Master of Fine Arts in Visual Art and Public Life Admission Guidelines
The application steps below are for students interested in pursuing an MFA in Visual Art with an emphasis in one of the following areas: Ceramics, Furniture Design, Painting and Drawing, Photography and Intermedia, Printmaking, and Sculpture.
Your application must demonstrate a strong commitment and potential for developing sustained creative activity as a visual artist at the professional level and the ability to complete graduate work.
- Complete the Online Application
You must provide the following information in the online application:
- A personal statement describing your intentions for applying to this program, including a concise description of your past experiences qualifying you for this program. Please also describe your future career goals. The statement must be 500 words in length. Please clearly indicate in your personal statement the program you intend to pursue: sculpture, furniture design, printmaking, photography and intermedia, painting and drawing or ceramics.
- The contact information (including names, street addresses, phone numbers and email addresses) of two people who will submit your letters of recommendation via the online application system. The online system will then email your contacts with instructions on how to submit their references online. The online recommendations should address your potential for academic success in a graduate program.
- When asked to indicate your Academic Plan, please select “Visual Art” in the drop down menu.
- Submit Your Portfolio Online
Submit your portfolio online at www.herron.slideroom.com. When submitting the portfolio online, click on the blue "Start a New Submission" button. Then click on "Graduate Programs" under the "Categories" heading. Finally, click on the blue "Apply Now" button next to the emphasis in which you are interested to access the application. It is possible to submit time-based work using Slideroom.com. The cost to submit your portfolio online is $10. The portfolio should contain 18-20 images.
- Pay the Application Fees
The cost for submitting the application for the MFA in Visual Art is $70. The $70 application fee is comprised of a $60 fee paid upon submission of the online application and a $10 fee paid upon submission of the online portfolio. The application fees are non-refundable.
- Mail Your Transcripts
Mail official transcripts from all of your undergraduate institutions attended, as well as from any graduate programs (if applicable). The transcript must demonstrate a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. For international students, if the original documents are not in English, a verified translation must be sent with your official transcripts in your native language. If you are in the process of completing a Bachelor's degree when you apply, a transcript showing your first three years of study is acceptable. If admitted to Herron, you must submit a final, official transcript verifying the completion and award of your degree directly to Herron prior to your matriculation.
Mail transcripts to:
Graduate Admissions c/o Student Services Office
Herron School of Art and Design
735 W. New York St.
Indianapolis, IN 46202-5222
- Submit Your TOEFL Results(International students only)
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores are required for international students unless the applicants undergraduate degree is from a university in an English-speaking country. Applicants must request that an official copy of their test results be sent directly to IUPUI by the Educational Testing Service. The IUPUI reporting code for the TOEFL is 1325. Other tests or ELS coursework may be accepted in order to verify English proficiency. For a list of all options and minimum scores required, please visit IUPUI's International Admissions page.
NOTE: The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not a requirement.