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.

Beyond your portfolio, we want to know who you are as a designer, how critical thinking takes shape in your design work or other pursuits, and why you are choosing to apply to the MFA Products of Design department at this time in your life. The Statement of Purpose should be approximately 500 words. 

Below are some suggestions that may help you structure your statement of purpose. Feel free to borrow some of these points (all are not necessary) as they seem most relevant and natural for you to speak to:

• Why are you applying to the MFA Products of Design department at this time; what appeals to you about the program; why do you feel that it is a good fit for you?
• What is your design story? In other words, what is your relationship to design, making, problem solving, visual art, craft, UX/UI, business thinking or otherwise? Give us a sense of who you are as a designer and who you want to be. If you are not yet a designer, give us a sense of what type of designer you want to be.
• How do you plan to leverage design to affect and influence change? In what ways are you dreaming about?
• How do current events, politics, your life experience, identity and history affect your thinking and creative life?   

USE OF AI: Please do not use AI for your writing. Your Statement of Purpose must showcase your individual and authentic voice with writing that is new and original. If you use the assistance of a translation tool, please cite this at the end of your statement.

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 any professional experience, internships, print or web publications, and awards.

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 MFA Products of Design department is looking for innovators across all disciplines who are interested in becoming the next generation of design leaders. We welcome applicants with deep design knowledge and experience, as well as applicants practicing in other disciplines who are interested in joining the extraordinary world of design. 

Above all, we are interested in individuals with the ability to problem-solve and think critically, with optimistic curiosity and a desire to collaborate and push boundaries through design. 

A bachelor’s degree from any background is welcomed—many of our students have joined our program with non-traditional educational backgrounds such as biology, architecture, dance, dentistry, finance, and engineering. (These students have graduated from our program working for top companies such as Apple, IDEO, Spotify, VICE, Lego, and more.) We prepare our students with invaluable professional relationships with leading designers, the chance to collaborate with unique perspectives, and ultimately the experiences that build confidence for the future. 

Please visit our Students and Alumni page to learn more about the stories that have come from our interdisciplinary program.

• All applications submitted by the priority deadline of January 15 are reviewed by our Department Chair and Staff.
• The department continues to accept applications after the deadline as space in the program remains available.
• We review every component of the applications and consider them of great importance.

• Prospective students seeking financial aid are encouraged to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) beginning October 1, 2025.
• Learn more about financial aid opportunities here.
• Visit the SVA website for more scholarship opportunities.
• Departmental Scholarships/Assistantships - A small number of modest departmental assistantships are available on a case-by-case basis, and require a commitment to a set number of work hours per week within the department each semester.