Study option-specific Admission Procedure and Evaluation Criteria
Applicants meeting Aalto’s general eligibility criteria for master's studies will be evaluated and ranked according to the evaluation criteria that has been decided in advance for each study option. The applications to Master’s programme in Film and television – Documentary film will be evaluated based on the following criteria.
Phase I
Artistic and/or design practice
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Assessed area
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Demonstrations of artistic and/or design work or assignments.
The portfolio assesses the creative filmmaking skills of the applicant.
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Admission requirements
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Applicants who have already made at least one film that has been publicly presented, and thus demonstrated their basic skills as documentary film-makers can be selected for master's degree studies.
Gifted students who want to deepen their understanding of different means of expression, theories and histories of documentary film, explore new possibilities in terms of form, content and approach in documentary filmmaking, and are interested in the combination of theory and practice can be selected for the major.
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Method of demonstrating competence
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Portfolio: One or two documentary films that have been publicly screened or broadcast (at a festival or on television), lasting at least 10 minutes each and submitted as Vimeo link(s).
Please include a description (e.g. a synopsis) of each film, with the one or two descriptions fitting onto a single A4 sheet.
Before sending your application, upload your digital portfolio as a single PDF file into the application system. Include in the portfolio links to the video(s) and ensure that the video file(s) open and play in common Mac or PC programs.
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Suitability
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Assessed area
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Applicant’s further suitability to the study option, motivation, and commitment for studies/communication skills
Students capacity to articulate the reasons for applying to MA documentary and her/his goals and expectations for the study.
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Admission requirements
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A letter of motivation (4000 characters maximum) explaining your reasons for applying for this study option. Explain your particular interest(s) in the field as well as your goals and expectations for the studies to be completed at the School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Give reasons for why you are interested specifically in documentary film.
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Method of demonstrating competence
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Motivation Letter
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Other areas of competence
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Assessed area
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Work experience and other acquired knowledge/achievements e.g. publications, non-formal education, competitions
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Admission requirements
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A CV (single PDF file) with your personal details, education, work experience, completed films, festivals, and any other creative work, awards, grants, study trips or positions of trust.
Before sending the application, upload your CV as a single PDF file into the application system.
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Method of demonstrating competence
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Curriculum vitae
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Phase II
Suitability
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Assessed area
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Applicant’s further suitability to the study option, motivation, and commitment for studies/communication skills
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Admission requirements
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In the second stage the evaluation criteria consist of the personal interview of the selected applicant.
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Method of demonstrating competence
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Interview
Selected applicants are invited to the Phase II (i.e. personal interview) on the basis of the submitted material in Phase I.
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Evaluation process
The applicants will be first evaluated based on Aalto’s general eligibility requirements. Applicants meeting the general eligibility criteria for master's studies will be evaluated and ranked according to the evaluation criteria that has been decided in advance for each study option.
The selection process for applicants who meet the general eligibility criteria comprises of two phases:
Phase I
In Phase I, the applications are evaluated based on the following criteria.
- Artistic and/or design practice
- Suitability/Motivation Letter
- Other areas of competence
Only the applicants who fulfill the requirements/are ranked highest in the preliminary evaluation will be invited to phase II in the selection process.
Phase II
In Phase II, the evaluation is based on the following criteria.
- Suitability/Personal Interview
Selected applicants will be invited to the second phase (i.e. personal interview) on the basis of the submitted material for Phase I. The invitation to Phase II will be send to the applicants at latest 7 days in advance.
After the evaluation conducted in Phase II, the best applicants will be selected based on the joint evaluation from Phases I and II.
Study-option-specific documents requested
The documents requested from all applicants are listed on the Aalto University website (https://www.aalto.fi/en/study-at-aalto/applying-to-masters-programmes). In addition, applicants to this study option are requested to provide the following study-option-specific documents:
Portfolio
Submit one or two documentary films that have been publicly screened or broadcast (at a festival or on television), lasting at least 10 minutes each and submitted as Vimeo link(s).
Please include a description (e.g. a synopsis) of each film, with the one or two descriptions fitting onto a single A4 sheet.
Before sending your application, upload your digital portfolio as a single PDF file into the application system. Include in the portfolio links to the video(s) and ensure that the video file(s) open and play in common Mac or PC programs.
Maximum size for the portfolio is 1.0 GB. Name the file as portfolio-surname-firstname.pdf. If your portfolio contains password protected video links, include the password(s) in your portfolio. If a portfolio is not uploaded to the online application form by the deadline, the application will be rejected.
Letter of Motivation
A letter of motivation (4000 characters maximum) explaining your reasons for applying for this study option. Explain your particular interest(s) in the field as well as your goals and expectations for the studies to be completed at the School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Give reasons for why you are interested specifically in documentary film.
CV
A CV (single PDF file) with your personal details, education, work experience, completed films, festivals, and any other creative work, awards, grants, study trips or positions of trust.
Before sending the application, upload your CV as a single PDF file into the application system.
Language of application documents
The application documents must be submitted in English or Finnish (Swedish).