Graduate Admissions Requirements

Letters of Recommendation

Submit three letters of recommendation that attest to your creative ability, self-discipline, academic record, and commitment to visual arts. These letters should be from academic mentors, instructors, or advisors, or from professional supervisors, clients, or employers. They can be submitted with your application materials or sent directly to MCAD from the respective authors.

Portfolio (Master of Fine Arts Applicants Only)

Submit twenty pieces of your work, demonstrating your strongest work in your chosen discipline. Note: All film and video work must be submitted on DVD, and submissions of work in excess of fifteen minutes should include a cued-up sample video and the full-length work. Applicants with an emphasis in interactive media should submit a CD-ROM with a selection of no more than twenty screenshots in addition to the entire interactive piece. All other disciplines should be documented and sent as digital images via CD or DVD. We prefer the work to be shown in a PowerPoint or PDF presentation. The quality of presentation is taken into consideration by the graduate committee.

A checklist indicating each work by title, date, media, and dimensions must accompany your portfolio. If the work is a collaborative effort, you must include your role in its creation and development. Mark each image with your name, title, and the number that corresponds to the checklist.

Résumé

Submit a current copy of your résumé that highlights your past and present professional and volunteer work experience, appointments, awards, grants, scholarships, accolades, etc., as relevant. (4-page limit)

Official College Transcripts

Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate study must be sent directly from the college(s) attended to the MCAD Admissions Office. Transcripts marked "Issued to Student" are not official and will not be accepted.

These supplemental application materials should be mailed to:

MCAD Admissions Office
2501 Stevens Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55404

International Student Information

Additional requirements for international applicants
Applicants are encouraged to apply early. Once you have been admitted to the program and have submitted your tuition deposit, the I-20 form needed to obtain a student visa will be issued. International students are admitted as full-time students only.

In addition to the general admission application requirements, international students must provide the following information to the graduate program.

Proof of English proficiency
Students whose native language is not English must successfully complete the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Minimum scores required for admittance include:
• Paper: 550
• Computer: 213
• IBT: 79
• IELTS: 6

Official English translations of all transcripts

Student Visa
Once you are accepted to the graduate program, you must then provide the following information to receive a student visa.

Proof of citizenship
A photocopy of your passport is suitable.

Financial certification
You must show proof of the availability of funds to cover tuition, housing, and expenses for at least one year of attendance at MCAD. Once accepted, and the $150 tuition deposit is received, MCAD will send a financial certification form. This should be signed and sent to the international student advisor and must include an official letter from a manager or officer of a major financial institution citing the balance of funds for the student or student's sponsor. MCAD is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant students in accordance with the requirements specified in 8 CRF 214.3.