Note: the graduate admissions deadline to submit applications and support materials for all fall 2008 programs has passed.
Only by contacting Director of Graduate Admission Noel Dahl at ndahl@cca.edu will late applications (after May 1, 2008) to the graduate division be accepted. All late application submission requests are reviewed on a case-by-case, space-available basis and no guarantee for application review exists at this time.
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California College of the Arts admits to the graduate program students who have demonstrated intellectual promise and creative achievement. The analysis of candidates is conducted by review of student work, statements about this work, transcripts, and letters of recommendation.
Application and Fee
An application form is included in the printed catalog. You may also apply online. You must submit the completed application and the nonrefundable $50 application fee to the Enrollment Services Office—Graduate Admissions. Students should not submit a duplicate hard-copy application.
Personal Essay
A personal essay of 500 to 1,000 words must accompany the application. Specific program requirements for the essay are as follows:
Architecture. Describe what motivates you to pursue a degree in architecture and how this motivation overlaps with one or more of our program's particular strengths: the integration of critical, artistic, and material approaches to architecture; alternative models of practice and fabrication; current investigations into culture, media, and technology and their relationship to architectural production; and our location in a multidisciplinary art school in the vibrant city of San Francisco.
Curatorial Practice. Outline your curatorial interests and how you think the program will help you reach your professional and educational goals. Briefly describe relevant previous experience (such as curatorial projects, writing, research, and organizational roles) and the critical influences on your work.
Design. Describe in detail three key influences on your design thinking and practice: designers, works, styles, concepts, or a combination of these.
Design Strategy. Describe your relevant design and/or business experiences and how they have shaped your current educational and career goals. What do you seek to learn and achieve through this program?
Fine Arts. Describe your work and outline your artistic and educational objectives.
Visual and Critical Studies. Explain how the program fits into your writing and career goals. Describe what has influenced your desire to write about visual arts, design, and architecture, mentioning the theories and texts that are of particular interest to you. Describe your work and outline your artistic and educational objectives.
Writing. Indicate why you want to study writing at the graduate level. Describe your writing experience and your general writing and educational objectives.
Portfolio
Due to the volume of submissions we receive, we are unable to return portfolios. Applicants should not submit original image files, artwork, or writing samples.
Architecture. The portfolio should demonstrate your creative achievements. It must be submitted in hard copy. Websites, CDs, DVDs, videos, and slides may be included as supplemental materials only, and they may or may not be reviewed. Candidates without an architectural background should use the portfolio to explain their visual sensibilities. Candidates for advanced standing should demonstrate clear evidence of their architectural education and level of ability. Portfolios should be either 8 1/2 x 11 inches or A4 in size, and they should be treated as a design opportunity.
Curatorial Practice. The portfolio must consist of a 1,000-word essay critiquing a visited exhibition, as well as an exhibition proposal. The essay should reflect your current interests in exhibition making by expressing how the exhibition affected you, evaluating the way it was presented, and critiquing the artists or works.
The exhibition proposal (2,000 words) is a chance for you to showcase your creative ideas and demonstrate your current thinking about art practice and presentation. The proposal should include a basic thesis and outline, the relevance of your exhibitiion, a preliminary list of artists and works, a possible site/venue, and descriptions of any accompanying public events (lectures, performances, writings, etc.). Your proposal may include images.
Design. The portfolio may include still images, time-based media, interactive media, or other creative visual pieces. You are encouraged to include examples of personal, academic, and professional work. Your portfolio should consist primarily of digital files (ideally 20 to 30 images submitted on CD or DVD or via a website). Files will be viewed on a Mac. CCA will accept nondigital work (hard copies) if the original pieces were created nondigitally. Digital files should be in a universal audio, video, graphic, web, or CAD format (JPG, AIFF, MOV, PDF). SWF format is preferable if submitting work in Flash.
Write your name, address, and telephone number in permanent marker on the jewel case and the disk. If you are submitting a URL, please include the entire website on DVD as a precaution. Slides are not accepted. Do not submit work in which your participation was solely in a production capacity. All portfolios should be accompanied by a descriptive hard copy list that identifies each piece by number, title, dimensions, completion date, and any other relevant information.
Design Strategy. Applicants are not required to submit a portfolio; however those with a business background may provide an expanded résumé detailing specific responsibilities, achievements, and learning experiences. Those with backgrounds in design are welcome to submit a digital portfolio, either on CD (up to 15 images in HTML, JPG, or PDF format) or via a URL to an online portfolio. Write your name, address, and telephone number in permanent marker on the jewel case and the disk, and include a hard copy descriptive list in identifying each piece by number, title, dimensions, completion date, and any other relevant information. For specific admissions requirements for the MBA in Design Strategy, visit Design Strategy Admissions.
Fine Arts. The portfolio must include either a CD (for still images) or a DVD (for time-based media). Both may be submitted, but please indicate one as primary and the other as supplementary. The primary disk will be reviewed first, and supplemental materials may or may not be reviewed. CDs should contain 15 JPGs (less than two MB each). Label each file with your last name, the first letter of your first name, and the slide number (e.g., Doe_J_01.jpg).
Visual and Critical Studies. The portfolio must consist of two writing samples in hard copy (5,000 words maximum per sample) explaining your interest in the field of visual criticism and your creative potential. You are welcome, but not required, to submit visual materials (up to 10 images in JPG format on CD) in support of your application.
Writing. The portfolio should consist of a selection of writing samples (totaling no more than 12,000 words) that reflect your main areas of interest. You may include poems, short stories, a section of a novel, text for performance (include video, if available), creative nonfiction, or writing for new genres. You are welcome, but not required, to submit visual materials in support of your application, including book art, videos, CDs, or DVDs. DVDs should be in NTSC format.
Resume/Curriculum Vitae
Please include an outline of your educational and professional background, as well as other related experiences and activities, including community work and service.
Transcripts
Official, sealed transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate study must be sent directly from each college or university attended to the Enrollment Services Office—Graduate Admissions. Unofficial (unsealed) copies are not accepted.
All admitted students must verify completion of a bachelor's degree, including official notation of date of graduation, no later than July 1.
All transcripts must be in English or accompanied by a certified English translation of the original.
Letters of Recommendation
Please use the Recommendation Form (PDF). For Architecture, Curatorial Practice, Design, Design Strategy, Visual and Critical Studies, and Writing, three letters of recommendation are required. For Fine Arts, two letters are required.
Letters of recommendation from current or recent instructors, employers, or professional colleagues may be sent directly to the Enrollment Services Office or sent in a sealed envelope (with the recommender's signature across the seal) by the applicant with the other application materials.
Interview
Applicants may be contacted during the application review process to schedule a phone interview with the program director and/or faculty.
Requirements for International Students
Proof of English Language Proficiency. Unless English is your first language, you must submit an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score. CCA will continue to accept computer-based and paper-based (CBT, PBT) versions of the TOEFL exam until the internet-based (iBT) test is completely phased in.
CCA graduate applicants must achieve a minimum score of 100 on the iBT, 250 on the CBT, or 600 on the PBT. You must request that an official copy of the scores be sent directly from the testing service to the Enrollment Services Office. Our school code is 4031.
Please contact the Enrollment Services Office if you have any questions about the school's iBT TOEFL requirements. For more information about TOEFL iBT, please see www.toefl.com.
TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the test date. If it has been more than two years since the test taker last took the TOEFL, the test must be taken again.
Declaration of Finances and I-20 Request Form. If you are accepted to the program, you must submit a Declaration of Finances and an I-20 request form (PDF). The Declaration of Finances is an official bank statement demonstrating your ability to cover the cost of attending CCA for at least one year (in 2007-08, approximately $34,000 for Visual and Critical Studies and $46,360 for all other programs). If you are being sponsored by someone other than your parents, a letter of support must accompany the official bank statement. CCA does not provide a special form for this bank statement.
CCA will not issue you an I-20 until you have been admitted and you have submitted the declaration of finances, I-20 request form, and a $300 tuition deposit. The I-20 form, a copy of the Declaration of Finances, and your letter of acceptance must be presented to a U.S. embassy or consulate to obtain a student visa (F-1) for entry to the United States.
Mailing Instructions
All documents and portfolio must be received by January 15:
California College of the Arts
Enrollment Services Office—Graduate Admissions
1111 Eighth Street
San Francisco, CA 94107-2247
Phone: 415.703.9523
Fax: 415.703.9539
graduateprograms@cca.edu
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