Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
Since 1973, the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies has created generations of truthful, thorough, creative, and responsible documentarians.
The Salt Graduate Certificate in Documentary Studies is a unique semester-long program offered in Summer and Fall semesters, focused on training the next generation of storytellers with professional students from all over the U.S. and around the world. This program offers three study tracks: Radio & Podcasting, Short Film, or Writing.
During this rigorous learning experience, students take the time to create and critically examine their own work and the work of classmates in a collaborative environment. They leave with a professional quality body of beautifully crafted, in-depth stories.
Courses mirror the structure and flow of an editorial team, with students working as both producers and editors. Students regularly listen to professional and student-produced stories to develop a deeper understanding to effectively discuss audio and visual storytelling.
Maine College of Art & Design also offers shorter Salt Intensives through our Continuing & Professional Studies program.
Learn more about the Salt Graduate Certificate in Documentary Studies
Program & Outcomes
Short Film
Students use a combination of documentary film, journalism, ethics, anthropology, art, and design fundamentals to tell compelling visual and audio stories. Over the course of the semester, students shoot and produce two projects: a short film and an in-depth piece. Graduates leave with a portfolio of work ready for submission to international festivals and a new level of understanding around the importance of ethical storytelling.
Radio & Podcasting
Over the course of the semester, students learn how to create sound-rich and complex audio narratives under the guidance of industry veterans, producing a variety of audio assignments as well as an in-depth final project. Students gain critical experience pitching work and marketing themselves as radio producers. Graduates leave with a portfolio of work ready to start or build upon their audio careers.
Writing
Salt’s new Writing program is a return to the long-form narrative nonfiction that has defined Salt for decades. Students in the Writing track will learn how to: Identify, research and report a compelling story; understand narrative structures; master the art of critique and revision; pitch story ideas; deal with documentary ethical issues responsibly and sensitively; and market themselves as writers.
Students will learn from the traditions of journalism, personal essay, narrative storytelling, and even the techniques of fiction, to produce compelling written work at Salt. Over the course of the semester, students will write three, submission-ready pieces: a short essay, a profile, and a long narrative.
Students will also be introduced to editors and other industry leaders and will work on placing their stories as part of the class. Final pieces will be presented publicly at the end of the semester and become part of the Salt Story Archive.
Storytelling Nights
During the 15-week program, graduates have an opportunity to demonstrate their new skills for the public. Structured like a Moth performance, where storytellers have five minutes to capture their audience, cohorts work with professional directors to develop and shape stories for live events at venues like the Portland Museum of Art.
“I’ve been blown away by the enthusiasm, support, and talent in this group of [Salt] storytellers. By helping each other with their stories, students get to connect to each other in a pretty deep and exciting way—they’re not just working with one another as artists, they’re helping the teller figure out what a story meant to them.”
— Micaela Blei, two-time Moth grandSLAM winner and Salt Live Storytelling Night host
After Graduation
You will find our graduates at the world’s leading news & storytelling organizations, including: Al Jazeera; Associated Press; Audible; British Broadcasting Company; Gimlet; National Geographic; National Public Radio; New York Magazine; Newsweek; Radiolab; The New York Times; The New Yorker; The Washington Post; This American Life; Time; US News & World Report; Vice Media
Salt Story Archive
Since 1973, the students of the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies have captured the spirit of the culture, people, and landscapes of the world around us. The collective body of work—stories and publications—is available online at saltstoryarchive.com.
Please contact Rachel Katz, Administrative Director of Graduate Programs (rkatz@meca.edu), with any Salt Story Archive inquiries, or submit your request via the Salt Story Archive Permission Request form.
Ready to apply?
For additional help, please contact our Graduate Admissions Coordinator, Joel Tsui, at joel.tsui-staff@meca.edu.
Financial Aid
Completion of the Salt Graduate Certificate in Documentary Studies requires 16 credits. The cost per credit is $782.
Too often, documentaries reinforce the inequality present in our societies rather than challenging it. The Salt Institute for Documentary Studies is committed to training storytellers in ways that are equitable and inclusive. Part of our mission is to transform the field so it reflects and amplifies a diversity of experiences, identities, and voices.
Salt is also proud to offer the Gimlet Union Scholarship, generously underwritten by Gimlet Media (now Spotify Studios).
To learn more about the financial commitment and funding opportunities, visit Tuition & Financial Aid.