General Application Information

  Application Deadlines

January 3 — Domestic applicants
December 1 — International applicants

International Applicants, please visit the International Graduate Admissions webpage before you apply.
Applications received after this deadline and incomplete applications will not be reviewed. 

Graduate School Application

  Review Timeline

The admissions committees begin reviewing applications after mid-January when the spring semester begins. Most notices of admission decisions are made between late February and early April. Notifications regarding acceptance decisions will be sent to students via email by April 15. The remaining decisions will be released shortly after April 15th when all the admissions decisions are finalized.

  Graduate Application Fee

A $60.00 non-refundable application fee ($80 for international applicants) must accompany each application for CU-Boulder graduate degree programs. The fee must be paid online with a credit card, in order to complete the application.

  Choose an Area of Study

MFA Areas (sub-plans) In the “Program Details” section of your application, please specify the area of your primary interest (“sub-plan”).

Within the Department of Art & Art History are the following areas of concentration:

Ceramics
​Painting & Drawing
IMAP-Photography, IMAP-Video, IMAP-Digital, IMAP-Integrated Arts
Sculpture & Post-Studio Practice
Printmaking
Film

If you want your application to be reviewed in more than one area, you will still have to check one sub-plan on your online application form.

Please upload a separate letter of intent in the digital portfolio section for each additional area that you would like to apply to and notify the Graduate Program Coordinator at art.grad@colorado.edu.

  Credit Transfer

We accept up to 18 applicable graduate-level credit hours from other universities and colleges, if such credits have not been used for any other degrees. If you have such unused, applicable graduate-level credits, you will be able, usually in the second semester of your studies, to submit a transfer of credit form, attaching official transcripts from other institutions. The form and transcripts will then be reviewed by your academic advisor, departmental Curriculum Committee, and the Graduate School.

  Funding

Fellowships, Graduate Assistantships (GA), and Graduate Part-Time Instructor (GPTI) appointments are available as forms of graduate student support.

There is no separate application for financial support but the applicant’s interest in a part-time teaching (GPTI) or non-teaching (GA) position may be expressed in their statement of goals and objectives.

There may be additional opportunities for employment in the department, so it is important you detail your skill sets and work experience in your resume as part of the graduate school application.

Non-departmental financial aid at CU-Boulder is handled through the Office of Financial Aid, 303-492-5091.

For information about funding available for the Film MFA, please see the Film studies website or consult the director of graduate studies for Film, Jeanne Liotta.

  Graduate School Application FAQ

Required Application Supporting Documents

  Personal Statement

Please upload a document briefly describing your past work in your proposed or allied fields of study, including non-course educational experiences, teaching, or other relevant employment, publications, theses, research in progress, other scholarly activities, and your plans for graduate study and a professional career.

  Artist Statement

Describe yourself as an artist (uploaded in the “additional information” section of the application)

  Three (3) Letters of Recommendation

You will be asked to provide a valid email address, as well as other information for three recommenders.

Refer to the Graduate School Frequently Asked Questions page for more information about the process.

  Unofficial Transcripts

For review and decision purposes you are required to upload an unofficial copy of your transcript(s) in the online application. We require one copy of the scanned transcript from each undergraduate and graduate institution that you attended. This includes community colleges, summer sessions, and extension programs.

While credits from one institution may appear on the transcript of a second institution, unofficial transcripts must be submitted from each institution, regardless of the length of attendance, and whether or not courses were completed. Failure to list and submit transcripts from all institutions previously attended is considered to be a violation of academic ethics and may result in the cancellation of your admission or dismissal from the university. ONLY after you are recommended for admission will you need to provide official transcripts.

  Resume

The graduate school requires all graduate applicants to submit a resume. This will be useful for our department to match employment opportunities with your specific skill sets.

>>  Please make sure to list any experience you have with the following: wood shop/metal shop equipment, drywall repair, construction, video editing, graphic design, teaching, customer service, catalog and database management.
>>  ​Please list how much experience you have with each program in the Adobe creative suite and all software and hardware proficiencies.

  Portfolio

Digital Portfolio Submission Guidelines:

  • The portfolio should consist of 20 media items (images, video, sound files, etc. as is appropriate to represent your artistic practice) must be submitted with your graduate application.
  • You must upload a PDF table of contents page for your portfolio.
  • Number each item in your table of contents and include the title, medium, size, year, and a brief description of the work.
  • Make sure each item is correctly labeled in the details also by clicking “Edit Details” after you upload your files.​

Video, Audio, and Web Content:

  • If your video is password protected, make sure you include the password in the description section.
  • For other content requiring an external link, please upload a screenshot or image, and include the external link in the description section and the table of contents PDF page.
  • Please double check that all links are intact and functioning before submitting.
  • For moving image work you need to upload a 3-minute clip for each work, and include the link to the completed work, if applicable, in the description section and the table of contents PDF page.
  • Preferred file formats include .jpg for images, .mov and .mp4 for video, and PDF for text documents.
  • You do not need to click on “Representative Work”
  • For any other portfolio-related questions feel free to contact the Graduate Program Coordinator at art.grad@colorado.edu.

For Film Applicants:

  • For students applying in Film, commercial reels will not be accepted.
  • The portfolio requirement may include up to 20 samples.
  • If you work in installation, sound, performance, or any other 2D/3D media feel free to use that space in addition to your single-channel film/video clips (limited to 3 min. each)

    Graduate School Application

    Questions? Please contact:

    • Graduate Program Coordinator, Art & Art History — art.grad@colorado.edu
    • Film Program — Contact Jeanne Liotta, Associate Director for Graduate Studies, Film. Cinema Studies & Moving Image Arts

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