Master of Fine Arts in Art Admissions

University Admission Requirements

A student applying to this program must:

• Have earned a four-year bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a college or university that is accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting association, or do so by the time of program matriculation.
• Submit unofficial transcripts from each college or university other than Illinois State at which graduate, undergraduate, or non-degree credit was earned. The unofficial transcript should be easily readable and clearly indicate degree(s) awarded, courses and course grades for each term.
• If admitted, official domestic transcripts can be emailed from the university to GraduateAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed in a sealed envelope to: Illinois State University, Graduate School, 208 Hovey Hall, Campus Box 4040, Normal, IL 61790-4040.
• If admitted, official international transcripts can be emailed directly from the international institution to InternationalAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed in a sealed envelope to: Illinois State University, International Admissions, Campus Box 6180, Normal, IL 61790-6180.

International students can learn more about specific application requirements by visiting the Graduate School Admission Requirements.

Additional Program Admission Requirements

To apply for the Master of Fine Art program, you must meet the following requirements.

GPA

You must have a minimum 2.8 GPA (on a scale in which an A is a 4.0) for the last 60 hours of undergraduate work.

The Grade Point Average (GPA) of all undergraduate credentials earned in the United States that are used for graduate degree admission evaluation is calculated by the last 60 hours of undergraduate work. International credentials are evaluated by using cumulative GPA (CGPA) in lieu of the GPA from the last 60 hours of undergraduate work.

Resume

Upload your current resume that includes a list of exhibitions and contact information of references. (PDF file)

Statement

Submit a statement that addresses ideas central to your current studio work and intentions for graduate study.

Writing Sample

Submit a sample of academic writing. (5-page minimum; PDF file)

Reference Contact Information

Submit names and email addresses of three references for letters of recommendation within the online application.

Digital Portfolio and Image List

After submission of your application and application fee, you will upload your digital portfolio and image list in the application portal.

Image List

Upload an image list of artworks in your digital portfolio. (PDF file)

For each art work in your digital portfolio, include the following information in a list:

• File name corresponding to your digital portfolio (see File name above)
• Title
• Medium
• Size
• Date

Thumbnail images of the artworks are helpful but not required.

Digital Portfolio

Upload a digital portfolio of 15-20 images of recent artworks.

Images must conform to the following specifications:

• Image format: JPEG file format only (other image formats, Powerpoint or other presentation formats are not accepted)
• Image Resolution: 1024 wide x 768 high at 72dpi
• File Size: 5mb maximum for each JPEG
• File Name: Name each image file with your last name and a number (e.g., Jones-001.jpg; Jones-002.jpg, etc.)

Admission Dates and Deadlines

Graduate Coordinator