MFA in Visual Art

Admission Requirements—Domestic Applicants

The university graduate and program admission requirements below must be met before an application is considered complete.

Applicants must possess:

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university
• Minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4-point scale. Students with a grade-point average of 2.50-2.99 will be considered for admission on a provisional basis.

Applicants must submit:

• Graduate application for admission
• $45 nonrefundable application fee
• Official transcripts from all institutions leading to and awarding the applicant’s bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and all postbaccalaureate study
  
  An official transcript is one that Azusa Pacific University receives unopened in an envelope sealed by the former institution and that bears the official seal of the college or university. A cumulative minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade-point average on the posted degree is required for regular admission status. Provisional admittance may be granted to individuals with a lower GPA if competency can be shown through multiple measures.

Send official transcripts to:

Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions
Azusa Pacific University
PO Box 7000
Azusa, CA 91702-7000
[email protected]

• Current résumé of work experience
• Two letters of recommendation
• Letter of intent (not to exceed two pages, double spaced) that answers the following questions:
  1. During the past five years, identify some of the most significant events of your artistic development. What are your principal interests and concerns in making art?
  2. What types of materials (books, magazines, films, exhibitions, etc.) do you review on art, spirituality, and/or culture? If your reading materials minimally impact your art, explain what exerts maximum impact.
  3. Explain how your spiritual/religious perspective informs your art.
  4. What are your strengths and limitations as an artist? (Comment specifically on how this impacts your academic research and writing ability.)
  5. What do you hope to achieve in the MFA program? How does this coincide with your goals as an artist?
• Portfolio submitted through SlideRoom consisting of either:
  
  
  1. Fifteen clearly labeled digital images of work accompanied by an inventory list, including the title, year, dimensions, and material.
  2. or A clearly labeled two-and-a-half to three-minute video indicative of work, portions of works, and/or details of works (performance art and video art applicants only).

Tips for Preparing Your MFA Portfolio

Preparing to apply to the MFA program? A good portfolio is a key part of the application process for any graduate school art program. Read more about how to take your MFA portfolio to the next level.

Instructions for Portfolio Submissions

• When submitting your portfolio through Slate, please include approximately 15 images that represent your most recent or current work. Each image you submit should show different content. You don't need to submit 15 distinct projects; a single project can be shown across multiple images as long as each image is unique. Sketches and works-in-progress are welcome.
• Enter any captions, descriptions, or titles of your work in the field provided. Do not add captions, descriptions, titles, or other extraneous text within the area where you upload your image.
• We are looking for personal work that gives us a sense of who you are as an artist, rather than academic work. Please do not include generic class assignments (i.e. technical exercises, figure/life drawing, still life drawings).
• If your medium is video or performance, please submit a two-and-a-half to three-minute MOV or MP4 file that is less than 250 MB in size, indicative of work, portions of works, and/or details of works.

Admission Requirements—International Applicants

This program is not open to F-1 or J-1 international students, because the low-residency format doesn’t meet the full time face-to-face requirement set by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. If you are an international student who does not require a F-1 or J-1 visa, you may be considered for this program.

To apply for a graduate program at APU, the following requirements must be fulfilled in addition to meeting the domestic applicant and program-specific admission requirements specified above.

International applicants must also:

• Demonstrate proficiency in English through a TOEFL/IELTS score that meets program-specific requirements. Refer to APU’s English proficiency requirements to learn more. Request that official test scores be sent to APU. All other forms of proof indicated in the English proficiency requirements must be submitted directly to the International Services.
• Submit a copy of a valid passport showing biographical data, including your name, country of citizenship, date of birth, and other legal information.

International applicants send official transcripts to:

International Center
Azusa Pacific University
PO Box 7000
Azusa, CA 91702-7000, USA
[email protected]

What to Expect

After the International Center receives all transcripts, a committee of department faculty reviews the applicant’s file. The applicant is then notified of the committee’s decision within approximately two weeks.

Note: This information is current for the 2023-24 academic year; however, all stated academic information is subject to change. Please refer to the current Academic Catalog for more information.

Delivering high quality graduate programs takes a comprehensive support system. Your investment in an advanced degree includes those services and personnel that partner with you in pursuit of higher education. Below is a detailed breakdown of the fees associated with the benefits and services included in your MFA degree program.

Department of Art Fees

View a complete list of university fees.

Financial Aid

Several types of financial aid are available to graduate students. The resources range from federal loans and state grants to, for some graduate programs, fellowships and scholarships. For details about financial aid available for your program, please contact the Student Services Center at (626) 815-2020.

Military Benefits

Military members—and in some cases their spouses and dependents—qualify for financial assistance covering tuition, housing, and books. Azusa Pacific is a Yellow Ribbon University and Military Friendly School, so you can be confident that you’ll receive the benefits and flexibility you need to complete your education.

To view specific requirements and coursework information, visit the current academic catalog:

Program Requirements

If you have questions, we’re here to help! Connect with a representative who can walk you through the program details and application process.

Contact Your Admissions Representative

Program Contact

Stephen Childs, MFA, [email protected]

Student Services Center

Contact (626) 812-3016 or [email protected], and visit apu.edu/ssc for details on the admissions process, financial aid, and class registration.

International Services

International students should contact +1-626-812-3055 or [email protected], and visit apu.edu/international/.

• Azusa Pacific University is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). 
• The MFA in Visual Art is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).