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. Applicants should indicate their anticipated area of study (animation, motion design, experimental art, or multidisciplinary 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 2026 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. Records that are not converted into U.S. equivalencies must be evaluated by an external evaluation agency. The evaluation should be course-by-course.

The School of Visual Arts should be listed as the recipient of the evaluation. The original academic records must be submitted in addition to the evaluation.

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

• The Evaluation Company (formerly SpanTran)
• Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
• World Education Services (WES)

Please note: Pending acceptance, all graduate applicants currently enrolled in school for their bachelor’s degrees for the Spring or Summer 2026 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 79 (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 6.5 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 115 on the Duolingo English Test.

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

A minimum score of 6 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 53 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.

The submission to the Graduate Admissions SlideRoom Portal includes 4 parts.

Important Note: To access the Graduate Admissions SlideRoom Portal, please click here.

Parts 1 & 2:

Upload copies of your Statement of Purpose and Résumé from your online application. Submit each item as an individual PDF (up to 10MB).

Part 3:

Upload a 1-minute personal introduction video; tell us who you are, why you want to come to SVA, and what you want to do when you are here.

Part 4: Portfolio

• The portfolio you share with us via SlideRoom is the most important part of your application. The portfolio materials should demonstrate your best work across a range of media i.e. animation, VFX, motion design, video, digital images, drawing, painting, photographs, sculpture, etc. We also love to see work-in-progress and NON-digital creative work, such as photography, drawing, sculpture, anything that demonstrates your creativity.
• We ask each applicant to submit 10-20 media files. These may be images or videos. Still images are limited to 5MB each, and video is limited to 250MB each.
• Do not submit images that combine multiple works, multiple views of the same work, or combinations of images and text. Layouts that include multiple images and text are difficult to view in SlideRoom and will not be reviewed. Instead, submit each image as a separate file.
• Use the additional details field to explain important features of the work that may not be obvious to us, such as process, materials, context, concept and intention. SlideRoom will allow you to note title, date, medium, dimensions, or running time and optional notes for each file.
• The MFA Computer Arts department recognizes both the dramatic capabilities and rapid speed of development related to generative AI image, animation, music, and text creation. It is the policy of the department to actively encourage the research, experimentation, and use of such tools by our students in collaboration with their instructor and congruent with SVA's academic integrity policy. Simply tell us how you’ve used AI in your portfolio.
• NOTE: We do not accept portfolios via email, postal mail, or other means of delivery.

Selected applicants are invited to interview with a member of the Admissions Committee. Interviews are usually conducted via videoconference (e.g. Zoom). Please check your email frequently for an invitation to interview; if you do not respond, we will not be able to proceed with your application.

The MFA Computer Arts Department is looking for creatives who use the computer as their primary medium to explore the diverse disciplines of animation, motion design, and experimental arts. Our program guides individuals who are looking to focus their discipline or discover their passion within the computer arts industry, whether it be experimental independent work or collaborative professional production. We encourage and support a multidisciplinary, multimodal approach to both learning and creation. We want to help each student tell their story.

We welcome applications from individuals holding a bachelor's degree in any discipline, particularly with educational and/or professional experience in the computer arts and other artistic industries. We love to see applications from both individuals with this experience, as well as from individuals outside of these artistic spaces. We have seen students with diverse backgrounds, such as finance management, engineering, and computer programming, all thrive in our program. What we hope to see in each application and portfolio is a spark that shows us what this applicant is capable of within computer-based art and design.

Our program is rigorous and challenging, so applicants should demonstrate a high level of focus, drive, and professionalism. 

• We offer a limited number of partial, merit-based scholarships to accepted applicants determined by the Admission Committee.
• Every semester, we issue several partial academic scholarships to students with outstanding work and academic achievements.
• There is no additional scholarship application.

• What is the MFACA Tri-State Scholarship?
• A scholarship designated for applicants who reside within 50 miles of NYC and within the Tri-State area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut).
• 50-75% tuition remission during the course of study.
• Who is eligible for the MFACA Tri-State Scholarship?
• Applicants who have the potential to contribute to the academic and professional life of the computer arts and related disciplines through their understanding of the barriers facing those from racial and ethnic backgrounds underrepresented in the computer arts industry as evidenced by life experiences and disciplinary expertise are encouraged to apply.
• How + when is it granted?
• The MFACA Tri-State Scholarship is awarded upon admission, based on information submitted with the MFA Computer Arts application. Applicants interested in this scholarship opportunity should prepare a brief (250 words) statement addressing the qualities and characteristics outlined above and email it to mfaca@sva.edu. The Admissions Committee factors regional eligibility and grants funds to the applicants based on excellence in their portfolio and creative potential demonstrated in their application materials.
• The scholarship recipient must maintain full-time status and a minimum GPA of 3.0.
• How does the Tri-State Scholarship help students?
• Provides funding for tuition and other expenses such as the student’s housing, study tools, and equipment.
• SVA provides access to Career Development, networking events, and industry panel discussions.
• Establishes relationships and develops outreach post-graduation also within the Metropolitan New York City and Tri-State areas.