Prospective Students Applying
Artists who seek the stimulation and challenges of an interdisciplinary environment in their pursuit of the M.F.A. degree are invited to apply for admission to the Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts. Applicants are cautioned that, while the program convenes during the summer months, it is not a residency.
Successful candidates will demonstrate a desire to rigorously reevaluate their artistic practice, and also show a strong grasp of the technical craft, historical background, and current practice of their discipline, with an interest in the equivalent vocabularies and practices of other disciplines.
The next application deadline will be in January 2013, for summer 2013. Applications are no longer being accepted for summer 2012.Applications for admission are accepted once per year. Applications and portfolios are reviewed and evaluated by a committee of faculty within the applicant's chosen discipline. Candidates are selected from this pool and invited to interview at Bard; for 2012 interviews will be held on Saturday, March 17. Initial admission offers are made in late March; admitted students must pay a $500 enrollment deposit at the time of acceptance in order to secure their position in the program.
Students must commence the program with the upcoming summer session, which in 2012 will run from June 11 - August 3. Mandatory first-year student orientation takes place on Sunday, June 10, 2012. Deferment of admission is not permitted. Admitted candidates who cannot attend the upcoming summer session must reapply to the program for consideration in a future year.
To Apply
The application, and most portfolios and supporting materials, are submitted online through SlideRoom.
We do not require the GRE, and we do not have any grade point average requirements. An undergraduate degree in the arts is not required for admission; an applicant's life experience may take the place of an undergraduate degree.
Application Requirements
Our application for summer 2013 will be available starting in September.1. Completed online application.
Go to SlideRoom, create a login ID, select the category MFA (Fine Arts), and then select the appropriate program.
If you have already used SlideRoom in a previous year or for another school, you should use your existing login ID so that any portfolio materials you previously uploaded will be available to you in your media library.
You may log in and out as many times as you need to complete the application. Please do not submit it until you have completed all sections, uploaded all portfolio items, and paid the application fee. You CAN submit before all recommenders have uploaded their reference letters, and you can edit their information after you submit, so don't let that deter you from submitting early.
2. Application fee of $85 USD, paid online by credit or debit card. We do not offer application fee waivers.
3. Personal statement: 1–2 pages discussing your work and artistic goals in a personal as well as critical context. Similar to an artist statement, but should also include the reason(s) you want to attend Bard, and what you hope to gain from graduate study. You will upload this through SlideRoom.
4. Resume / History of Work in the Arts: 1–3 pages listing current and recent employment, artistic involvement, and related skills/experience. You will upload this through SlideRoom.
5. At least two letters of recommendation, either submitted through SlideRoom (preferred) or by mail. Letters can be from anyone who knows you and your work well; a recent teacher, colleague, gallery owner, fellow artist, etc. We do not accept letters by email or fax.
In order for recommenders to submit their letters through SlideRoom, you must provide their contact information under the Recommender section of the application. An email from SlideRoom with instructions for uploading a letter will be sent to each recommender you register.
6. Transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate schools (Associate, Bachelor, Master, Doctoral, or the equivalent) and certificate programs attended for at least one academic year. We don't require transcripts from non-degree programs, study abroad, or exchange programs. Transcripts need to be official (no photocopies, in an envelope sealed by the institution) and mailed to Bard at the address given below or sent via an approved digital transcript service.
7. Portfolio representing a variety of work from the past three years. Work submitted may span more than one discipline, but the applicant must choose one primary discipline for the application. Portfolio requirements and submission formats vary for each discipline, as listed below.
Portfolio Requirements
Your portfolio should demonstrate what you consider to be your best work over the past three years (you can submit even older work if you like, particularly if it reflects your current practice or interests), with a focus on work from the past 12 months. Work-in-progress is welcomed. You may include multiple works from a particular series, but it is recommended that your portfolio not consist entirely of one series of work. If your work spans more than one discipline or medium, you can include work from the other mediums as well. With the exception of Film/Video, all portfolios are submitted entirely online through SlideRoom.
Film/Video: Several short films and/or videos or excerpts from longer pieces, submitted by mail on DVD. Total duration of all film/video submissions should not exceed 30 minutes. You may also submit images, PDF documents, and other supplemental work from other mediums on your SlideRoom application. Please include a brief description with each sample. DVDs should be sent by a trackable method that guarantees their arrival at Bard within one week. Please put your full name on both the DVD and the case. DVDs will not be returned.
Music/Sound: 5-15 audio/video samples and/or images of creative work, submitted online with your SlideRoom application. You may submit PDF documents, such as musical scores, and supplemental work from other mediums; whatever best represents your recent artistic work. Please include a brief description with each sample.
Painting, Photography, and Sculpture: 20 images or short video files of creative work submitted online with your SlideRoom application. You may include both overview and detail images of the same piece. You may also submit samples from other mediums--whatever best represents your recent artistic work. Please include a brief description with each sample.
Writing: Samples of writing(s), 15-20 pages total, submitted online with your SlideRoom application as a single .pdf or Word (.doc) document. Prose submissions should be double-spaced. Please indicate title and date of composition for each piece, and label each page with your name. You may also submit images, videos, and other supplemental work from other mediums on your SlideRoom application. Please include a brief description with each sample.
Interdisciplinary applications
Every applicant must choose a discipline for the application. Each discipline has a separate application review committee made up of faculty from that department. If your work spans more than one medium, you have two options:- Choose one discipline that most closely relates to your work and interests. You should have significant experience working within that discipline and knowledge of its history and theory. Your portfolio can include works from both within and outside of that medium.
- Apply to two disciplines, paying an extra fee.
Regardless of which discipline you apply for, you are welcome to include work in your portfolio from other mediums.
Performance
We do not offer a Performance discipline; rather, performance can be done within any of our six disciplines. Choose a discipline for the application by following the instructions for Interdisciplinary Applications above.
Mailing address
For any materials not submitted online, please use this address. We recommend using a trackable method for Film/Video portfolios.
Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts
Bard College
Attn: MFA Admissions
30 Campus Road
Annandale on Hudson, NY 12504-5000
USA
Reapplying
If you applied to our program within the past two years and want to reapply, you will need to submit a new application, fee, statement, resume, and portfolio, but may reuse any transcripts we have on file for you. You will need to register at least two recommenders online through SlideRoom, but if they sent a letter with your previous application it can be re-used. Please be sure to indicate which year you previously applied on the application form so we may find your file and transfer the appropriate documents.If you applied prior to 2010 you will have to submit everything again, as older applications are not archived.
Foreign Applicants
English Fluency
Because Bard's MFA program relies heavily on one-to-one conversation and dynamic group discussion, it is critical that our students have an ease and familiarity with spoken English. To show English language competency, a foreign applicant must provide proof of one of the following:
- A college degree from an English-speaking institution
- A score of at least 90 on the internet (iBT) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- A score of at least 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test
A transcript (confirming English instruction, if the school is not located in an English-speaking country) must be submitted from the school if using option one. For options two and three, language tests must have been taken in the past two years and a score report is to be submitted directly to Bard from the testing service. Those with scores lower than the above may still apply, but will need to demonstrate English fluency during a spoken interview in March, if selected as an interview candidate.
Visas
To enter the United States for full-time study, a foreign student applies for an F-1 visa using the I-20 Certificate of Eligibility for Nonresident (F-1) Student Status. Bard can issue an I-20 only after receiving financial documents that prove the student has funds to cover all the costs of his or her study for the summer program: an official award letter for a fellowship, scholarship, or government grant; for personal/family support, a bank letter confirming available funds or a Certificate of Finances Form is required.
Bard will issue a new I-20 for each full-time summer session and students will need to pay the appropriate visa fees each year. Bard cannot sponsor visas for the winter periods; international students must return to their home country during those periods or obtain alternate visas to stay in the United States. Students are also ineligible for O.P.T. visas upon completion of the program.
