Your life doesn’t stop for grad school — and your practice shouldn’t either. The MFA Art Practice program at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) is an online, critique-driven degree that meets artists where they live and work while keeping them deeply engaged with New York’s contemporary art discourse.
Across the year, you’ll sustain a rigorous studio practice supported by seminars, critiques, and one-to-one mentorship with faculty and visiting artists. Optional nine-day Summer Symposiums bring the cohort together for exhibitions, critiques, and dialogue — connecting you to peers, mentors, and the broader cultural ecosystem that makes New York a generative place to test ideas.
This program is designed for artists who want to build on their existing momentum while pursuing a master’s degree — working professionals, caregivers, recent BFA grads, and self-taught makers ready to formalize their work. You’ll be encouraged to cross boundaries, move between media, collaborate across disciplines, and build the research, writing, and presentation skills that sustain a long-term practice.
Why SVA? With an interdisciplinary ethos, access to distinguished faculty and visiting artists, a supportive, critically engaged cohort, and the reach of SVA’s network in New York and beyond, this MFA program will foster your creativity while strengthening your career. Whether your next step is exhibition, public project, teaching, or new commissions, you’ll leave with a stronger body of work, a sharper voice, and the habits to keep going.
Applications and inquiries are now open. Register for a virtual information session on Tuesday, September 30 at 6pm (ET). Attendees will receive an $80 application fee waiver if they apply for Fall 2026 admission.
To learn more, visit artpractice.sva.edu.
