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 Admissions Committee. Required documents will 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

Your online application should be as complete as possible. Following the application’s submission, you may update your information with NYU Abu Dhabi Graduate Admissions via email to nyuad.graduateadmissions@nyu.edu; however, any materials received after the deadline are not guaranteed to be included during the Committee’s review. NYU Abu Dhabi may also investigate, evaluate, or disqualify any credentials submitted as part of an application.

Admissions Committees 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.

Following the application’s submission, you may update your information with NYU Abu Dhabi Graduate Admissions via email to nyuad.graduateadmissions@nyu.edu; however, any materials received after the deadline are not guaranteed to be included during the Committee’s review.

All applicants for Fall 2020 admission to the Master of Fine Arts in Art and Media will receive automatic application fee waivers. You do not have to provide any payment to NYU Abu Dhabi as part of the application submission process.

Personal Information

• Name: Please enter your legal name as it appears on your primary passport. You may also indicate your preferred or alternate names. It is helpful to include any of your previous names that may appear on your supporting documents, to facilitate our credential matching and verification process.

• Addresses: Your permanent address should be the location you consider your primary residence. Your mailing address may be the same as your permanent address; an alternative location where you prefer to receive correspondence; or a temporary residence. If either of these addresses changes following your application submission, you may update NYU Abu Dhabi Graduate Admissions via email.
  

• Email Address: NYU Abu Dhabi will primarily contact you via the email address you provided by registering for the online application. Please use this same address any time you contact NYU Abu Dhabi via email.
  

• Biographical Information: For your native language, enter the language of fluency you most closely associate with and speak at home. You may also indicate other languages in which you are fluent.

• Citizenship Information: You may list up to two countries of citizenship. You should hold, or already be eligible to hold, a passport from at least one of these countries. If you wish to list additional citizenships, you may include this information in the optional essay. Your current country of residence should be the location you primarily reside in at the time of your application and may be distinct from any citizenship you hold.  

• UAE Citizenship/Residency: Indicate whether you hold UAE citizenship, are the child of an Emirati mother, or have a current UAE residency visa.
  
• Family Information: You may list up to two immediate family members who are affiliated with NYU or NYU Abu Dhabi, either as a student, alumnus/alumna, or employee. Do not include yourself on this list, even if you are a current NYU or NYU Abu Dhabi affiliate. Immediate family members may include, but are not necessarily limited to: parents; step-parents; children; step-children; siblings; step-siblings; grandparents; or grandchildren. Indicate the type, year(s), and New York University campus of their affiliation.
  

The deadline for application submission is January 24, 2020. 

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. If there are future updates to your pertinent application information, you may inform NYU Abu Dhabi Graduate Admissions via email to nyuad.graduateadmissions@nyu.edu. 

•  You must always write to NYU Abu Dhabi Graduate Admissions 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

Final admissions and scholarship decisions will be communicated by NYU Abu Dhabi Graduate Admissions via email. Such decisions will not be considered official nor binding if communicated by any other source. 

• NYU Abu Dhabi’s ability to enroll students in the Master of Fine Arts is contingent on the program’s successful completion of CAA accreditation prior to Fall 2020.
• 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 5 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; or a transcript demonstrating that your bachelor’s degree was conducted at a university whose language of instruction is English.

TOEFL/IELTS: 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.

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.

If your scores are not yet available, or you are planning to take or retake one of these exams at a future time, please indicate this in the optional essay in the Essays section.

• You may update your application with new self-reported scores via email to nyuad.graduateadmissions@nyu.edu, before or after the application deadline. You must still submit official scores as soon as they are available.
• The Admissions Committee may proceed with the evaluation of your application and reserves the right to issue a decision prior to receiving additional test scores.

English Proficiency Waiver

A bachelor’s degree conducted in English may suffice in place of an English proficiency language test. 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 request a language test waiver by contacting nyuad.graduateadmissions@nyu.edu with the subject line “English Proficiency Waiver Request” with a scan of your bachelor’s transcript.
   1. You may submit the waiver request before or after you submit your application, but it should be received by NYU Abu Dhabi before the final application deadline. Please use the primary email address associated with your application.
   2. The waiver might not be granted if your evidence of English instruction cannot be independently verified by our admissions team. Official waiver decisions will only be communicated by NYU Abu Dhabi Graduate Admissions.
      

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 3 institutions, you may upload additional transcripts with the “Other Documents” option in the Essays section.

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.

Activities and Achievements

The online application allows you to enter supplemental details for any activities, achievements, professional certifications, or professional memberships that you wish to highlight, or that might not appear on your resume/CV.

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.  

Three 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.

For those recommendation providers who wish to submit their letter of recommendation on paper, you must contact NYU Abu Dhabi Graduate Admissions via email at nyuad.graduateadmissions@nyu.edu for prior approval and instructions.

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

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 Slideroom. Images must be submitted in .jpeg format only and should be a maximum of 4MB each. Each image must be numbered, titled (if applicable) and include your name. Please do NOT submit PowerPoint or Keynote presentations. 

Videos for time-based work can be submitted in place of digital images (maximum 60MB). 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.

How to Send Your Portfolio

You must complete all components of the online application, and prepare your artistic portfolio and submit it via Slideroom:

• Register for a Slideroom account and submit the portfolio materials online. Be sure to register using the same email address you are using for your online application to NYU Abu Dhabi.
• Both the online application and the Slideroom portfolio must be submitted by the application deadline of January 24, 2020. 

NYU Abu Dhabi is committed to the philosophy of accessible education, regardless of individuals’ economic status. Every admitted student is considered for merit-based support. Financial support packages will vary, and might only cover a portion of costs. 

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. 

Costs eligible to be offset by financial packages typically include tuition and fees; university health insurance; and campus housing, if needed and available. Please see the table below to view the estimated out-of-pocket costs for the program.

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 budgets below are estimated annual costs for full-time students in NYU Abu Dhabi master’s programs, for 2020-2021 academic year (pending program accreditation). The calculations are in US dollars and include tuition and fees, room and board, health insurance, and course materials. Travel to/from Abu Dhabi, optional campus activity costs, and other personal expenses are not included in these estimates. 

Annual adjustments to the costs and fees at NYU Abu Dhabi may be necessary. 

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.