FAAH

Prospective MFA

MFA Application Requirements
Prerequisite: a bachelor's degree in studio art or related field, and/or a strong portfolio and statement of purpose.

  • Two (2) Letters of Recommendation;
  • A 250-500 word Statement of Purpose describing your artistic intent, conceptual foundation, research interests, and impetus to complete an MFA degree;
  • Digital Portfolio with Image List; 20 images of artwork and/or up to 10 minutes of time-based work;
  • Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
  • All applications must be submitted online through the Application for Graduate Study portal.
  • Portfolios and supporting documents that cannot be uploaded through the Application for Graduate Study portal should be mailed to:

    Columbian College Graduate Admissions
    801 22nd Street, NW
    Phillips Hall, Suite 107
    Washington, DC 20052

  • Digital Portfolio Guidelines:
    The portfolio should be submitted digitally with images formatted as JPGs, 1200 x 800 px in scale, 150 ppi maximum resolution. Time-based work should be no more than 10 minutes in length and presented in a commonly accessible format or via secure Vimeo link. Powerpoint portfolio documentation will not be reviewed.

    Name your files in the following manner:
    FirstnameLastnameSlide#.jpg
    Example: PatSmith1.jpg
    Include an image list with the following text: file name, title of work, media, size, date of completion, and a brief description of the work.

  • Portfolios may be sent on a CD, DVD or flash drive and must be viewable on a Mac computer. Powerpoint portfolio documentation will not be reviewed.

Application Deadlines
Fall semester deadline—February 1
Fellowships deadline—January 5
Spring semester deadline –October 1

For full GWU admission requirements and to apply, please click here. The links to the online application system can be found under "Apply Now" in the left column.