How to Apply

In addition to being admitted to CU Denver, the Film & Television Department requires supplemental applications from all applicants. Applicants must first apply to CU Denver. Applicants must be admitted to CU Denver and complete the supplemental application by the deadlines below. 

Spring Applicant Deadlines:

FITV application deadline: Jan. 10

Fall Applicant Deadlines:

​Early FITV application deadline: Jan. 1

Regular FITV application deadline: May 1

Final FITV application deadline: July 1. Applicants applying after July 1 will be considered on a space-available and case-by-case basis.

Applicants are encouraged to review specific information about their FITV Emphasis below:

Film & Television Production - After applying to CU Denver for the Film & Television Production major, applicants will receive a to-do list item in their application portal with a link to the Secondary Film & Television Application. Current CU Denver students who want to switch their major to Film & Television can submit the Film & Television Secondary Application using this secondary application form. 

Acting for the Screen - The supplemental application for the Acting for the Screen major is part of the general CU Denver application. Once an applicant selects Acting for the Screen as their major on the application, they will see a few supplemental questions pop up. Applicants must complete these supplemental questions before they can submit their CU Denver application. These are the four supplemental questions for the Acting for the Screen applicants:

1. Please describe your prior acting experience. 
2. Why to do you want to major in Film & Television - Acting for the Screen at CU Denver?
3. Please submit a link to a video of you acting. A 1-3 minute video would be ideal but we are open to other lengths if needed. (Some options for platforms to host your video are Youtube, Vimeo, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. Please make sure the video link permissions allow all people with the link to view it.)
4. Please describe the video that you submitted (for example, what is the video from, what role did you play, etc.).

Review Timeline - Our goal is to notify applicants of their admission decision within a month after application submission.

Learn more about the application process and our program by attending an on Film & TV Department Tour or a CAM Virtual Info Session. Please contact our recruitment team at caminfo@ucdenver.edu or 303-315-7487 if you have any questions.

The Music & Entertainment Industry Studies Department offers both non-audition track programs (Music Business and Recording Arts) and audition track programs (Music Performance, Singer/Songwriter, Songwriter Entrepreneur, Music Business, and Recording Arts).

Non-Audition Track Programs: The MEIS non-audition programs in Recording Arts and Music Business are designed for students who seek careers working behind-the-scenes in the music industry as music professionals and audio engineers. These tracks require less performance courses, which frees up more room for recording arts and music business upper-level elective courses. Non-audition track applicants just need to be admitted to CU Denver to start in the program and they can start during any term. There aren't any additional music application requirements. The deadlines to apply for the non-audition track programs are the same as the university application deadlines.

Audition Track Programs: The audition track programs are designed for students who want performance to be a part of their future career in the music industry. These tracks have lots of performance courses in the curriculum. MEIS offers five audition track programs: Music Performance, Music Business - Audition Track, Recording Arts - Audition Track, Singer/Songwriter, and Songwriter Entrepreneur. Applicants that don't pass an audition can start in a non-audition track program.

Audition Track Deadlines for Fall Semester Applicants:

• Early Application Deadline: December 1 - Applicants who are both admitted to CU Denver and pass an audition by December 1st will be notified of their MEIS admission status by December 20th.
• Regular Application Deadline: April 1 - Applicants who are both admitted to CU Denver and pass an audition during the regular application period (Dec. 1- April 1) will be notified of their admission decision on a rolling basis.
• Late Application Deadline: July 15 - Late applicants will be considered on a space available basis. Applicants who would like to audition between April 2-July 15 should submit an audition video because our faculty usually aren't available during this period to conduct live auditions.
• After July 15- Admitted CU Denver students who want to join one of our audition track programs but haven't auditioned by July 15, should start in one of our non-audition track programs for the fall semester. They will then have the option to audition while at CU Denver to move over to an audition track program.

Spring semester MEIS applicants:

• Applicants that intend to start for the spring semester must apply to CU Denver by Jan. 1 but it is recommended that they apply by at least Dec. 1. Applicants who want to start in an audition track program should reach out directly to the faculty member who conducts auditions for their instrument (see below) to setup a time to audition. Auditions must by completed by Dec. 15. Applicants who don't audition by this date can start in one of our non-audition track programs and then audition with the appropriate faculty member once the Spring Semester starts.

FALL 2027 AUDITION TRACK REQUIREMENTS

1. CU Denver Application - Applicants can apply to CU Denver through the Admissions Office Webpage or through the Common Application. Applicants must be admitted to CU Denver in order to be considered for admission to the MEIS Department.
2. Audition - Applicants have the option to audition by video or on campus during one of our live audition dates.
   
   
   • Video Audition Process - Applicants who choose to audition by video have two options for submitting audition videos: 1) Through the CU Denver application portal, either while applying to CU Denver or after applying to CU Denver.  2) Through our page on the GetAccepted.com website (please note that there is a $30 submission fee if using Acceptd). Once an applicant submits a video, our faculty will try to review it within one month. Applicants will be notified of the results by email once a decision is made.
   • Live Audition Process - There are three live audition dates for fall 2027 applicants:
     
   • Friday, Nov. 6, 2026
   • Friday, Feb. 5, 2027
   • Friday, March 12, 2027

To schedule an audition please email the faculty member listed on the audition requirement page for your instrument (below).

Audition Requirements by Instrument:

Bass

Brass (Trumpet, Trombone, etc.)

Cello​​

Drum Kit

Electronic Digital Instrument

Guitar (Commercial, Jazz, Electric)

Percussion

Piano/Keyboard

Violin, Viola

Voice (Contemporary, Commercial)

Woodwind (Saxophone, Flute, etc.)

Audition Requirements for Songwriter Programs: 

       Singer/Songwriter​​ 

Songwriter Entrepreneur 

* For the two songwriter programs, applicants must accompany themselves on either piano or guitar.

* Music Business and Recording Arts Audition Track applicants cannot choose the songwriter programs for their instrument.

MEIS Open Houses - We host MEIS Open House events on each audition date. Each Open House consists of a MEIS Overview session, a Q&A panel with current MEIS students, the opportunity to sit-in on a General Recital class, a faculty meet and greet, and a tour of our music facilities and recording studios. Attending an Open House is a sure way to get all your questions answered and to make sure that MEIS is the right fit for you. When scheduling an audition, make sure to also register to attend an Open House:

• Friday, Nov. 6, 2026 - Register
• Friday, Feb. 5, 2027 - Register
• Friday, March 12, 2027- Register

We also provide individual on-campus tours of campus and our music spaces for applicants and families. With at least two weeks notice, we are available for tours on most weekdays. Please reach out to us at caminfo@ucdenver.edu to schedule a music tour.

Questions - If you have any questions about this information listed above, please contact us at caminfo@ucdenver.edu or 303-315-7487.

Applying to the CU Denver Visual Arts Department is easy! A portfolio is not required to start in any of our Visual Arts Department Programs. Applicants just need to apply and be admitted to CU Denver to start in our programs. 

3D Graphics & Animation Portfolio Information

Only the 3D Graphics & Animation Program requires a portfolio submission after the completion of pre-portfolio courses. The portfolio submission happens near the end of the second semeste (usually in April). Passing a portfolio is required for students to advance to upper level program courses in this program. That vast majority of students pass the portfolio because the pre-portfolio courses prepare students to pass.

Non-Portfolio Philosophy of other CU Denver Visual Arts Programs

All of our Visual Arts BFA Programs use a cohort model for their curriculum sequencing. This means that students move through the curriculum together and that the courses build on one another. All of our BFA programs used to require portfolios to start but our faculty realized that this was just an extra hoop for students to jump through that was redundent. When students pass their first year cohort program classes, they are already proving that they have the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in future program courses. Therefore, all of our BFA programs, with the exception of 3D Animation, have removed the portfolio requirement in recent years. Students still must prove their program specific skills and knowledge through passing required coursework. 

Visit the specific program pages and click on the curriculum map links to see details about the course sequence structure. 

Transfer Student & Articulation Agreement Information

Transfer students are welcomed into all of our visual arts program. Transfer students can start during the fall, spring, or summer semesters. We work to make all of our programs transfer friendly and we have many transfew articulation agreements in place with area community colleges (see our Digital Design page to review some of these articulations agreements).

Currently, we don't have any ariculation agreements for our 3D Graphics & Animation Program. This is because there aren't any community colleges in the state that offer the animation specific courses that we require students to take during their first two years in our program. Animation students are encouraged to either start at CU Denver or to just complete one year at a community college prior to transferring. 

Learn more about the application process and our program by attending a CAM Virtual Info Session or on-campus Visual Arts Department Tour or Preview Day. See prospective student visit options here.

The CU Denver College of Arts & Media offers two graduate Master of Science programs:

• Recording Arts MS (MSRA)
  • Deadline to apply is April 1
  • Late application will be considered until May 1
  • Students are only admitted for a Fall Semester start
  • View MSRA application information here.
  • View MSRA program overview information here.
  • Questions? Contact Dr. Cecilia Wu at celilia.wu@ucdenver.edu
    
    
• Media Forensics MS 
  • Deadline to apply is April 1.
  • Students are only admitted for a Fall Semester start.
  • View Media Forensics application information here.
  • View Media Forensics program overview information here.
  • Questions? Contact Leah Haloin at leah.haloin@ucdenver.edu