Apply: MFA

MFA Application Deadline for Fall 2026 Admission:
Friday, January 3, 2026

The admissions process for the MFA in Art at the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design is highly selective. Approximately eight new students join the program each year. Applicants will hold a bachelor’s degree, preferably in art, and demonstrate the ability to carry out independent creative work. In addition, they will have a strong educational background, an interest in interdisciplinary inquiry, and substantive life experience to draw from in charting new directions for creative practice.

Application Instructions

Stamps graduate programs are part of the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies, and admission to the Stamps School of Art & Design requires concurrent admission to Rackham. Application materials must be submitted to both Rackham and the Stamps School as outlined below.

1. Submit the Rackham Graduate Admission Application Form
Start the Rackham Graduate Admission Application Form.

The Rackham Graduate Admissions Application Form will require the following:
- Academic Statement of Purpose: Provide a statement that addresses these three topics (800 words maximum):
  1. Creative work. Describe the form(s) and content of your work and the motivations and influences that drive it.
  2. Research Environment. What is the primary topic, research question, or focus of the artwork you plan to explore while at Stamps? What role does research currently play in making your artwork?
  3. Teaching Experience and Interest. Tell us if you have experience or interest in teaching, and expand on that.
- Personal statement: Provide a statement that describes the journey that led you to seek a graduate degree (500 words maximum).
- How have your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan’s Stamps School?
- Official transcript.
- Curriculum vitae or résumé.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Evidence of English proficiency for students whose first language is not English.
- Required academic credentials from non-U.S. institutions.
- Application fee.
2. Upload a portfolio of work online through SlideRoom.
- A primary criterion for admission to the MFA program at the Stamps School of Art & Design is the assessment of your portfolio by our faculty. Graduate applicants will submit a portfolio of no more than 20 examples of recent work using SlideRoom.
- Your portfolio should represent your best work, consist of work done within the last five years, and demonstrate the current direction of your studio practice.
- Each slide on Slideroom should be used for one image or one time-based work; do not upload files (jpgs or pdfs) with multiple pages or images.
- Time-based samples should be no longer than five-minutes with web links to full-length versions if appropriate.
- Please order your work chronologically with the newest work first, and provide complete descriptions that will help us understand the image.

Frequently Asked Questions

Visit the MFA FAQ for detailed information on the MFA program, including specific questions about financial aid, completing your application, and checking the status of your submitted materials.

Decisions

All application materials are reviewed after the deadline. Stamps faculty members will interview highly-ranked applicants in mid-February. Final admission decisions will be announced in March.