Each year the MFA program selects a cohort of students who embody the program’s four shared values: diversity and inclusion; reciprocity between students and faculty; demonstrated ability to forge an individual path as a learner; and potential for integrating the course of study with the wider campus. Please refer to the mission and curriculum for further information.
Application Process
The application process for Fall 2019 is now closed. The process for Fall 2020 will begin October 1, 2019. Please submit your application materials to the following portals: SLIDEROOM
- Portfolio of no more 20 than examples of original work. Must be submitted digitally using Slideroom.
Graduate Application Management System
Please submit the following materials through MSU’s Graduate Application Management System (GAMS)
- Statement of Intent / Artist Statement This brief statement (one page, single-spaced, 12pt font) provides you the opportunity to discuss your creative work, including descriptions of the issues that drive your creative practice and the sources that inform your work.
- Personal Statement The personal statement (two pages, single-spaced, 12pt font) should detail your reasons and/or goals for pursuing the MFA degree track in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at Michigan State University. You can also share biographical information, background and interests, and/or include discussion of your past educational experience and future educational and professional goals.
- Current resume/CV Your CV should include academic honors, scholarships, exhibition record, special skills and expertise, and prior teaching experience.
- Three letters of recommendation Consider requesting letters from faculty members or others who are familiar with your creative research. These can be sent directly to the department or uploaded into the online application directly by the recommender, without any specific cover letter.
- Transcripts These must be official transcripts, which are typically sent directly from the institution. A cumulative 3.0 GPA is a requirement of Department of Art, Art History, and Design at Michigan State. We will accept transcripts sent from you if they are stamped and or signed officially on the back by the institution.
- TOEFL / IELTS International Students are required to take an English Language Proficiency exam. More information below.
International Students
All international applicants are required to be proficient in English as a condition for regular admission to Michigan State University. Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to demonstrate their proficiency by meeting certain minimum standards on any one of the following tests:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (Educational Testing Service, Box 899, Princeton, New Jersey 08549, USA).
- Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) (Testing and Certification Division, The English Language Institute, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA).
- English Language Center Test (English Language Center [ELC], Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824-1035, USA).
Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) is the center for international student involvement at MSU. The office provides new student orientation, as well as other social and cultural programming throughout the year to assist students in fulfilling their educational objectives. From their website you will find information on the international student orientation, visas, traveling, maintaining legal status, and financial aid.