Visual Arts & Sound Art MFA applications and open studios

Applications are now being accepted for the MFA Visual Arts and Sound Art programs at Columbia University School of the Arts.

The Visual Arts + Sound Art Program offers students many opportunities to expand the depth and complexity of their studio practice as well as their ability to think critically in the context of contemporary art theory. To that end, students have regular studio visits with faculty as well as invited guest artists and critics who offer critical insight into both the form and underlying ideas of students’ artistic work.

The Visual Arts Program is interdisciplinary and offers an MFA degree in Visual Arts rather than in one specific medium. The two-year studio program allows students to pursue moving image, photography, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and expanded practice.

The Sound Art Program awards the Visual Arts MFA Degree in association with the Department of Music and the Computer Music Center. Students have the freedom to explore work in sculpture, video, and ceramics as well as new media, performance, and conceptual strategies while focusing on the integration of sound with such media.

Learn more at the upcoming information sessions on Sunday, November 10, 2024:
Sound Art: 10am ET, RSVP here
Visual Arts: 11am ET, RSVP here

Applications for both programs are due Tuesday, January, 14, 2025 at 11:59pm ET.

We encourage you to contact the admissions office at soaadmissions [​at​] columbia.edu with any questions. For application requirements and to apply online, visit Visual Arts application requirements and Sound Art application requirements online.

The School of the Arts will also present MFA Open Studios on Sunday, November 10 featuring the class of 2025. Get a preview of upcoming Visual Arts + Sound Art thesis projects in progress, and meet the artists. 

Open studios: Sunday, November 10 from 2–5pm ET
Prentis Hall, 632 W 125th St, New York, NY 10027. Free and open to the public. More details.

Participating sound artists: YUEYEOUNG LO, Andrea Moreno, and Miles Scharff.

Participating visual artists: Magali, a Cult; Ahzel; Giorgia Alliata; Andrius Alvarez-Backus; Emerita Baik; Francisca Brunet Bayon; Daniel Castro; Devon Pin Chen; Isaiah-Ochunu Davis; Maya Dixon; Rama Ghanem; Javier Griffey; Calhan Hale; KeKeZ; Joanne Kim; Leena Kim; Christina Yuna Ko; Sharon Cheuk Wun Lee; In June Park; Wenfei Quan; Ridwana Rahman; Grethell Rasua; Zelmira Rizo; Liz Schneider; Annika Tucksmith; and Antonio Vidal de Lascurain.

About Columbia University School of the Arts
Columbia University School of the Arts offers the rare opportunity for artists across all disciplines to learn and create together in one vibrant community. We award the Master of Fine Arts degree in Film, Theatre, Visual Arts, and Writing, an interdisciplinary program in Sound Art that leads to an MFA in Visual Arts, and a Master of Arts degree in Film and Media Studies. Artists from each of these fields, and those working between and among them, are supported here, and challenged to express themselves in new and innovative forms. 

For more details on the programs, visit arts.columbia.edu.