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Graduate Program in Visual Art Faculty of Graduate Studies
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Admission Requirements

Preparing your application to graduate studies at York University and/or other interested universities requires research and planning. Some students start preparing their plans for graduate studies as early as two years before they submit their application. Consider the following information below to help guide you through a successful application process.

We are unable to accept any international graduate students who cannot fund their own tuition and all other costs. International applicants are not eligible for York funding opportunities or teaching positions.

If you are an international applicant and wish to discuss this, please contact nlevitt@yorku.ca

man in a t-shirt painting a portrait of a cat

MFA

a sculptor chiselling a sculpture

Combined MFA/MBA

an artist draws a woman posing with a sculpture

PhD

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Note for International Applicants: There are currently no funded positions. Should you still wish to apply, you will be considered for a non-funded position during the duration of the program.

In addition to meeting the regular requirements for admission to the University, an applicant must successfully pass an evaluation based on a portfolio.

The MFA program is designed to assist students in developing individualized art practice. Candidates are selected on the strength of their work as artists: their maturity, creative achievement, and indication of an ability to deal with critical and creative challenges with insight and clarity. The applicant’s work and other documents are examined by two faculty in the graduate program and one graduate student representing the studio area of the applicant’s primary choice. On the advice of this committee, recommendations for admission are forwarded to the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Total MFA program enrolment is limited to 18 students, with only 8-10 candidates admitted into the first year of the program. On average, about 125 students qualify to compete for these positions each year.

For acceptance into this combined programme, students need to meet the application requirements for both the M.F.A. and the M.B.A. as outlined by the University.

Students must have a four-year undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in Fine Arts earning a minimum B+ average. Students must earn a score on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) that meets or exceeds the minimum score required for admission into the MBA programme.

Students should have relevant work experience within the arts or cultural industries. (This will be assessed by the Admissions Committee which is made up of the Graduate Programme Director in Visual Art, the MBA Arts and Media Coordinator, the Admissions Officer from the Schulich School of Business and a representative from the Faculty of Graduate Studies.)

Students may apply for admission after the successful completion of one year in either the MBA programme or the Visual Art Graduate Programme.

Application to the PhD program requires an MFA with a minimum B average, or an MA with studio concentration, as well as a presentation of a portfolio of works and a writing sample (MFA thesis paper or comparable peer-reviewed article). Selection committees to adjudicate the submissions are composed of graduate faculty.

The PhD in Visual Art is a program for advancing artists who already have a significant body of work. These terms refer to their level of interest in and commitment to the development of research methods for exploring questions related to their practice. We treat visual art as a broad field of study and practice that has various specializations within it. Applicants to the PhD program identify the specializations most pertinent to their work.

Proficiency in written and spoken English is required.

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The Graduate Program in Visual Art at York is an exciting environment to pursue innovative, socially engaging, career-ready education. Contact our Graduate Program Assistant to learn more.

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