Develop your studio art practice through a two-year interdisciplinary course of study in the heart of New York City's art world with access to painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, ceramics, digital media, and sculpture facilities. This MFA Program brings together an exceptional group of emerging artists committed to developing their work within a community of accomplished faculty, visiting artists, and art professionals. An MFA is required for those who are pursuing a college-level teaching career.
Degree Name: Studio Art
Academic Plan Code: ARSA
Degree: MFA
Credits: 60
Academic Load: Full-time only. The time to completion of the degree is two years.
Application Deadline
Spring: n/a
Summer: n/a
Fall: February 1
Program Information
Program Website | 212-998-5702
Admissions Requirements
Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. International applicants are expected to have a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. An undergraduate major in studio art, including several courses in art history, is preferred but not required.
How to Apply
These instructions and requirements are for all applicants. If you are not a citizen or a permanent resident of the United States, please read the special instructions for international applicants.
Your application will require the following items. The following are acceptable document types for uploads: .pdf, .jpeg, .jpg, .gif, .tiff, .png, .doc, .docx, and bitmap.
1. Prepare Your Application
Résumé/CV
You are required to upload a copy of your most recent résumé or curriculum vitae as part of your application.
Statement of Purpose
Not required.
Artist's Statement
The artist's statement is a typewritten, double-spaced 500 word statement describing your work and its content, as well as the influences that have shaped your practice. This is an opportunity to introduce yourself and your artwork to the Admissions Committee.
Letters of Recommendation
Submit three letters of recommendation. Be sure to request them well in advance of the deadline. Read detailed instructions.
Transcripts
Upload one official copy of transcripts from every postsecondary school you have attended to both the online application and the portfolio submitted via slideroom. Make sure to request them in advance of the deadline.
If you completed or are completing a degree at an institution outside of the US or Canada, you are required to provide a WES or ECE evaluation. Please review our requirements for translation and a course-by-course evaluation of your transcripts.
GRE
Not required.
Proficiency in English
See testing requirements.
Portfolio
As part of the online application process for this program, you are required to upload a portfolio of 20 digital images of your recent artwork. This is an integral part of the admissions review process. There is a $10 portfolio fee.
Images must be submitted in .jpeg format only, sized no larger than 1280 x 1024 pixels (maximum 4MB). Each image must be numbered, titled (if applicable) and include your name. Please do NOT submit PowerPoint or Keynote presentations.
All portfolios must be submitted via Slideroom.
Videos for time-based work can be submitted in place of digital images (maximum 60MB). Videos can be a compilation of various works, but the total running time cannot exceed five minutes per video. Genres appropriate to video documentation include video art, performance, and kinetic art, but not documentation of sculptures or exhibitions. For portfolios that have both digital images and videos, the total number of submitted works cannot exceed 20.
Include your artist's statement and résumé in .pdf format as part of the portfolio upload. Do not mail portfolios to the Graduate Admissions Office or the Department of Art and Art Professions. All portfolio documents must be uploaded to Slideroom in .pdf format only. In addition to submitting a portfolio, you must also submit an official NYU Steinhardt Application for Graduate Admission.
Personal Interview
By invitation only. The Admissions Committee will notifiy finalists by email to schedule a personal interview.
2. Apply
Application
After you fill in and upload the required information, you can submit your completed application. Your application must be completed, dated, electronically signed, and submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST of the stated deadline.
Application Fee
You will be prompted to pay a $75 application fee, payable by major credit card only. After submitting your payment, you will see your application status change from “saved” to “submitted.” Please print this screen for your records, as it confirms that your application has been successfully sent to our school. If you have problems submitting your payment, please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions. Learn more about our fee waiver policy.
Mailing Additional Items
If any application materials need to be mailed to our office, mail the materials to NYU Steinhardt, Office of Graduate Admissions, 82 Washington Square East, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10003-6680. Please do not mail your materials in binders or folders. Any mailed materials must be received by, not postmarked by, the stated deadline. Only completed applications will be considered and reviewed by the Admissions Committee. Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt of mailed materials.
Application Policies
Application deadlines are "in-office" deadlines, not postmark deadlines. It is your responsibility to ensure that all materials are in the Office of Graduate Admissions by the appropriate deadline, and we reserve the right to return any application that arrives after the deadline. Only completed applications will be considered. Should a deadline fall on a weekend, the in-office deadline will be the next business day. We advise you to apply early.
Please check the online system to confirm that you have successfully submitted your application. Due to the volume of applications and related materials received, the Office of Graduate Admissions will only contact you if your application was successfully submitted and is deemed incomplete because of missing required materials. Otherwise, you will hear from us when the admissions committee has made its decision.
Deferral policy: NYU Steinhardt does not allow deferrals. Applicants who wish to be considered for a future semester must reapply by submitting a new application with all supporting materials, including letters of recommendation, by the application deadline.
3. Receive Your Admission Decision
Decision
You will be notified about your decision by email. Typically, decisions will start going out in late November for Spring semester enrollment and in late March or early April for Summer or Fall enrollment. You may learn of your decision before or after this timeline.
Financial Aid
Our programs offer merit and need-based scholarships. In order to be eligible for any financial aid you MUST complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The deadline to submit the FAFSA is March 1 for Fall enrollment. Do not wait to be accepted. You can use tax forms from the previous tax year to submit.
For more information please visit the NYU Financial Aid website as well as the Steinhardt Graduate Financial Aid site and the NYU Steinhardt Office of Admissions Paying for Your Education site.