OPEN CALL: Carnegie Mellon MFA Program

The Carnegie Mellon University School of Art MFA Program is an interdisciplinary, experimental, research-based program that provides students with a challenging and supportive context to expand and develop their work and thinking as artists. As one of the top-ranked graduate programs in the country (US News and World Report), the School views art-making as a vital social, critical, and intellectual pursuit. Graduate students are encouraged to employ a comparative and intersectional approach to critical and cultural theories, and to allow this inquiry to inform and expand what it means to be an artist and to make art within our contemporary condition.

Three-year structure
The Program’s unique three-year structure is designed to provide the time, resources, and support for in-depth multidisciplinary research, the development of new technical and conceptual skills, and the possibility of radical shifts in materials, themes, and processes. Combined, the three-year structure, small cohort, and committed core faculty aim to provide a platform that supports the formation of progressive ideas, theories, and studio practices.

True interdisciplinarity
Centering an interdisciplinary approach, the Program supports artists working across all mediums to foster relationships between artistic practices within the School, as well as bridging methodologies throughout the University. In addition to generous time afforded for individual studio development, graduate students take advantage of a wealth of electives, visiting lecturers, innovative technologies, grant opportunities, funded external advisors, and much more.

Financial support
The School of Art provides full tuition funding for all MFA students, regardless of background or citizenship status. While each admitted student will receive financial assistance that covers their entire tuition for all three years, students will still be responsible for University fees and health insurance. In addition to full tuition support, MFA students are able to access additional funding through the School of Art and University for research, resources, and travel.

Applications for fall 2025 are due January 15, 2025. For more information, visit here.

Please note: All applicants to the MFA program must have a Bachelor’s degree. Applicants are considered for Fall semester admission only.

With the exception of official transcripts and TOEFL scores, all application materials and portfolios must be submitted through SlideRoom. You will need to submit the following materials in your application:

– Completed application form
– Completed portfolio/creative work submission
– Professional resume
– Official transcripts of all college work
– Artist’s Statement (max 500 words)
– Statement of Interest (max 500 words)
– 3 letters of reference (from professionals who can speak to your work)
– TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores (All non-native speakers of English must submit TOEFL or IELTS language assessment scores, regardless of previous U.S. study)
– $68 application fee (non-refundable)*

The Portfolio

The portfolio is the most critical component of the application. Applicants need to submit 10-25 slides of their work.

Please note that SlideRoom only accepts images (up to 10MB each), video (up to 500MB each), audio (up to 60MB each) and PDFs (up to 20MB each).

Students may also submit slides that demonstrate their interactive work: Document interactive software projects with screen-captured demonstration videos, ideally with narration. Please keep documentation under 3 minutes in length, and under 500MB. Let us know which programming languages you used.

Statement of Interest (max 500 words)

The Statement of Interest details why you want to attend this particular program and how you see the program furthering your artistic practice.

The Artist Statement (500 words)

The Artist Statement should lay out your working process and critical influences while contextualizing your work in relationship to contemporary artistic, social, and cultural practices.

Official Transcripts

All applicants are required to send official copies of all college transcripts in order to be considered for admission to the MFA program. We prefer transcripts be electronically to our Admissions office: (MFAadmissions@andrew.cmu.edu). If this is not possible, transcripts may be sent by mail to the following address:

Carnegie Mellon University
School of Art Graduate Admissions
College of Fine Arts 300
5000 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Non-Native Speakers of English

All applicants who are non-native speakers of English are required to take the TOEFL, Duolingo, or the IELTS examination regardless of previous U.S. study. This year, due to the global pandemic, we are accepting Duolingo test results. The Duolingo English Test is an online English proficiency test that can be taken online, on-demand, in under an hour. The test is taken via a computer with a camera and includes a proficiency score, video interview, and writing sample which are shared with Carnegie Mellon when you send your results. Certified results are available within 48 hours of the test session.

Please note the minimum acceptable scores:

TOEFL: 25 in Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking, with a total score no less than 100.

IELTS: 7.5 overall, and with minimum band scores of 7 in Reading, 7 in Listening, 7.5 in Speaking, and 6.5 in Writing.

Duolingo: 125 overall.

Students can mail all transcripts and TOEFL scores to the School of Art Graduate Admissions address above. Our TOEFL code is 2074.

Candidates should provide English translations for any transcripts that are not in English.

Please note:

All application materials and portfolios must be submitted through SlideRoom.

Graduate Record Examination scores (GRE) are not required.