Program Update
This program will not be admitting new students for the 2026–2027 academic year and beyond. Today, we are in the midst of an exciting redesign of several programs intended to address the urgent challenges of our times. We invite you to explore our website for related programs and courses.
Immerse yourself in documentary filmmaking—production and theory—in New York City, the world's documentary capital.
The Graduate Certificate in Documentary Media Studies is an intensive program that immerses students in the study of creative nonfiction filmmaking while drawing on Parsons' strengths in design, photography, illustration, and emerging media. Studying documentary filmmaking at Parsons broadens practitioners’ skills in visual and formal experimentation within documentary practice.
Students develop, shoot, direct, and edit an original short documentary film on a subject of their choosing in an environment renowned for its integration of design, art, and interdisciplinary practice. At Parsons, students collaborate with programs like Photography, Design and Technology, and Transdisciplinary Design to open new pathways for hybrid, experimental, and interactive documentary forms.
Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and submit a portfolio; previous study of filmmaking is not required.
Central to the intensive one-year curriculum is Doc Talks, a monthly screening series. Doc Talks invites guest artists and professionals in the field of documentary cinema to share insights into their work and the media industry with Documentary Studies students. Additionally, every spring, as part of the Dorothy H. Hirshon Residency, a distinguished filmmaker leads master classes to which certificate students are invited.
Learn more about the curriculum
The Documentary Media Studies program culminates in a student documentary festival, Truth Be Told, at the end of each school year. At the festival, certificate students' films are publicly screened and discussed by the filmmakers and faculty.
The films are the products of students' yearlong study of documentary production, history, and theory.
Visit the Truth Be Told website
Students who complete this certificate are invited to apply for the MA in Media Studies or MS in Media Management programs. If admitted, students who complete this certificate can transfer all credits from the certificate, provided that grades of B or better were received in the courses.
Conversely, MA in Media Studies students may apply to pursue the Documentary Media Studies certificate in their second year of study. If they are admitted, all credits will apply to their respective degrees, provided that grades of B or better were received in the courses. MS in Media Management students should seek guidance from the advising team if they plan to pursue the certificate as a secondary curriculum.
Certificate holders are qualified to become documentary editors, field producers, cinematographers, directors, and researchers and take up related positions in media distribution, museum programming, festival organization, and broadcast productions.
Most of our graduates were employed or pursuing further education within 12 months of graduating.
Amir Husak, Amir Husak, Director of the Graduate Certificate in Documentary Media Studies Program (2019–2021)Since its early days, documentary has been at the forefront of challenging our knowledge about the world. In response to the current crisis of trust in information, our students tap into the rich history of nonfiction filmmaking to enact the struggle for truth.
Research is integral to the Parsons learning experience, and students and faculty work together to challenge existing paradigms and advance emerging scholarship and practice. Explore the thematic research laboratories housed at Parsons and throughout The New School.
Connect to the organizations, businesses, and entrepreneurs driving global creativity and commerce. In classes, internships, and extracurricular projects, you gain marketable problem-solving skills in sectors ranging from government and nonprofits to tech and creative industries.
New York City’s thriving creative industry and cultural institutions are part of your Parsons education. Our Career Services Office is enmeshed in the art and design industries and can help you advance your career with industry-oriented internships.
Funds are earmarked for graduate travel, research, and work to support your study. Opportunities include paid teaching assistantships, research fellowships and assistantships (including ones offered throughout The New School), ample student employment, and other grants available to U.S. domestic and international students alike.
Enjoy access to extensive resources including New School libraries, computer labs, archives, and studios, along with Parsons’ state-of-the-art Making Center, facilities offering a broad array of tools to support your creative and academic growth.
The New School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
