Prospective graduate students must meet the School of Art & Art History's admission requirements for the specific degree programs they plan to enter. Prospective students must submit application materials to the University's Office of Graduate Admissions and to the School.

All applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate College; see the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College or the Graduate College section of the Catalog.

Applicants to all art graduate programs must submit the following to the University's Office of Graduate Admissions: a completed graduate application form (one area of interest must be specified on the form); an official copy of all transcripts of undergraduate and/or graduate work completed by the application date; TOEFL scores (if applicable); and the required application fee.

Applicants whose first or official language is not English, and whose previous academic degrees were not earned at an English-language institution, must score at least 81 (internet-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Materials must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions by Feburary 1 for fall admission to the studio art program.

The Office of Graduate Admissions notifies all applicants by mail of admission decisions. Acceptance notification cannot be given over the phone by either the Admissions Office or the School of Art & Art History.

In addition to materials submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions, applicants must submit the following materials to their Admissions Profile:

• a one-page statement of purpose
• official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate work completed by the application date
• three letters of recommendation assessing potential as a graduate student

They also must submit one of the following portfolios (uploaded to their Admissions Profile):

Portfolio requirements for image files: Images in the portfolios should be PDF files. Image size should be a maximum of 72 DPI and 1240 x 1240 pixels. File size must not exceed 18 MB. Image files must be numbered according to the order in which they are to be presented to the Admissions Committee, beginning with 01. Each portfolio must be accompanied by a list that includes each image's name, title, medium, size, approximate date of work, and the student's name and discipline. The applicant may also include a link to a personal website.

All submissions must conform to these requirements.

Portfolio contents and submission requirements are as follows:

Ceramics, 3D Design, and Jewelry & Metal Arts: Eight images in the primary studio art discipline and two in a second discipline.

Graphic Design: Documentation of 15 to 20 projects. Applicants should include a brief description of each work, illustrated with embedded still images and supplemented by links to online media. The precise number of images varies according to the nature of the work; contact the School of Art & Art History with questions.

Intermedia: Documentation of 5 to 10 projects. Applicants should include a brief description of each work, illustrated with embedded still images and supplemented by links to online media. The precise number of images varies according to the nature of the work; contact the School of Art & Art History with questions.

Painting and Drawing: Eight images in the primary studio art discipline and two in a second discipline.

Photography: Fifteen to Twenty images.

Printmaking: Ten to twenty images. 

Sculpture: Twenty images in sculpture, including details, and two or three images in a second discipline.

Extreme care is taken in handling all portfolios, but the School cannot be responsible for reimbursement in the event of loss or damage.

Applications and all supporting materials are reviewed by a committee of art and art history faculty members from the appropriate area.

Required Undergraduate Preparation

A student admitted into the studio art program with regular status whose under-graduate major was not studio art or who did not attend a liberal arts institution will be required to have, in addition to the graduate studio and art history course distribution requirements, combined undergraduate and/or graduate courses which include a studio major (12 semester hours), a first studio minor (6 semester hours), one course in a second studio minor area, and twelve semester hours of undergraduate art history. If these requirements have not been fulfilled they are deemed "undergraduate deficiencies" and must be fulfilled before completion of the M.A. degree

A student admitted into the studio art program with regular status who has received either the B.A. or the B.F.A. degree with a major in studio art from an accredited liberal arts university should have no undergraduate deficiencies. See the Graduate Program Administrative Services Coordinator in Room 1022 Studio Arts Building (SA) to verify any deficiencies.

Admission Status

See "Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College" Part 1, Section I-G for details.

Graduate students entering the M.A. program with regular admission status are only provisional candidates for an advanced degree and must be reviewed for candidacy by the Division Wide Review process (for more information see section titled “Degree Requirements: M.A.). M.A. students may choose the degree either with or without a written thesis. 

Note: the M.F.A. program is by invitation only.

Graduate students invited to the M.F.A. program with regular admission status are only provisional candidates for an advanced degree and must be reviewed for candidacy by the Degree Committee Review process (for more information see section titled “Degree Requirements: M.F.A). M.F.A students are required to have a written thesis.

Professional/Personal Improvement Status is limited in the SAAH to students who have received the terminal degree (M.F.A. for studio majors, Ph.D. for art history majors) and who have received permission from the faculty to return for specific coursework.  Approval to register as a Professional/Personal Improvement student will be limited to a maximum of two semesters and no studio space will be provided.

Readmission

See "Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College" Part1, Section I-I for details.