MFA in Art and Media

To be considered for any of our master’s programs, you will need to hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution prior to your enrollment with NYU Abu Dhabi. Official documentation certifying conferral of a bachelor’s degree will be required for all admitted students.

Your bachelor’s studies need not be in the same field of study as your intended master’s program, but your application should demonstrate the mastery needed to engage effectively with graduate-level work.

All sections of the online application and the required supporting documents must be submitted electronically by the deadline in order for your application to be reviewed by the program’s admission selection committee. Full instructions are provided within the online application. Required documents include:

• Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended
• Proof of English proficiency
• A current CV or resume
• Written essays responding to specific prompts
• Letters of recommendation
• Artistic portfolio

The admission selection committee may contact individual applicants to conduct interviews as part of the evaluation process.  

About the Online Application

Only online applications will be accepted. You must provide a response to all required questions in order for the application to be submitted through the online system. If you have any difficulties accessing, completing, or submitting the online application, please contact NYU Abu Dhabi Graduate Admissions at nyuad.graduateadmissions@nyu.edu. Do not submit any hard copy materials to NYU Abu Dhabi as part of the application process.

Application fee (to be determined)

Applications to start in Fall 2023 will open on October 1, 2022.

Once you have reviewed your entries and hit the “submit your application” button, you will not be able to make any changes to your online application. You will have a link to a status page where you can track the progress of your application and communicate with the admissions team. If you need to email the admissions team directly, contact us at nyuad.graduateadmissions@nyu.edu and always email us from the primary email address associated with your application.

•  You are responsible for ensuring your recommendation letters, test scores, English proficiency waiver request (if applicable), and/or portfolio are submitted to NYU Abu Dhabi prior to the final application deadline. Be sure you follow all submission instructions for each item.
•  Any information or materials submitted to NYU Abu Dhabi after the final application deadline are not guaranteed to be reviewed or considered by the Admissions Committee for your intended program.

NYU Abu Dhabi reserves the right to validate the accuracy of your application information with appropriate sources, including the right to contact relevant individuals and organizations. 

Interview

After submission of your application, shortlisted finalists will be invited to conduct a personal interview with the program’s Admissions Committee. Interviews may be completed in person or by video conference. 

• Interviews might include questions related to your academic and professional experiences; opportunities to explore your motivations for pursuing a graduate degree; relevant skills assessments; and/or an evaluation of what you would contribute to NYU Abu Dhabi.

Selection and Admission

You will occasionally receive emails informing you when there are updates to your application status. You will need to log into your application status page to view the update details. Your final official decision will be posted to your status page, and an admission decision from any other source of communication will be not considered official nor binding.

• Your ability to join the program will also require your successful completion of a UAE security clearance, and obtaining an appropriate UAE visa if required by your residency status. NYU Abu Dhabi will facilitate these processes for admitted students.

Graduate Record Examination

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test is not required for applicants to the Master of Fine Arts. You may elect to report any valid GRE results, but an absence of GRE scores will not negatively impact your application.

If you wish to include GRE results with this application, self-report your highest scores for each GRE section. Scores must have been earned within the last five years. Scores must be corroborated by an official report sent directly to NYU Abu Dhabi by the testing agency. You are responsible for arranging the score report to be sent to NYU Abu Dhabi, by using our GRE ETS institution code, 7705. Do not use any other institution code.

Proof of English Proficiency

Evidence of sufficient mastery of English is required for all master’s programs. 

Proof of English proficiency may be satisfied by submitting valid Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores; valid International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores; valid Duolingo English Test scores; or a transcript demonstrating that your bachelor’s degree was conducted at a university whose language of instruction is English.

TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo: Self-report the highest total valid score for each test you have taken. Scores must have been earned within the last 2 years and confirmed by the official report sent to NYU Abu Dhabi directly by the testing agency. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that official score reports are submitted through the testing agency.

• To report TOEFL scores, please use NYU Abu Dhabi’s TOEFL institution code, C557. 
• To report IELTS scores, please report them electronically through your testing center or the IELTS website.
• To report Duolingo English Test scores, please report them electronically through theDuolingo website.

Scores may be sent before or after you submit your online application to NYU Abu Dhabi, but should be received by NYU Abu Dhabi before the application deadline. 

English Proficiency Waiver

A bachelor’s degree conducted in English will suffice in place of an English proficiency language test. You will select the appropriate waiver option when you complete the application. Waivers will be considered for applicants meeting one of the following criteria:

1. Your bachelor’s degree was earned from an English-language university located in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, or New Zealand.
2. Your bachelor’s-granting university is not located in one of the countries listed above, and English as the language of instruction is explicitly indicated on the transcript that will be uploaded with your application.
3. If neither of the above options applies, but your bachelor’s degree was still conducted in English, you may select this waiver option in your application.  Your undergraduate transcript will be reviewed by the admissions office and it will determine if you are eligible for a waiver.

All applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree prior to attendance at NYU Abu Dhabi.

NYU Abu Dhabi Graduate Admissions requires transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended (i.e., after high school or equivalent). If you attended more than four institutions, with the 'Additional Information' section on the Supporting Materials page of the application.

Electronic official transcripts are preferred but scanned or unofficial transcripts are acceptable for consideration during the admission process. Do not send paper/hard copies of your transcripts to NYU Abu Dhabi Graduate Admissions as part of the application process. If you are admitted, you will be required to provide official, attested and equalized transcript(s) and proof of your bachelor’s degree conferral prior to enrollment.

Transcripts must be uploaded in PDF format. You must include all pages of each transcript, including reverse sides (unless the reverse side includes no text, image, or watermark).

Non-English Language Transcripts

If your transcript is issued in a language other than English, please upload a translation in the same file as the transcript, or as an additional file with the “Other Documents” option in the Essays section. Dual-language transcripts issued by the institution are acceptable and do not require a separate translation, as long as one of the languages is English.

• Acceptable translation providers include the institution issuing the original transcript; a consulate or embassy of the United States; a consulate or embassy of the issuing institution’s country; or a certified/accredited professional translation agency.
• Translations may not be conducted by the applicant, members of the applicant’s family, or any other provider not listed above.
• Translations must be complete, reflecting the full transcript, and replicating the original format and literal meaning as closely as possible.
• Translations should be issued on the letterhead of the institution or translation service provider and must include the provider’s contact information. They must also include the signature, stamp, and/or seal of the translator.

GPA Reporting

Please leave all self-reported final Grade Point Averages (or equivalent) in their original scoring format. It is not necessary to convert the score to a 4.0 scale, and the score should match what is found on your transcript. Include the scale that your GPA format uses (e.g., out of 4; out of 100; etc.).

Resume/CV

You must upload an up-to-date resume or CV, which should include your educational and professional history to date; relevant accomplishments, contributions, and special skills; publications; and/or other information pertinent to your career history. Full-time, post-college work experience is not required to be considered for admission. Campus employment, internships, volunteer/service positions, and other part-time positions may be included.

Essay questions give you the opportunity to more fully present yourself to the Admissions Committee, and to provide insight into your experiences, goals, and thought processes.

Please note the following details when completing your essays:

• Each essay page should include a header with your full name, date of birth, essay number, and the page number.
• Essays should be typed and submitted through the online application as either a .pdf or a .doc / .docx file.
• Each essay must be your own original work.
• Ensure you are responding to all parts of each essay prompt. The word count limits apply to each essay’s complete prompt.

Other Documents

You will also have the opportunity to upload additional documents you wish to be appended to your application. Documents must be uploaded in .pdf or .doc / .docx format.

• Acceptable documents include optional writing samples (not to exceed 10 pages total); unofficial score reports; additional transcripts; or evidence of degree conferral.
• Do not use this space for recommendation letters or MFA portfolios. These must be submitted following the relevant instructions for each item.  

Two letters of recommendation are required. Letters should come from individuals who know you and can comment on your academic qualifications in relation to the field you want to study. Choose people who are most familiar with your former or current studies, research interests, or work, and avoid recommendations of a personal nature. If you have been out of school for some time, you can provide a recommendation from an employer or supervisor.

Recommendations should be written in English, preferably on institutional letterhead, and should include the referee’s signature.

The request for the recommendation letters, with instructions, will be sent from NYU Abu Dhabi directly to the recommenders.

The MFA application requires submission of an artistic portfolio, comprising 20 digital images of your recent artwork. This is an integral part of the admissions review process.

Do not send hard copies of your portfolio or artwork to NYU Abu Dhabi. Such materials cannot be appended to your application file, nor can such submissions be returned to applicants.

All portfolios must be submitted via the NYUAD MFA online application. We support media files as large as 5GB. Uploaded documents may contain no more than 75 pages. We support the following file formats:

• Video: .avi, .flv, .m1v, .m2v, .m4v, .mkv, .mov, .mpeg, .mpg, .mp4, .webm, .wmv
  Apple ProRes is not currently supported. If uploading a .mov, please use an alternate codec.
• Slide: .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .tif, .tiff

Videos for time-based work can be submitted in place of digital images. Videos can be a compilation of various works, but the total running time cannot exceed five minutes per video. Genres appropriate to video documentation include video art, performance, and kinetic art, but not documentation of sculptures or exhibitions. For portfolios that have both digital images and videos, the total number of submitted works cannot exceed 20.

NYU Abu Dhabi is committed to the philosophy of accessible education, regardless of individuals’ economic status, and offers scholarship and grant packages that can cover up to 100%, but more often 30% to 80%, of the tuition costs for the program. Every admitted student is considered for merit-based scholarship and can apply for a needs-based grant. Applicants need to plan for paying the balance of the tuition and the living expenses during this full-time program.

New students who are eligible for NYU Abu Dhabi financial support will be notified of their awards in tandem with their offer of admission, as long as all of the required documents have been provided and the application deadlines are met. 

Financial support is generally renewable at the same level for the program’s standard full-time duration. Offered support may be adjusted by the university if a student’s enrollment status changes, or does not otherwise meet required performance criteria. 

Students are encouraged to contact nyuad.graduateadmissions@nyu.edu if they have any questions or concerns about the admissions process, or about their financial award.

The budget below estimates costs for full-time students in the MFA program for both years of the program. The calculations are in US dollars and include tuition and fees, room, health insurance, course materials and living expenses. Travel to/from Abu Dhabi and optional campus activity costs are not included in these estimates. 

Updates to the costs and fees are made annually. 

The cost of attendance listed below may differ from actual charges that appear on a student’s bursar bill, as the cost of attendance is an estimated amount. Rates are subject to annual adjustment.

Students must be covered by health insurance that originates in the UAE.

The Office of the Bursar will send out billing notifications each semester, which will include all direct expenses: i.e., costs that are charged by the university. Charges that will be displayed on your university bill will include tuition, registration and services fees, health insurance, and room and board (if applicable). Any financial support you are receiving from the university will appear as an awarded value against each eligible cost category. Awards might not cover the total cost of any one billed item.

Indirect expenses are costs that students may incur during the academic year that are not charged by the university. In other words, these costs will not be on your university bill. These estimated expenses will vary for each student, and would include personal and estimated travel expenses. 

Any student whose total NYU Abu Dhabi financial support award does not cover their full cost of attendance will be responsible for any remaining costs. 

If you will be joining NYU Abu Dhabi from outside the UAE, and/or you will require NYU Abu Dhabi to sponsor a UAE student visa on your behalf, it is important that you make your inbound travel arrangements in close consultation with university instructions. NYU Abu Dhabi will cover visa processing costs for those who require a UAE student visa. Admitted students will receive more guidance about the visa application procedure. 

Once the visa procurement process begins, please do not plan any kind of travel through the UAE prior to Orientation, as this would invalidate the entry permit we will be arranging for you. Due to UAE visa regulations, it is necessary for all flights to be booked to arrive in Abu Dhabi (not Dubai or Sharjah).

If you have any travel-related questions, you may send your inquiry to NYU Abu Dhabi Graduate Admissions nyuad.graduateadmissions@nyu.edu.