Graduate Programs

Students applying for acceptance into the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) program must have an undergraduate baccalaureate degree (BA, BFA, or BS) from an accredited institution with a cumulative minimum GPA of 3.0. Applicants with a GPA between 2.5 and 3.0 may be admitted on a provisional basis and may be required to take one or two undergraduate courses without credit towards the M.F.A. degree. To remove the provisional status, students must receive a satisfactory report from the instructor of such courses and must obtain a GPA average of 3.0 or better in their first semester at Howard. Failure to obtain the required GPA will result in automatic suspension of the student from the graduate program.

Applicants must also submit:

A portfolio of 20 digital images and videos of original creative works (with no more than 2-3 views of any single work), must be prepared and presented via the Slideroom.com portfolio submission portal (URL’s are also acceptable if the work is presented online in quality form) (http://huart.slideroom.com). Each image must be clearly labeled with the title of the work, materials or media of creation, size, and date of creation.

These original creative works must be prepared according to these general guidelines:

1. Written Statement of Thesis Interest, Artist Statement, or Biographical Essay: A copy must be submitted with the portfolio;
    
2. Official Transcripts from each university or college attended
    
3. Two Letters of Recommendation: A copy of each reference must be submitted with the portfolio;
    
4. Resume
    
5. Static Two-Dimensional imagery: JPEG or PNG Formats are acceptable;
    
6. Three-Dimension Pieces (i.e. sculpture, ceramics, fashion, 3D modeling): JPEG Format including 2-3 views of the work OR video presentation including revolving views of the work;
    
7. Motion graphics and video: MP4, Mv4, FLV and AVI Formats, links to YouTube and Vimeo portfolio pages are acceptable for motion graphics and video;
    
8. Size of digital images: no less than 1200 x 1000 ppi (pixels per inch);
    
9. Please include with each artwork submission in your presentation:
   • Title of the Work
   • Materials or Media used to create the work
   • Size of the actual piece of work represented by the digital images. Size of work should be relative to the media with which it was created (for traditional media, use inches; for static digital media, use pixel dimensions; and for motion graphics and video use pixel dimensions and time in minutes and seconds)
   • Date of creation
      
10. Physical portfolios are still being accepted, but online submissions are preferred.

Interview:

• Faculty will contact applicants for interviews after initial review of submissions

Official Transcripts:

• Applicants shall report all institutions attended and send all official transcripts to GradCAS. Where official transcripts for all institutions attended are not included, the processing of your application may be delayed.
  • Sending Transcripts Electronically (Click here  for additional information)
    • GradCAS accepts electronic transcripts from
      • Credential Solutions
      • Parchment
      • National  Student Clearinghouse
  • Sending Transcripts by Mail
  • Provide the registrar with the following items:
    • GradCAS Transcript Request Form. Ask the registrar to attach it to your official transcripts. This form is not required but is strongly recommended as it helps ensure your official transcripts are properly matched to your application. 
    • If you cannot use GradCAS Transcript Request Form, make sure the registrar prints "GradCAS" and your full GradCAS ID# on the transcript before mailing it. 
    • Any school-specific forms required by the registrar.
    • Any transcript fees required by the registrar.
    • All information needed by the registrar to properly identify you in the school's database (including any name changes).  
    • Your GradCAS ID#. 
    • Institutions must send transcripts directly to GradCAS at the following address: 
      GradCAS Transcript Processing Center 
      PO Box 9217 Watertown, MA 02471

Pre-screening Documents for US Applicants via GradCAS: 
While waiting on official documents, you may upload the following: 

• Unofficial Test Score Report
• Unofficial transcripts 

Your official admission will depend upon the receipt and verification of your official transcripts.

Fashion Design MFA Scheme and Course Descriptions

Graphic Design MFA Scheme and Course Descriptions

Interior Design MFA Scheme and Course Descriptions

Graduate Student Project Type Range From  UX / UI, AR / VR,  Two and Three-Dimensional Animations, Special Effect Artists for TV and Film, Product Design, and Motion Graphics. Please visit E-Studio Arts Page for schemes and faculty information.