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 an original Statement of Purpose (250-500 words) to showcase their authentic voice as a designer and their personal reason for pursuing graduate study in design.

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.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a portfolio that reflects a wide range of design work and fluency in type and typography. Applicants must upload their portfolio (still images, gifs and/or videos) 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 file: title, date, medium, dimensions or running time, and optional notes.

• Please submit 15–20 images for your SlideRoom portfolio. These images should be JPEG, PNG or GIF format (not to exceed 5MB each in file size, please do not upload multi-page PDFs) and approximately 1920 x 1080 pixels.
• Application portfolios will be reviewed by the committee of faculty and alumni.
• Please list your optional website or Vimeo links in the provided form in your SlideRoom account.

For the MFA Design program at the School of Visual Arts, we are seeking visionary designers who are passionate about pushing the boundaries of design and innovation. Ideal candidates are individuals who are eager to refine their design practice, develop a distinct creative voice, tackle complex design challenges across various media and platforms, and bring their original ideas and concepts to the world. We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds, including experienced designers, emerging talents, and those from interdisciplinary fields such as technology, art, architecture, and business. Whether you have a background in graphic design, industrial design, digital media, or even fields like urban planning or sociology, if you have an intense commitment to design craft and are driven by a desire to explore new design methodologies, we encourage you to apply. Our program values both traditional and non-traditional educational paths, and a commitment to continuous learning and professional growth is essential.

• Personal voice/style – we look for candidates that show some shared sense of their own unique voice and style cross a body of work. Even when it’s client work, they manage to marry the two, delivering what the client or audience needs while leaving their own mark.
• Personal interest/passions – we love to see when a person’s own personal interest in the who and/or what they’re designing for shows through. They’ve chosen subject matter, audiences, causes, etc that are meaningful to them
• Strong typography – we find that excellence in typography is a leading indicator of essential fundamental design skills: hierarchy, pacing, grouping, composition, editing, etc.
• Abundance – usually making and making a lot is a strong indicator for us both in work ethic and the fact that making is a practice…the more we make the more opportunities we have to learn, tune our taste, and refine our skills.
• An entrepreneurial spirit – when candidates self-initiate projects and go after putting out things into the world. This is the spirit we wish to further cultivate throughout the time
• Exploration across media – today’s designer preparing to be tomorrow’s design leader is as likely to make an app, a stage production, a book, or or branded social content. We love to see designers working freely cross forms, unintimidated by trying new things and applying their skills from one area to another
• Storytelling – we look for candidates who can create a compelling narrative in their work. They understand how to engage an audience, guiding them through their design with a clear beginning, middle, and end. This goes beyond just arranging elements—it's about creating an emotional journey that resonates and communicates effectively. Great storytellers understand pacing, tension, resolution, and how to balance information with emotion.

MFA Design offers a variety of scholarships to both incoming and returning students. Please reach out to the department (mfadesign@sva.edu) for more questions.

The Design Opportunity Award

The Design Opportunity Award ($15,000) is aimed at increasing representation in the design industry by supporting designers from diverse backgrounds. The award is available to BIPOC prospective students from the United States of America.

This award is for incoming students and will be based on their application.

The Paul Rand Scholarship

The Paul Rand Scholarship ($5,000), funded by donations from the Paul Rand Family Trust, is in honor of its namesake’s commitment to design education. This scholarship will be awarded by a review committee to recognize foundational design excellence. 

This scholarship is for incoming students and will be based on their portfolio.

The Silas H. Rhodes Scholarship

Named for SVA's founder, this competition awards scholarships ($10,000) to applicants from the United States and abroad. The scholarship is awarded strictly on merit and recognizes the creative and academic achievements of applicants.

This scholarship is for incoming students.

The Steven Heller Award

The Steven Heller Award ($5,000) is awarded by the Chair to one second-year student who during their course of study has displayed exceptional conceptual thinking, typography, and writing, which exemplifies the foundations of design entrepreneurship that have been emblematic of SVA MFA Design since its founding.

This award is for returning students.

The Lita Talarico Award

The Lita Talarico Award ($5,000) is awarded by the Chair to one second-year student who during their course of study has displayed exceptional, all-around academic skill as well as having contributed markedly to the MFA Design community.

This award is for returning students.

The Thesis Merit Award

The Thesis Merit Award will be awarded by a review committee to seed (and assist) one or two first-year MFA Design students in the preliminary research and development of their exemplary venture/thesis proposal. The proposed theses are judged on viability, sustainability, and the student’s ability to progress from concept to reality by the end of the second year. 

This award is for returning students.