Application Materials
To learn more about applying to the program, contact our M.S. advisors in visual arts education, Kryssi Staikidis (kstaikidis@niu.edu) or Kelly Gross (kgross1@niu.edu).
Step 1: Apply via the Graduate School
Your application will include:
- Three professional letters of recommendation from people who have known you in a professional capacity
- Official college transcripts
- Candidate statement of professional goals
- Writing sample
- CV/resume
Note: The GRE is not required.
If you are applying to our licensure program, your application should also include an application portfolio (see further instructions below).
Step 2: Apply for Assistantship (Optional)
If you wish to be considered for a graduate assistantship, please fill out the School of Art and Design graduate assistantship questionnaire. In addition, please complete the application for a graduate assistantship (PDF).
Application Portfolio Instructions
Only applicants seeking to obtain educator licensure along with their degree must submit an application portfolio (unless you received a B.F.A. from NIU within the last five years). 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
- Resolution of 300 dpi.
- The largest dimension should not exceed 10 inches (about 2,000 pixels).
- Label images to correspond to the information sheet.
- Upload your images in a single .pdf document.
Include an information sheet with the following details:
- Your name
- List of works with title, medium, dimensions and date for each