| Admission deadlines: | Fall – April 1 (February 1 for fellowship consideration) |
| Spring – October 1 | |
| Standardized test scores: | - GRE is not required |
| - The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the PTE Academic is required of all applicants except those who hold a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a college or university in the United States or from an institution located in a country in which English is the official language, provided English was the language of instruction. | |
| Minimum scores: | |
| - Academic IELTS: an overall band score of 6.0 with no individual score below 5.0; or | |
| - TOEFL: 550 on paper-based or 80 on Internet-based; or | |
| - PTE Academic: 53 | |
| -Please note that students admitted to this program who are required to take an English for Academic Purposes course (EAP) must be available to complete the course in the summer prior to enrollment. | |
| -Two letters of recommendation | |
| Prior academic records: | Transcripts are required from all colleges and universities attended, whether or not credit was earned, the program was completed, or the credit appears as transfer credit on another transcript. Unofficial transcripts from all colleges and universities attended must be uploaded to your online application. Official transcripts are required only of applicants who are offered admission. If transcripts are in a language other than English, English language translations must be provided. The English translation alone should be uploaded into your application. |
| Statement of Purpose: | In an essay of 500 - 750 words, describe your artistic intent, conceptual foundations, research interests, and impetus to complete an MFA degree. |
| We also welcome material on your breadth of experience and related skills, your connections within any communities reflected in your existing or proposed work, and your potential to leverage art practice in areas within and beyond the gallery and museum. | |
| In addition to the standard application for graduate programs at GW, applicants to the MFA in Contemporary Art Practice must submit the following: | A digital portfolio of artworks is required. Portfolios should be submitted as a PDF. Work in all media is accepted. The portfolio should consist of a maximum of 20 images and/or 10 minutes of time-based work. All parts of the portfolio submission should be clearly labeled. Each project should include a project description summarizing your motivation for making the work and descriptive details of the project. Examples of information to include: title, medium, size, date created, publication or exhibition date, site or venue, collaborators if any, and/or a clear description of the role/s of the applicant if a collaborative project. For time-based work or project documentation, please include a link to a host site such as Vimeo or Soundcloud along with any necessary passwords. |
| Finalists may be asked to complete an interview with program faculty. | |
| International applicants only: | Please review International Applicant Information (https://columbian.gwu.edu/international-graduate-applicants) carefully for details on required documents, earlier deadlines for applicants requiring an I-20 or DS-2019 from GW, and English language requirements. |
The following requirements must be fulfilled:
The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate Programs.
60 credits, including 36 credits in required courses, 18 credits in elective courses, and 6 credits in thesis, including a thesis exhibition.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| CSA 6015 | Social and Contextual Art Practices Seminar | |
| CSA 6091 | Contemporary Art and Theory for Artists | |
| CSA 6093 | Professional Practices | |
| CSA 6094 | Writing in Practice | |
| CSA 6095 | Master of Fine Arts Studio and Creative Research (taken four times for a total of 12 credits ) | |
| CSA 6096 | Studio Visits (taken four times for a total of 12 credits ) | |
| CSA 6999 | Thesis Research (taken twice for a total of 6 credits) | |
| Thesis exhibition | ||
| Electives | ||
| 9 credits in CSA studio electives. Courses should be relevant to student's practice and goals and selected in consultation with the director of graduate studies. | ||
| 9 credits in open electives. Courses should be relevant to the student's practice and can be taken in any studio or academic program. Specific courses are selected in consultation with the director of graduate studies and faculty in the unit offering the course. | ||