush Rhees stacks contain the vast majority of film-related texts and research material on the University of Rochester campus.

Goergen Athletic Center
The Goergen Athletic Center features a 11,000-square-foot Fitness/Weight Facility, locker rooms, a Multi-Activity Center, an atrium, a Central Issue room for equipment, and all departmental offices. The Fieldhouse includes a 200 meter indoor running track and synthetic activity infield. The Speegle-Wilbraham Aquatic Center includes a 25-yard by 25-meter pool and a separate diving well with 1- and 3-meter diving boards and a 300 seat spectator balcony. The ground floor houses four indoor tennis courts, five international squash courts, two racquetball/handball courts, a small aerobics studio and three combination basketball/volleyball courts.

Digital Humanities Center
The Digital Humanities Center specializes in digital project management and consultancy, providing a suite of tools to aid cutting-edge scholarship in all areas of the humanities, providing support in the following areas:

• Digitization of analog materials and scanning best practices.
• Digital asset management and digital repository solutions.
• Web, application, and database development.
• 3D Modeling, CAD, 3-D printing, and gaming applications.
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• Digital video encoding solutions.
• Data mining, analysis, and visualization for humanities research.

The Digital Humanities Center currently houses the Film and Media Studies Collection of super 8, 8mm, 16mm, and 35mm films, and features a small film inspection area with a Steenbeck, rewinds, and editing equipment.