©Amina Cruz, Faculty

Each installment of In Focus: The MFA Review highlights a different MFA program for photographic artists, offering readers a concise overview of its identity, curriculum, faculty, student experience, financial support, and post-graduation outcomes. It also serves as a showcase of the creative work produced by faculty, students, and alumni. Rather than functioning as rankings or endorsements, these features are intended as practical starting points—tools to help prospective students compare programs, identify what matters most to them, and make more informed decisions about their graduate education. While certain details shared in these articles may change over time, my hope is that these program snapshots offer a clear sense of what each represents in the present moment.

Thank you to David Mager for completing this interview and compiling all the images/resources!

Institution name: New York Film Academy (NYFA)

Degree Title: MFA in Photography

Location: Burbank, CA (main campus)

Link to Program Page: https://www.nyfa.edu/mfa/photography/

Link to Application Page: https://nyfa.my.site.com/portal/TX_SiteLogin?startURL=%2Fportal%2FTargetX_Base__Portal

Instagram: @nyfaphotography

©Amina Cruz, Faculty

Tell us a little about your program. How would you define its scope and purpose?

An MFA in Photography at NYFA is defined by hands-on technical instruction, critical inquiry, and business strategies, to develop leaders in creative fields. Our master level courses are in constant engagement with a multitude of perspectives and aesthetic practices, in which students mine diverse understandings of cultural identity, beauty and symbolism, in the collective pursuit of artmaking. Our program demands experimentation, deepens curiosity, and asks students to critically consider the implications of image making in a globalized world.

©Baz Here, Faculty

What would you say makes your program special?

Our program is unique in its strong technical and historical foundation, combined with a developed entrepreneurial practice, so that students can take their talent and apply it to work after graduation. Students are collaborative within the department, across all programs, enabling them to achieve complex shoots with more support. We are a tight knit group of professional artist educators who are able to spend quality time mentoring students and alumni, curating exhibitions, exploring the city through museums, galleries and artist studio visits, and engaging in constant dialogue about the nature of art today, productive business models, and how to create opportunities.

©Baz Here, Faculty

What specialized facilities are available for student use (i.e. darkroom, lighting studio, print lab)?

Our campuses offer computer labs with high-performance, large-format inkjet printers, a 10,000 square foot photography studio with a large cyclorama on one side, and a built-out sound stage on the other, and a darkroom with 8 enlargers. The main campus in Burbank is in the heart of the Los Angeles region, so the beach, the mountains, the desert and urban environments are all a short drive away.

©Jon Henry, Faculty

Is your program strictly photography-focused, or does it encourage/allow interdisciplinary work?

The MFA in Photography at NYFA encourages multi sensory engagement. In addition to analog darkroom, alternative practices, digital photography, and studio lighting, we teach the art of collage, graphic design, magazine publication, video art, installation, and performance.

©Jon Henry, Faculty

Do you specialize in a particular area (i.e. documentary, experimental, environmental work)? And once in the program, is a student able to shift their focus if their creative interests change?

Our MFA program embraces all genres of art making, from fashion to fine art to social justice centered work. We reward risk and experimentation and encourage students to use their time with us to expand their understanding of all types of photography and related media, not just what they are already good at.

©Lane Barden, Faculty

How structured is the curriculum? Are there required courses, or is it more self-directed?

After the first few semesters MFA students choose their own electives in theory, art practice, lighting, and imaging. In their last two semesters they are required to take two business classes in order to support their interests and ensure their success. They also have classes which support them in their research and writing of their thesis paper and project on a subject of their choosing. All MFA candidates learn how to present, curate and install their work for exhibition, write a thesis paper, and develop a business and marketing plan.

©Lane Barden, Faculty

Does the program incorporate video work or emerging media such as AI, VR/AR, or 3D/360 imaging?

Our MFA program incorporates AI into imaging classes starting in foundations, all the way through advanced imaging electives. We explore ethical and theoretical aspects of machine learning as well as teach the technical aspects of AI imaging programs and tools. In video, we offer several courses including the history of video art and performance, as well as commercial applications such as music videos, often with local musicians, and fashion applications. Students are welcome to explore their thesis projects in video, and many create projections and installations using their video skills. If students are interested in exploring VR and 3D practices they are welcome to take courses in these electives in other programs such as animation and filmmaking.

©Naomi White, Faculty

Does the program offer career development support, such as portfolio reviews, workshop/conference attendance, or networking opportunities?

We have developed an alumni community board where everyone can connect about opportunities and network. We also offer several networking events each semester on campus with producers, animators, actors and film makers. We have a guest lecture series where students can connect with working professionals outside of our faculty body. And since many of our faculty are exhibiting artists, students and alumni are invited to attend faculty and other student exhibitions regularly. Faculty often require students to apply to various calls for awards and exhibitions to build their CV while they are in school so that they are more prepared after graduation.

©Naomi White, Faculty

What are key graduation requirements (exhibition, thesis paper, portfolio, etc.)?

MFA students in Photography at NYFA must complete 61 units including an in depth research paper on the subject of their choosing, develop a strong thesis project that explores an idea they are curious about, prepare and install their exhibition, and print a professional portfolio

The MFA research paper has a twenty page minimum, requiring a thorough exploration of an idea from multiple perspectives, with examples, a bibliography, and evidence.  MFA Thesis projects may encompass a range of formats — from traditional photography and analog methods such as cyanotype, lumen, or darkroom printing, to installation, video, or book forms. The medium is determined by the concept and how effectively it communicates the artist’s vision. MFA portfolios are required to be both digital and printed. Teachers guide students through best practices in their digital presences and in size, look and feel and format of their printed portfolio.

©Natalja Kent, Faculty

Who are your current faculty members? What are their areas of creative interest?

Our faculty are all working professionals often in both commercial and fine art photography.

Amina Cruz was born in Los Angeles. She is interested in queer culture, film/analog photography, and exploring the space between transformation and identity. Her work is in the collection at the Getty.

Baz Here is a queer fine art and portrait photographer (bazherephoto.com) and musician (bazheremusic.com) living in downtown Los Angeles (DTLA). A multidisciplinary artist, Here is interested in the sound current and its effect on visual aesthetics.

Jon Henry is a visual artist from Queens, New York, whose work reflects on family, sociopolitical issues, grief, trauma and healing within the African American community. His work has been published both nationally and internationally and exhibited in numerous galleries including Aperture Foundation, Smack Mellon, and BRIC among others. Currently his work is on view in the prestigious Monuments exhibition at the MOCA Geffen.

Lane Barden is an Associate Professor of photography who is an architectural and fine art photographer. Barden has worked for some of the best architecture firms in the world and his photographs are in the collections at the Getty and LACMA.

Naomi White is an Associate Professor of Photography has a mixed-media practice incorporating original and found photographs, encaustic wax, and archival glue. White is the winner of The 2024 Associate’s Award at Brand 52 and was a finalist for the 2023 Hopper Prize. White has exhibited and spoken throughout North America and Europe, including art fairs Tryst, Scope, Spectrum, Kolajfest, and Photo LA.

Natalja Kent is a commercial and fine art photographer working out of Los Angeles and New York. Some clients include Postmates, Sonos, Molekule, Mother, Fast Company. She also has a unique fine art practice in the color darkroom.

Natasha Rudenko is a fine art photographer and multi-media visual artist whose work explores personal experiences and transformations related to identity, personhood, and the human condition. Natasha’s work has appeared in annual feminist and queer art publications, including Issues II and Femme Fotale Volume III Analog and Femme Fotale Volume IV Leafless. Their exhibitions have spanned New York, Los Angeles, Athens, Tempe, and Budapest.

Suné Woods’ work takes the form of multi-channel video installations, photographs, and collage. Her work has been presented in exhibitions including Made in L.A. 2018, Hammer Museum, When A Heart Scatter, Scatter, Scatter, Everson Museum of Art (2017) and Woods is a recipient of the Visions from the New California initiative, The John Gutmann Fellowship Award, and The Baum Award for an Emerging American Photographer.

©Natalja Kent, Faculty

Are faculty members primarily full-time or adjunct?

Faculty are adjunct as they are practicing professionals in fine art and commercial fields, but remain highly committed to their students and most have worked at NYFA for over ten years.

©Natasha Rudenko, Faculty

How involved are faculty in mentoring students beyond coursework?

Faculty are deeply involved in mentoring students and alumni at NYFA. In Thesis Projects a thesis committee made up of four faculty guides students through the process of developing a cohesive body of work. After graduation, alumni are encouraged to stay in touch with their teachers and attend student group shows on campus and thesis exhibitions at galleries.

©Natasha Rudenko, Faculty

How often do guest artists, curators, or critics visit for lectures and/or critiques?

MFA students at NYFA attend guest artist lectures in the classroom, in our theater, and in our monthly guest lecture series over Zoom. Students are given the opportunity to hear first hand from practicing artists from all over the world and learn more about their work and strategies for success. Students also visit local artists in their studios and attend frequent gallery openings of faculty and student exhibitions.

©Damon Hao, Alum

How many students are admitted each year, and how many are photography focused?

Student enrollment varies across departments. In photography, cohorts are luxuriously small with four to ten students in each class. Many students enter the program very focused only on straight photography but leave with a broader set of skills and deeper understanding of their artistic voice and what they want to use their passion for.

©Damon Hao, Alum

What is the approximate cohort size, and what effect does this have on critiques, collaboration, and networking?

Cohort sizes are typically four to ten students. Small cohorts enable students and faculty to gain a deeper perspective of each student and spend more time on their development. Because students in all programs take foundational classes together there is also a strong collaborative energy throughout our department.

©Linh Tang, Alum

What kind of work are current students creating?

MFA students write a research paper in their third semester that becomes the basis for their thesis inspiration in their final semester. These Are The Most Painful Ones by Mark Kitsewaeng earned 11 awards after graduation. In this project he explored his difficult childhood and reclaimed his identity through photography. He worked in the studio on a series of self portraits covered in various gender complicating symbols such as motorcycles, flowers, and wigs. NYFA MFA in Photography student Linh Tang photographed large groups of people in the studio with film for her thesis. She had grown up in post-war Vietnam where she says “generational trauma cemented the need in each of us to define family by an obligation to uphold ideals of loyalty, responsibility, and acceptance…I grew up to view family as a lighthouse guiding the lost to safety, but also a violent sea of tireless emotional waves.” Another MFA student Meley Sie explored concepts of visualizing abundance. She filmed and photographed herself on a rock surrounded by nature. She created a garden in the center of the gallery with her photographs and a video along a plant-filled path. Another MFA graduate, Damon Hao, explored W.E.B Du Bois’ idea of double consciousness to reconcile his two disparate social identities living in a white-dominated society that devalues Chinese Asian men through exclusion, especially in Hollywood films. Hou tries to integrate into American culture as a Chinese immigrant. Yoko Chou explored the tactility of the analog process in her MFA thesis work, creating an installation with C-stands and a collection of prints in various forms including a mural, a book and object photos along the floor for viewers to interact with.

©Linh Tang, Alum

What is the total cost of the program (and duration), and what funding options are available?

For students beginning in the 2025/2026 academic year, the total tuition and fees for the 4-semester program are $107,000. Students can expect to incur a small amount of cost for personal project supplies such as additional paper, a hard drive, or other similar educational materials. The MFA in Photography is offered in an accelerated format, allowing students to study full-time throughout the year, including summers,completing the program in a total of 16 consecutive uninterrupted months.

Scholarships, grants, and other institutional discounts are available at NYFA. Students can find information at https://www.nyfa.edu/student-finances/scholarships-and-grants.

Students attending NYFA’s MFA in Photography are eligible for Title IV federal aid, Post-9/11 GI Bill funding, and a variety of state-sponsored scholarships from international governments and organizations.

©Mark Kitsawaeng, Alum

Are there teaching assistantships, and what percentage of tuition do they cover?

There are no teaching assistantships but there are opportunities nearby for alumni to gain teaching experience.

Are additional grants/resources available to support student projects?

Major installations and exhibitions are primarily resourced by NYFA and housed in NYFA spaces.

©Mark Kitsawaeng, Alum

What types of careers do alumni pursue, and how does the program support students after graduation?

Our MFA students go on to be photographers, designers, artists, and teachers. Many settle into a genre of photography that they hone and become known for such as portraiture, fashion, editorial or behind the scenes photography on film sets. Some have opened schools in other countries to continue sharing their knowledge and love for photography. Some have won awards for their thesis exhibition work and earned grants and exhibitions. Some have become celebrity photographers and videographers, while some have founded their own production companies, making music videos and short films. We are very proud of our graduates and enjoy staying in touch with them and seeing them flourish.

©Meley Sie, Alum

How connected is the alumni network, and do graduates stay involved with the program?

Many alumni continue to frequent campus and attend our exhibitions after graduation. We also offer opportunities for them such as portfolio reviews, photo related workshops, networking events, and invitations to all our student and faculty exhibitions. They are also eligible to submit to our Photo Department magazine, FAYN – each issue features a different alumnus. There is also an online network just for NYFA alumni to post opportunities, connect with each other, find jobs and talk shop.

©Meley Sie, Alum

©Yoko Chou, Alum

©Yoko Chou, Alum