Call for applications 2024

Cranbrook Academy of Art is a dynamic community of architects, artists and designers working together to shape the future of visual art and material culture. Ranked as one of the country’s top graduate-only programs in art, architecture, and design, Cranbrook is a place for students looking to earn their MFA or MArch within a program free from conventional classes and a fixed curriculum. Instead, we offer an unscripted approach to graduate education that centers the questions and interests of artists who choose to come here.

Cranbrook’s approach is based on the belief that extraordinary things can happen when people are given time and space to explore their work in a supportive and inclusive community.

The Academy is intentionally small, enrolling a maximum of 10–15 students in each department, for a total student body that can range from 130–150.

The 11 disciplines of study include: Architecture, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interaction Design, Ceramics, Fiber, Metalsmithing, Painting, Photography, Print Media, and Sculpture. Each department is led by a single Artist-in-Residence, and the program is well-suited for graduate students looking for a unique setting to explore their work outside the confines of traditional academic programs.

The structure of the Academy allows for interdisciplinarity and substantial input from students, from helping to identify visiting artists and critics to shaping the critical discourse of each department. Academy-wide seminars in critical studies and professional practices, and an international roster of invited visitors further enrich the experience of study.

The program includes lectures, workshops, symposiums, critiques, dinners with visiting artists, and informal debates in the studio kitchens. Cranbrook’s extensive facilities include private studios, shared fabrication and digital labs, student-run exhibition space, publishing opportunities, and access to the renowned Cranbrook Art Museum, where all students will exhibit their final thesis projects.

It’s a formula that works. Our more than 90-year history shows that we continue to produce leaders at a rate that far outpaces our side. Our two-year, full-time MFA program positions our graduates for advanced work in art, architecture, and design and provides connections that last a lifetime.

The Academy is located just outside Detroit, Michigan, and is part of the larger 300-acre Cranbrook Educational Community. Listed as a National Historic Landmark, the highly celebrated campus continues to inspire people today through its remarkable beauty and sense of purpose.  These expanded resources further support student research and study opportunities available to our graduate students.  

Nearly 80 percent of Academy students receive some form of financial aid in the form of gifts and scholarships to assist with the cost of study. This includes up to 10 full-tuition Gilbert Fellowships for students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, intended to provide resources and pathways within graduate education.

Applications are now open through February 1, 2025.

Apply here.