Apply — MFA in Visual Art

Start your application via the button below. The application fee is $75.

Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Official transcripts of all previous undergraduate coursework should be sent directly from the institution either electronically via Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse, or email to [email protected], or they can be physically mailed to the address below:

Office of Admissions – MFA in Visual Art
Vermont College of Fine Arts
36 College Street
Montpelier, VT 05602

Identify two references to provide letters of recommendation describing your qualifications for master’s level study and your aptitude for independent learning. The recommendations can be submitted directly into your Slate application. Your recommenders can also email their recommendations to us and we can upload them to your file. (You do not have to wait for the recommendations to be submitted to submit your application. However, you should contact references early in the process to avoid delays in reviewing your application.)

Note: Relatives and spouses are not eligible to provide references.

Submit a brief statement (1000 words at most) describing the formal, conceptual, and technical aspects of your current artistic practice. Be as specific as possible about your motivations and methodologies. Discuss the social, historical, and/or cultural context in which your work exists. Discuss the influence, if any, that reading and research has on your practice. Describe your strengths in comparison to your limitations as an artist, including a sense of both studio work and academic research and writing skills. Discuss what you hope to achieve in the program and how this achievement serves your larger goals as an artist.

Submit a portfolio of visual work that demonstrates a sustained, focused body of work over an extended period of time or, if the work is varied, an indication that it has moved beyond or changed from where it was at the start. The portfolio also should show clear ideas behind the production of the work, beyond the desire to make pleasing aesthetic creations, and a sense that the work has a personal quality in addition to technical skill.

Slide/Image Portfolio Specifications:

• Submit 20 images representing work that was completed within the last five years.
• Include with the image presentation the title, medium, dimensions, and date of each image in the title/description spaces.

Video/Performance/Time-based Work Specifications:

• If you are working in video or performance, you may submit up to 20 minutes of video files. You may also embed Vimeo links into your portfolio for viewing.
• If you are working in audio, you may submit up to 10 minutes of audio files. You may also embed Soundcloud links into your portfolio.
• With all time-based mediums, please indicate in the title/description spaces the title, medium, duration, date, and any timeframe you’d like the review committee to focus on with longer pieces (for example, [5.34s-15.54s]).

Submit a resume/CV, including a list of exhibitions.

Domestic applicants are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) along with their admissions application. The FAFSA is required for access to federal educational loans and is used for consideration of some merit- and need-based scholarships. International applicants should contact the Office of Student Services / Financial Aid at [email protected] to discuss their financial aid options.

Applicants are also asked to complete the VCFA Financial Aid form. This form provides us with important financial information that may not be captured on the FAFSA. It also helps the college identify financial need among our international students and others who are not eligible for federal financial aid.”

The VCFA Financial Aid form is available once the application for admission has been submitted.

For further information on tuition, scholarships, and financial aid, we encourage interested applicants to attend a financial aid information session.