Northern Illinois University
School of Art and Design
College of Visual and Performing Arts

• M.A. degree - is a 30 credit hour program for graduate students wishing to pursue advanced study in art and design areas.
• M.F.A. degree - is a 60 credit hour terminal degree program, that prepares students for professions in the arts and college-level teaching.
• Both programs emphasize a dynamic mix of cross-disciplinary collaboration and problem-based inquiry.

Application Deadlines (fall entry only)

• February 1 - Priority Consideration for graduate admission with assistantship
• April 1 - Graduate admission only

Step 1

Apply via the Graduate School. Your application will include:

• Three letters of recommendation
• Official college transcripts
• Statement of purpose/goals

Note: The GRE is not required for an M.A. or M.F.A. in Studio or Design.

Apply to the Graduate School

Step 2

Once your initial application is received, you will receive an email with directions on how to upload your work.

Send the Following Materials to the School of Art and Design Graduate Coordinator at artgradcoordinator@niu.edu.

• Portfolio
  • Still Media: submit 15-20 works
    • Images of work should be submitted with projection quality resolution (e.g. 150 dpi, longest dimension 1000 pixels).
    • The portfolio should be saved as one PDF. If this is not available, the JPEG and PNG formats are acceptable. PowerPoint presentations are not accepted.
    • All submissions must be accompanied by an information sheet (PDF file) containing the name of the applicant and a list of images with title, medium, dimensions and date.
  • All submissions must be accompanied by an information sheet (PDF file) containing the name of the applicant and a list of images with title, medium, dimensions and date.
  • Time-based Media: submit up to five works
    • Acceptable file types include Quicktime MOV, MP4, AVI formats, personal URLs, Vimeo or YouTube.
    • All submissions must be accompanied by an information sheet (PDF file) containing the name of the applicant and a list of images with title, medium, dimensions, date and technical requirements if needed
  • Resume and artist statement
• Graduate assistantship application
• School of Art and Design Graduate Assistantship Questionnaire

Assistantship application and questionnaire may be mailed to:

Coordinator of Graduate Studies
School of Art and Design
Northern Illinois University
330 Gilbert Drive
DeKalb, IL 60115

The M.A. in Art History is a 30-semester hour program for graduate students wishing to pursue advanced research in art history and/or the experience to teach at the two-year college level. When you enroll in our program at NIU, you join a close academic community. Our faculty members are not only recognized for their outstanding research in their special fields of study but also strongly committed to teaching you and seeing you excel.

Contact our graduate coordinator of the Art History division, Sarah Evans, Ph.D. at 815-752-7923 or sevans@niu.edu.

Application Deadline (fall entry only)

February 1 - Graduate admission with assistantship

Step 1: Apply via the Graduate School

Your application will include:

• Three letters of recommendation
• Official college transcripts
• Statement of purpose/goals
• GRE scores

Apply to the Graduate School

Step 2: Send the Following Materials to the School of Art and Design

• Graduate Assistantship Application
• School of Art and Design Graduate Assistantship Questionnaire
• Email a writing sample as a PDF to the Graduate Coordinator at artgradcoordinator@niu.edu

Electronic delivery of materials is preferred; alternatively, you can submit your materials physically via a USB or CD/DVD media. Applicants will receive an email with directions on uploading their work via the internet once their initial application is received.

Where to Mail Materials

Coordinator of Graduate Studies
School of Art and Design
Northern Illinois University
330 Gilbert Drive
DeKalb, IL 60115

Our M.S. in Art and Design Education requires a minimum of 30 semesters hours for graduate students wishing to pursue advanced research and/or certification to teach art in a K-12 classroom.

Whether you are in pursuit of a K-12 licensure in art education, or if you already have a degree and are now looking to expand your skills, you can increase your knowledge and continue your professional development within the field of art education. NIU's Art and Design Education Program offers a comprehensive, supportive and diverse opportunities to create, learn and grow.

To learn more about the M.S. in Art and Design Education, contact our M.S. advisor in Art and Design Education, Kryssi Staikidis at kstaikidis@niu.edu or 815-753-8388.

Application Deadlines

• Fall entry rolling admissions (for priority consideration): March 1 - Graduate admission with assistantship
• Spring entry rolling admissions (for priority consideration): November 1 - Gradate admission only

Step 1: Apply via the Graduate School

Your application will include:

• Three letters of recommendation
• Official college transcripts
• Statement of purpose/goals

Note: The GRE is not required for an M.S. in Art and Design Education

Apply to the Graduate School

Step 2: Send the Following Materials to the School of Art and Design

• Graduate Assistantship Application
• School of Art and Design Graduate Assistantship Questionnaire (PDF)
• Email a writing sample as a PDF to the graduate coordinator at artgradcoordinator@niu.edu
• TOEFL (international applicants)

Step 3: Submit Your Portfolio

Art and Design Education

If you did not obtain a B.F.A. from NIU within the last five years, you'll need to submit a portfolio of your work. Your portfolio should contain images of 15 works, eight of which should be drawings that demonstrate basic studio skills (drawing from observation, color theory, composition, etc.).

Image guidelines:

• JPEGs and PNGs are acceptable. PowerPoints are not accepted.
• Resolution of 300 dpi.
• Largest dimension should not exceed 10 inches (about 2,000 pixels).
• Label images to correspond to the information sheet.

Include an information sheet with the following details:

• Your name.
• List of works with title, medium, dimensions and date for each.

Design/Media Arts

Your portfolio should contain up to three time-based works. The work can be in these formats:

• QuickTime MOV
• MP4
• AVI
• Personal URLs
• Vimeo links
• YouTube links

Include an information sheet with the following details:

• Your name.
• Any necessary technical requirements.
• List of works with title, medium, running time (if applicable) and date for each.

Submission Procedure

We prefer electronic delivery of materials. After we receive your initial application, we'll send you directions for uploading your work to our system.

If you want to send a USB drive, CD or DVD or your work instead, mail it to:

Coordinator, Graduate Programs in Art and Design
School of Art and Design
330 Gilbert Drive
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, Illinois 60115

Our Ph.D. in Art and Design Education is a 60 semester hour program that prepares you conduct, research, improve your teaching and become an active leader in your field. Our program emphasizes research, theory, philosophical development, discovery and application of new knowledge about art and visual culture.

To learn more about the Ph.D. in Art and Design Education, contact our Ph.D. Advisor in Art and Design Education, Kerry Freedman, Ph.D. at kfreedman@niu.edu or 815-753-7879.

Application Deadlines

• Fall entry rolling admissions (for priority consideration): March 1 - graduate admission with assistantship
• Spring entry rolling admissions (for priority consideration): November 1 - graduate admission only

Step 1: Contact the Ph.D. Advisor in Art and Design Education

To learn more about the Ph.D. in Art and Design Education, contact our Ph.D. Advisor in Art and Design Education, Kerry Freedman, Ph.D. at kfreedman@niu.edu or 815-753-1474.

Step 2: Apply via the Graduate School

Your application will include:

• Three letters of recommendation
• Official college transcripts
• Statement of purpose/goals

Apply Now

Step 3: Send the Following Materials to the School of Art and Design

• Graduate Assistantship Application
• School of Art and Design Graduate Assistantship Questionnaire
• Email a writing sample as a PDF to the Graduate Coordinator at artgradcoordinator@niu.edu
• TOEFL (international applicants)

Where to Mail Materials

Coordinator of Graduate Studies
School of Art and Design
Northern Illinois University
330 Gilbert Drive
DeKalb, IL 60115