All graduate applicants are required to complete the online application and submit the nonrefundable $80 application fee.

You must enter valid credit card information in order to submit the online application.

Applicants must submit a Statement of Purpose (250-500 words) describing their reason for pursuing graduate study.

Online submission is available through the online application. After you submit your application, you will have access to a checklist to upload materials like the Statement of Purpose.

If you are experiencing difficulty uploading your materials via the online application, please email them to Graduate Admissions and include your full name and date of birth in the email.

Applicants must submit a Résumé, which should include professional experience as well as related activities such as research, awards, and exhibitions.

Online submission is available through the online application. After you submit your application, you will have access to a checklist to upload materials like the Résumé.

If you are experiencing difficulty uploading your materials via the online application, please email them to Graduate Admissions and include your full name and date of birth in the email.

Applicants are required to submit three letters of recommendation from instructors or practicing professionals.

Online submission is available through the online application. Applicants will be required to provide the email address and contact information for their references. A “Send Email” button for each recommendation is provided to send the online form to the email address you provided for your recommender.

If your recommender is experiencing difficulty (uploading the letter via the recommendation portal, receiving emails, etc.), please instruct them to email the letter to Graduate Admissions and include your full name and graduate program in the email.

Note: The School of Visual Arts does not provide letter of recommendation forms.

Applicants must submit official transcripts from each college or university they’ve attended. In order to be considered official, transcripts must come directly from the institution(s).

Please Note: Unofficial transcripts, screenshots, or PDFs emailed by applicants do not fulfill this requirement. There are no exceptions to this policy. Please follow the guidelines below.

Electronic Transcripts

• SVA accepts secure electronic transcripts from Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse, and Credentials Solutions.
• Applicants from institutions in India should request and submit official transcripts directly through TrueCopy Credentials. Requests are processed by TrueCopy Credentials and will be sent electronically to SVA Graduate Admissions.
• Check with the registrar’s office at your institution to see if your school issues its own digital transcripts or if it’s a member of any of the organizations mentioned above. (Important Note: Please be sure that all electronic transcript submissions are directed to “Graduate Admissions” at gradadmissions@sva.edu.)

Mailing Transcripts

• Transcripts may also be submitted in an unopened envelope that is stamped and sealed by the college registrar of the issuing institution.

Please address to:

School of Visual Arts

Graduate Admissions

209 East 23rd Street

New York, NY 10010                                           

Special Notes

• Pending acceptance, all graduate applicants currently enrolled in school for their Bachelor’s degrees for the Spring or Summer 2025 semesters are required to submit verification of graduation before they attend SVA.
• All transcripts from foreign institutions must be officially translated into English and U.S. grading equivalencies. For more information, see the below accordion.

Applicants who have academic documents from institutions outside of the U.S. are required to provide original, attested, or certified true copies of academic records for all institutions attended. These records should be in the original language issued.

Please Note: SVA does not review PDFs or screenshots sent directly via email from applicants.

Records Not in English

For records not in English, applicants must also submit an official translation of all academic documents. Translations must be a complete, literal, word-for-word translation in the same format as the original academic document.

All foreign post-secondary (university level) transcripts should be converted into U.S. educational equivalencies. Those records that are not converted into U.S. equivalencies must be evaluated by an external evaluation agency. The evaluation should be course-by-course and include:

• Name of educational institution
• Country where institution is located
• Length of study
• U.S. educational equivalent (two-year or four-year college)
• Courses studied per academic year
• Conversion of grades/marks/final examination results into equivalent U.S. grades of A, B, C, D or F for each course evaluated
• Total credits earned
• Conversion of course hours into U.S. semester hours of credit
• Cumulative grade point average (GPA) on a 4-point scale
• U.S. degree equivalent

The School of Visual Arts should be listed as the recipient of the evaluation. Transcripts may take up to six weeks to be evaluated. The original academic records must be submitted in addition to the evaluation.

The School of Visual Arts strongly recommends that international academic records be evaluated by one of the following approved external evaluation agencies:

SpanTran: Course-by-course evaluations for college transcripts.

2400 Augusta Drive, Suite 451

Houston, TX 77057

Phone: 713.266.8805

Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE): Course-by-course evaluations for college transcripts.

P.O. Box 514070

Milwaukee, WI 53203

Phone: 414.289.3400

World Education Services (WES): Course-by-course evaluations for college transcripts.

Bowling Green Station

P.O. Box 5087

New York, NY 10274

Phone: 212.966.6311

Please note: Pending acceptance, all graduate applicants currently enrolled in school for their Bachelor’s degrees for the Spring or Summer 2025 semesters are required to submit verification of graduation before they attend SVA.

In addition to the general application requirements, international applicants whose primary/native language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in written and spoken English. The following are acceptable ways to demonstrate English proficiency:

A minimum score* of 100 (internet-based or paper-delivered) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

• The CEEB code for the School of Visual Arts is 2835. This is the code that must be supplied to ETS in order to have TOEFL scores mailed to SVA.
• Please note this means a composite score for a single test date. SVA does not accept MyBEST TOEFL scores.

A minimum score of 8.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

• IELTS is jointly managed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL), British Council and IDP Education Australia: IELTS Australia.

A minimum score of 130 on the Duolingo English Test.

• Scores can be sent to SVA directly via the student portal.

A minimum score of 9 in all categories of the English proficiency examination administered by the New York University American Language Institute in New York.

• For information on taking the NYU test, call 212.998.7040.

A minimum score of 68 on the Pearson PTE Academic.

Requirement Waivers

• This requirement may be waived for native English speakers who are citizens of any of the following countries and attend schools where English is the primary language of instruction: England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, India, South Africa and Common Wealth Caribbean (Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago).
• SVA will consider waiving the English proficiency exam requirement for students who have earned a degree at a regionally accredited U.S. college or university. Students seeking this waiver must submit a written request with their application materials.

Applicants must upload their portfolio to the Graduate Admissions SlideRoom account. To create an account and for further instructions, visit the SlideRoom Portal. Slideroom will allow you to create an inventory of works with the following information for each title, date, medium, dimensions or running time, and optional notes. The portfolio requirements for SlideRoom are:

• 15 -20 still images in JPEG format. Do not submit more than 2 images per file.

We will not accept AI created images. We want to see your ideas that are a mixture of your own experience and skills, not the result of prompt or elaborate AI image generating tools.

We are interested in an applicant’s pictorial visions, in their work ethic, in the story telling capacity and not that of AI.

• Applicants are also required to submit a typed writing sample between 500 and 1,000 words long. The essay should discuss a piece of art, film, play, book, etc. that has left an indelible mark on your creative process. 

Online submission is available through the online application. After you submit your application, you will have access to a checklist to upload materials like the Writing Sample.

If you are experiencing difficulty uploading your materials via the online application, please email them to Graduate Admissions and include your full name and date of birth in the email.

Applicants should be proficient in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

Personal interviews conducted in person or remotely are available, but are not required. We encourage applicants to visit the department. Email the department to set up an appointment.

Traditionally in the field of illustration, writers supply the content. We want to explore the idea that content and authorship are inherently part of illustration. We feel that the content is part of your artistic endeavor. If you use yourself as the subject of your content, what you have seen, what you have explored, and what you have experienced, can be the core of the stories that you illustrate. Those illustrations can take the shape of a children’s book, graphic novel, animated film, visual essay, or work on gallery walls. That said, we accept applicants from a very broad spectrum of artistic backgrounds. We encourage anyone to apply who has the willingness to commit to exploring and discovering visual vocabularies through a resilient and committed work ethic. Please contact the office if you would like to discuss your unique background.

MFA Illustration as Visual Essay departmental scholarships are merit based. Each student entering the program is considered a candidate for a scholarship award. Scholarships for the first year are awarded as part of the Admissions process. The amount is determined by the Admissions Review Committee. We do not offer full scholarships. The scholarships are always partial. In the second year, the scholarship awards are determined by reviewing the work from all first year class by the entire first year faculty at the end of the spring semester.

In the second year, we have one scholarship based student job. The “lab tech” position maintains the student lab and is awarded $5,000 per semester. Applications for this position are accepted at the end of the spring semester. The position is awarded to a qualified second year student.