Students are admitted to Yale’s M.F.A. program for the fall term of each year only. Applicants are notified of the admissions committee’s decisions on preliminary selections in February, and final decisions are sent in early March. No information about decisions will be given over the phone or in advance of the batch-written release to all finalists.

To apply for more than one area of concentration, separate applications, fees, and supporting documentation must be submitted. The work submitted should be representative of the applicant’s experience in that particular field. Applicants are advised that applying to more than one program does not increase chances of selection.

Please note that Yale School of Art does not practice admission deferment. An offer of admission is valid only for enrollment for that year, regardless of the in-residence conditions of the Yale campus at that time. Applicants who are offered admission but choose not to enroll are welcome to reapply to the School in a future cycle.

Admission Procedures for Preliminary Selection

Instructions for All Applicants

An application to the School of Art requires forethought and planning. It is important to read all of the application instructions carefully. Following these instructions will ensure that your application is viewed to best advantage.

The Yale School of Art application for the 2024–2025 academic year will be available October 2023 at https://apply.art.yale.edu/apply. The information that follows will assist you in filing the application online. For an explanation of specific requirements for each area of study, please refer to the departmental sections that follow.

Application deadline Online applications for programs beginning in the 2024–2025 academic year must be uploaded no later than 11:59 p.m. EST on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. Applicants will not be allowed to submit applications after the deadline has passed, although recommendation letters and English Proficiency exam scores may follow shortly thereafter. Please expect that when many applicants are uploading simultaneously near the deadline, lengthier processing times will be experienced. To avoid this, please consider submitting prior to the deadline day.

Application materials The following materials are required for consideration of your application for admission.

1. Online application: Online applications can be worked on from October 1 until the deadline. It may take several weeks to complete an application therefore it is recommended that applicants prepare their materials early to ensure completion. Please note that the School of Art is not part of the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and it is not possible to apply by using application materials found on the Graduate School’s website.
2. Application fee: Please follow payment instructions at https://apply.art.yale.edu/apply. Payment can be made by credit or debit card. In its commitment to equity and access Yale School of Art practices need-blind admission, meaning that a candidate’s financial need or ability is never disclosed to the admissions committee during review of M.F.A. applications. For this reason, and because the processing and careful review of each individual application demands great time and human resources, graduate fee waivers are not available except for applicants with primary citizenship in the following nations only, those with the lowest U.S. exchange rates: Venezuela, Iran, Vietnam, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Sierra Leone, Laos, Guinea, Paraguay, and Cambodia.

3. Statement: A one-page statement that addresses influences, interests, current work direction, brief life history (as it relates to art/design practice), and reasons for applying to graduate school at this time. Statements should be limited to one page or no more than 500 words.

   Applicants to the Painting/Printmaking program should make reference in their statement to the “representative work” in the portfolio; this is not critical for the other programs.

4. References: The references should be from three persons either practicing/teaching in the field in which application is made or who know the applicant’s practice well and can attest to their ability, competency, potential, etc. in Yale’s M.F.A. program. Note: The admissions committee reviews applications shortly after the deadline. While it is not uncommon for letters of recommendation to come in past the deadline, please impress upon those who will be writing on your behalf that late submission of supporting documentation may risk exclusion from the review. Applicants may view the receipt status of reference requests on the application status page.
5. Transcripts of academic record for the bachelor’s degree and/or professional art schools attended: Student/unofficial copies may be uploaded to the application for the preliminary jury. Official transcripts will only be required for applicants invited to interview.

6. Portfolio of work: The portfolio should represent images of your best work, indicate your current direction, and demonstrate your ability. At least half of the images should represent work done within the last twelve months, and all should be from within the last three years. Chronological order of year is embedded in our system, and you will not be able to override it. The application system used by Yale requires that one image from the portfolio be designated as a “representative work.” This selection is simply the default image for the cover page of each application file. As such, applicants have historically selected the piece which most strongly represents ideas central to their current body of work.

   Do not include more than one image on the screen, nor embed other pages of a publication or video within the images you place in your portfolio. Do not include detail photos of work in your portfolio unless you consider them absolutely necessary. Under no circumstances should more than two detail shots be included. Portfolio requirements differ depending upon area of concentration; be sure to follow the instructions for the area to which you are applying. We strongly recommend that you review your images on a Mac OS to be certain that they are accurately represented.

   Note: All supporting documents that are submitted as a requirement for admission become a part of the official file and cannot be returned to the applicant or forwarded to another institution either in copy or original form.

Part-time students No programs are offered for transfer, special, or part-time students.

Graphic Design Portfolio Requirements

In addition to a portfolio, all graphic design applicants should upload a résumé or CV, which will be reviewed for content as well as form of the typography; the résumé may not be longer than two pages.

Portfolio contents Upload a total of twenty still images and/or moving image files that represent your strongest work. Please do not include only video in your portfolio; your portfolio should include both still and moving image examples of your work in design. As it’s necessary to view the work quite quickly and at a relatively small scale, each of the twenty (20) file uploads should be as clear as possible. Each individual image should include only one work or one view of a project. The assessment of work is compromised when composite or multiple views, pages, and/or works placed are presented within one individual file upload. When presenting book-related designs, show a cover and one representative spread in a single image file, at maximum. Alternately, a short video showing a few spreads may be prepared. For websites, show just one still web page per image file, or prepare a short video showing three to four frames being clicked or scrolled. A complex, systems-related project should be edited to two or three of the strongest components. Three-dimensional works should show the surrounding space and context. Limit the use of detail images to situations where they are considered absolutely necessary. When presenting both still and moving images, please present them in two groups, with all still images followed by all moving images. Within these groups, place files in chronological order starting with the oldest and ending with the most recent work.

File format for still images To conform to our viewing format, each still image file may be no larger than 16 Mb. Do not format images in any presentation program (e.g., PowerPoint, Keynote) or include composite images (more than one work per file). Still image files may be sent in JPEG, PNG, BMP, or TIFF format. GIF format is not compatible with our application interface.

File format for videos and moving images Videos will be accepted in QuickTime (preferred), AVI, FLV, MP4, or WMV format. Video files should be no longer than one minute in length, and the size of your video uploads is limited to 64 Mb. If you upload a video that is longer than one minute, it will automatically time out at one minute. Please note that videos are considered as part of your selection of sixteen files and should not be used as a method of showing examples of additional still images. Do not include titles or credits within the video files. GIF format is not compatible with our application interface.

If you are primarily a video artist and wish to submit a longer video, you may post the video to your own website and provide the link at the end of your statement.

Résumé Both the content and design of your résumé is assessed. It should not be longer than two pages.

Painting/Printmaking Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio contents Upload a total of sixteen still images and/or moving image files. Only work completed within the last three years should be included, and at least half should be work made in the last twelve months. In the review process, the admissions committee is concerned with scale and the tactility of the work. For this reason, paintings and drawings must be photographed showing the edge of the work. Paintings and drawings must not be digitally masked in black to the edges of the work. Three-dimensional works should also show the surrounding space and context. Do not include detail photos of work in your portfolio unless you consider them absolutely necessary. Under no circumstance should more than two detail shots be included. If you are presenting both still and moving images, please present them in two groups with all still images followed by all moving images. Within these groups, place all still and/or moving image files in chronological order starting with the oldest and ending with the most recent work. Chronological order of year is embedded in our system, and you will not be able to override it.

File format for still images To conform to our viewing format, each still image file may be no larger than 16 Mb. Do not format images in any presentation program (e.g., PowerPoint, Keynote) or include composite images (more than one work per file). Still image files may be sent in JPEG, PNG, BMP, or TIFF format. GIF format is not compatible with our application interface.

File format for videos and moving images Videos will be accepted in QuickTime (preferred), AVI, FLV, MP4, or WMV format. Video files should be no longer than one minute in length, and the size of your video uploads is limited to 64 Mb. If you upload a video that is longer than one minute, it will automatically time out at one minute. Please note that videos are considered as part of your selection of sixteen files and should not be used as a method of showing examples of additional still images. Do not include titles or credits within the video files. GIF format is not compatible with our application interface.

If you are primarily a video artist and wish to submit a longer video, you may post the video to your own website and provide the link at the end of your statement.

Photography Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio contents Upload a total of twenty still images and/or moving image files. A significant number of the images should represent work done within the last twelve months. If you are presenting both still and moving images, please present them in two groups with all still images followed by all moving images. Within these groups, place all still and/or moving image files in chronological order starting with the oldest and ending with the most recent work. Chronological order of year is embedded in our system, and you will not be able to override it.

File format for still images To conform to our viewing format, each still image file may be no larger than 16 Mb. Do not format images in any presentation program (e.g., PowerPoint, Keynote) or include composite images (more than one work per file). Still image files may be sent in JPEG, PNG, BMP, or TIFF format.

File format for videos and moving images Videos will be accepted in QuickTime (preferred), AVI, FLV, MP4, or WMV format. Video files should be no longer than two minutes in length, and the size of your video uploads is limited to 64 Mb. If you upload a video that is longer than two minutes, it will automatically time out at two minutes. Please note that videos are considered as part of your selection of twenty files and should not be used as a method of showing examples of additional still images. Do not include titles or credits within the video files.

If you are primarily a video artist and wish to submit a longer video, you may post the video to your own website and provide the link at the end of your statement.

Sculpture Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio contents Upload a total of twenty still images and/or time-based files. A significant number of the images should represent work done within the last twelve months. Three-dimensional works should show the surrounding space and context. If you are presenting both still images and time-based work, please present them in two groups with all still images followed by all time-based work. Within these groups, place all still and/or time-based files in chronological order starting with the oldest and ending with the most recent work. Chronological order of year is embedded in our system, and you will not be able to override it.

File format for still images To conform to our viewing format, each still image file may be no larger than 16 Mb. Do not format images in any presentation program (e.g., PowerPoint, Keynote) or include composite images (more than one work per file). Still image files may be sent in JPEG, PNG, BMP, or TIFF format.

File format for videos and moving images Videos will be accepted in QuickTime (preferred), AVI, FLV, MP4, or WMV format. Please note GIF file format does not work within the application platform. Video files should be no longer than two minutes in length, and the size of your video uploads is limited to 64 Mb. If you upload a video that is longer than two minutes, it will automatically time out at two minutes. Please note that videos are considered as part of your selection of twenty files and should not be used as a method of showing examples of additional still images. Do not include titles or credits within the video files.

If you are primarily a video, performance, or sound artist and wish to submit a longer video or sound file, you may post the video to your own website and provide the link at the end of your statement.

Application Status

Once an application has been submitted, applicants can track the status of their application and the receipt of required supporting materials (such as recommendations) online. Applicants are encouraged to check the status of their application materials and follow up as necessary.

Final Selection

Applicants who have passed the Preliminary Selection Jury will be notified in early February. At this time, applicants invited to interview are required to submit official transcripts to the School. Candidates are asked to prepare supplemental portfolio materials to be presented digitally during the interview. Detailed instructions will be included in the invitation to interview. Individual interviews will be scheduled for mid-late February, depending on the program. The interview is an important component of the final selection process.

Applicants in Graphic Design Applicants should prepare a portfolio of their work in any or all of these areas: graphic design print work, environmental design, broadcast/video graphics, letterform design, interactive media, and other related projects in the visual arts. Applicants are encouraged to present bodies of work that demonstrate special areas of interest. Academic or research papers may also be submitted in support of the application. For two year program applicants at least 12 examples of work and for the preliminary program at least 10 examples of work will be presented at interview. Detailed instructions will be included in the invitation to interview.

Applicants in Painting/Printmaking Applicants should submit no more than four artworks and four drawings, studies, graphic works, or videos (these are not required to be pieces that were in your application portfolio) as well as prepare a PDF of these works and provide them to the admissions committee. Detailed instructions will be included in the invitation to interview.

Applicants in Photography Applicants should prepare a portfolio of no more than 20 images to present and discuss during the interview. Detailed instructions will be included in the invitation to interview.

Applicants in Sculpture Applicants should prepare digital files that document the individual’s latest work as well as additional images representing earlier work. Additional documentation to the work in your preliminary portfolio may be presented during your interview. Detailed instructions will be included in the invitation to interview.

Final notification of admission will be emailed in early March. Offers of admission are applicable only for the year in which they are made. The School of Art does not practice deferred admission. A Financial Aid package will be sent shortly after notification of admission for those who have completed their application filing and submission of required documents. No decisions relating to admission or financial aid will be given in person or over the telephone.

An individual’s acceptance of admission to the School of Art must be received by April 10. All matriculating students must submit a transcript that certifies their undergraduate degree. Admission is not binding unless this certification is received.