Application Process
Applications for admission to the MFA in Studio Arts are open from November 1-December 1, 2024.
Application to the MFA program in the Department of Art is a three-step process:
STEP 1: Apply to the University of Massachusetts Amherst
Fill out an application to the University of Massachusetts Amherst Graduate School, where you will upload the following documents:
1. Resume or Curriculum Vitae
2. Creative Work Statement that includes the following: (maximum of 600 words) A description of your current practice(s) and what other fields of inquiry inform it. Why you are pursuing an MFA and what you hope to achieve while at UMass.
3. Personal Statement that includes the following (maximum 600 words) A discussion of your background and lived experiences. What you have been doing since completing your undergraduate studies that has led you to want to pursue an MFA at this time.
4. Graduate School Short Essay Requirement: At UMass Amherst, no two students are alike. Our communities and groups often define us and shape our individual worlds. Community can refer to various aspects, including shared geography, language, religion, race/ethnicity, income, ideology, ability, sexuality, gender, and more. Please choose one of your communities or groups and describe its significance. Explain how your experience in this community or group would enable you to enrich the following: a. Your department/program/our campus b. Your field/discipline. Please take the time to answer all parts of the following question. 600 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don't feel obligated to do so.
5. Two Letters of Reference. Your references will be contacted by email with a link to upload their letter.
STEP 2: Submit Your Portfolio Please submit 20 images in your Slate account. The deadline is December 1st. You will find Portfolio as a page in the application process. Additional instructions for adding your portfolio are in the Slate for Grad Admissions platform.
STEP 3: Transcripts Transcripts can be sent to the graduate School electronically, or sealed official undergraduate transcripts should be mailed directly to:
University of Massachusetts
Graduate School Admissions
514 Goodell Building
140 Hicks Way
Amherst, MA 01003-9333
Guidance for submitting your portfolio
Still Images in digital format: In Slate, be sure to click the “edit details” button on each artwork to provide the title, year, medium, and size for each artwork. If you are submitting images documenting installations, performances, and project-based works please include brief descriptions.
Time-based work: When uploading media files please include the title, year, duration of the work (in size field), and a brief description. Please submit no more than three-minute representative excerpts for each work. Reviewers will only view the first three minutes of longer submissions.
Statement of Authenticity: By checking the “representative work” button in Slate, for each artwork, you are stating the work is your own.
File Sizes and Types: Slate supports media files as large as 5GB. Uploaded documents may contain no more than 75 pages. We support the following file formats:
Video: .3g2, .3gp, .avi, .m2v, .m4v, .mkv, .mov, .mpeg, .mpg, .mp4, .mxf, .webm, .wmv
Audio: .aac, .m4a, .mka, .mp3, .oga, .ogg, .wav
Slide: .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .tif, .tiff
Document: .doc, .docx, .odg, .odp, .odt, .pdf, .ppt, .pptx, .rtf, .wpd
Link: Upload Link
Application period begins November 1 and closes December 1. Late applications will not be reviewed.
Decisions A short list of applicants will be invited to an interview via video conference in mid-January. Final candidates will be determined after the interview process, and admission decisions will be announced mid-February.
The department will hold a virtual information session on Friday, November 8, 2-4 PM (EST) 2024. Please send an email to Susan Jahoda to register. To tour the department or for questions, please make an appointment by emailing Professor Susan Jahoda.
Additional Information
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is optional as part of the application for an MFA in Studio Arts.
The Test of English (TOEFL) as a Foreign Language is required of applicants who are not native English speakers.
Additional Resources
The 2024-25 MFA Handbook is available and provides detailed information on the MFA program, including specific questions about financial aid.