Master of Fine Arts in Painting

The Painting program at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture is a two-year, 60-credit program leading to the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree. The program, which is ranked among the top 10 M.F.A. programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, offers students access to unparalleled facilities and strong, personal mentorship. With eight faculty members devoted to 16 M.F.A. students, Tyler Painting provides something that few other top programs can give their students: substantial, engaged, one-on-one access to a diversity of painters and thinkers. The breadth and interdisciplinary nature of the Tyler approach is reinforced by exposure to practicing faculty artists in the school's other programs and its visiting artist and lecture series, which brings leading minds to Tyler to interact with graduate students. Tyler M.F.A. students take advantage of the school's location in Philadelphia, a vibrant art center and affordable home base near New York and Washington, D.C., to grow their creative practices. Graduates join an alumni community that includes highly accomplished and influential artists and teachers.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A baccalaureate degree and a portfolio specific to Painting are required. Official transcripts from all universities/colleges attended, whether or not a degree was awarded, must be sent to the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Graduate Admissions Office, 2001 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122-6016.

Statement of Goals: Approximately 500 to 1,000 words include your interest in Tyler's program, your research goals, your future career goals, and your academic and artistic achievements.

Standardized Test Scores:
Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master's degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

TOEFL iBT: 79
IELTS Academic: 6.5
550 on the paper-based (PBT)

The minimum admissions standard for all graduate students is ordinarily an undergraduate grade point average of B or 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or the functional equivalent for students who have attended universities outside of the United States.
Portfolio: As a Master of Fine Arts applicant, you must submit a portfolio that consists of 20 images representative of the immediate direction of your work. Portfolios are to be uploaded at https://temple.slideroom.com, as instructed at the website. SlideRoom requires an additional fee for this service. Original work, slides, CD-ROMs, catalogs, photographs, books, and/or binders are not acceptable substitutes for the SlideRoom portfolio and will not be reviewed or returned.

Resume: Current resume required.