Master of
Fine Arts
(MFA)
Korbyn Carlson
MFA 2024, Chubb Fellow 2025
Master of
Fine Arts
(MFA)
Korbyn Carlson
MFA 2024, Chubb Fellow 2025
The MFA at the New York Academy of Art is a rigorous, two-year program grounded in the study of the human figure and intensive studio practice.
Students develop technical mastery in drawing, painting, and sculpture through close faculty mentorship, daily critique, and engagement with contemporary art and theory.
The program culminates in a thesis body of work that reflects each artist’s distinct vision and prepares them for a professional career in the arts.
Program Snapshot
DURATION
2 years
CREDITS
60 Credits
FORMAT
Full-time,
In-person
STUDIO SPACE
Private
VISA ELIGIBLE
Yes (F-1)
CONCENTRATIONS
Painting, Drawing & Sculpture
TOTAL TUITION & FEES
$54,385.00
APPLY BY (EARLY CONSIDERATION)
January 22
A Studio-Driven Curriculum That Honors
the Figure and Fuels Creative Risk
The MFA curriculum is centered on sustained studio practice, technical training, and critical dialogue. Students work intensively in drawing, painting, or sculpture while engaging with art history, theory, and contemporary discourse.
Through daily critique and close faculty mentorship, students develop both advanced technical skills and the conceptual frameworks needed to reinterpret tradition for today’s art world.
The program culminates in a thesis body of work that reflects a clear, independent artistic vision.
“The longer you look at an object, the more abstract it becomes, and, ironically, the more real.”
— Lucian Freud
WHO IS THIS FOR?
Three kinds of artist find their way to the MFA.
They share the same rigorous, figurative foundational training and use it to go somewhere different.
The Working Artist
You came to make the work, and to show it. You’ll have a studio of your own and two years to build a serious body of work, ending in a thesis exhibition. Our alumni go on to show at the Met, White Cube, and Art Basel.
The Artist-Educator
You want to make art and to teach it. The MFA is the terminal degree in fine art, the credential for the college classroom, and you’ll build real teaching experience along the way: summer teaching assistantships, Chubb Fellowship posts, and instructor roles in our summer residency. Our alumni teach at RISD, SVA, and Pratt.
The One Who Becomes Both
You arrive to make art and somewhere in these two years, you fall for teaching, too. Many do. You’ll graduate able to do both: a working studio practice, and the credential and experience to stand at the front of a classroom.
Painting
Master color, form and technique in a studio practice that bridges classical tradition and contemporary vision.
Drawing
Build a rigorous observational practice, from classical figure drawing to contemporary mark-making.
Sculpture
Work from the figure in clay, plaster and bronze, from modeling and moldmaking to casting in three dimensions.
Alumni Work
Curriculum &
Structure
The program is structured to move from intensive technical development to independent, thesis-driven work.
It’s the foundation of all visual storytelling. Drawing students learn how to capture the figure, work from life, and get a firm grasp on the conceptual tools that can propel them beyond traditional methods and create the future of the medium.
Learn more about our drawing program.
Painting isn’t just one medium. It spans techniques as different as alla prima, trompe l’oeil, and pointillism. Our students develop the fundamental skills behind all of them and the vision to create new approaches of their own.
Learn more about our painting program.
Sculpture students work in clay and stone using classical techniques to create pieces that are truly contemporary. With a focus on what it means to create the figure in three dimensions, the Academy’s sculpture program offers residencies in Carrara, Italy exclusively for Academy sculptors.
Year One — Intensive Training
The first year is a rigorous, immersive period of technical development. Students focus on building a strong foundation in drawing, painting, or sculpture through sustained studio practice, anatomical study, and critical feedback.
Working within a highly structured environment, students refine their observational skills, develop discipline in their process, and establish the technical fluency necessary to support ambitious work.
Year Two — Creative Development
In the second year, students transition to a more independent, self-directed studio practice. Building on the foundation established in year one, they focus on developing a cohesive body of work that reflects a clear and evolving artistic vision.
With continued faculty mentorship and critique, students take greater creative risks, refine their conceptual framework, and produce a thesis project that culminates in a final exhibition.
Anatomy Track: The Anatomy Track provides advanced study of the human figure through structural anatomy, anatomical drawing, and Écorché, allowing students to deepen their understanding of the body for application in their own artistic practice.
Printmaking Track: The Printmaking Track expands students’ technical and conceptual approaches through courses in lithography, intaglio, relief, and monotype, allowing them to incorporate printmaking processes into their broader artistic practice
OUTCOMES & ALUMNI
Academy artists exhibit at…
400+ galleries, museums & fairs worldwide
Plus Leading Galleries Including: White Cube · Thaddaeus Ropac · Galerie Lelong · Marianne Boesky · Marlborough · Sperone Westwater · James Cohan · Jeffrey Deitch · P.P.O.W — and the Armory Show.
Academy alumni teach at…
50+ institutions across the U.S. and abroad
…and faculty posts abroad in Mexico, Canada, Germany, Belgium, Sri Lanka & Chile.
Where Our Graduates Go
Marcel
Fergunson
Visiting Artist
Duis aute irure dolor
reprehenderit.
Mariam
Liamson
Professor of Drawing
Ut enim ad minim veniam.
John
Sayles
Professor of Sculpture
Sed do eiusmod tempor.
Camila
Steinberg
Professor of Painting
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
Learn from Practicing Artists
- Peter Drake
- Michael Grimaldi
- John Jacobsmeyer
- Nina Levy
- Clifford Owen
- Wade Schuman
- Dan Thompson
- Stephen Assael
- Will Cotton
- Vincent Desiderio
- Tracey Emin
- Eric Fischl
- Judy Fox
- Edward Schmidt
- Amy Sherald
- Mickalene Thomas
- Dexter Wimberly
- Alexi Worth
- Brian Alfred
- Hugo Bastidas
- Ana Benaroya
- Matt Bollinger
- Aleah Chapin
- Taha Clayton
- Carl D’Alvia
- Jane Dickson
- Greg Drasler
- Monika Fabijanska
- Michele Fenniak
- Arthur Gonzalez
- Lindsey Guile
- Matt Hansel
- Julie Heffernan
- Kurt Kauper
- Zachari Logan
- Paul Marcus
- Carlo McCormick
- Alexis Rockman
- Tschabalala Self
- Sandy Skoglund
- Adam Parker Smith
- Ed Smith
- Kathia St. Hilaire
- Emma Stern
- Robert Taplin
- Charles Yoder
- Vinnie Bagwell
- Matt Bollinger
- Cecily Brown
- Nina Chanel Abney
- Taha Clayton
- Sue Coe
- John Currin
- Carroll Dunham
- Tracey Emin
- Rachel Feinstein
- Eric Fischl
- Walton Ford
- Julie Heffernan
- Clara Lieu
- Sangram Majumdar
- Azita Moradkhani
- Wendy Olsoff
- Dana Schutz
- Amy Sherald
- Sandy Skoglund
- Chie Shimizu
- Emma Stern
- Denyse Thomason
- Lisa Yuskavage
- Colleen Barry
- Will Cotton
- Tim Eitel
- Inka Essenhigh
- Hilary Harkness
- Julie Heffernan
- Damien Loeb
- James McGarrell
- Ledelle Moe
- Humphrey Ocean
- Maurice Payne
- Evan Penny
- Jenny Saville
- Tschabalala Self
- Jessica Stoller
- Jerome Witkin
- Peter Drake
- Michael Grimaldi
- John Jacobsmeyer
- Nina Levy
- Clifford Owen
- Wade Schuman
- Dan Thompson
- Stephen Assael
- Will Cotton
- Vincent Desiderio
- Tracey Emin
- Eric Fischl
- Judy Fox
- Edward Schmidt
- Amy Sherald
- Mickalene Thomas
- Dexter Wimberly
- Alexi Worth
- Brian Alfred
- Hugo Bastidas
- Ana Benaroya
- Matt Bollinger
- Aleah Chapin
- Taha Clayton
- Carl D’Alvia
- Jane Dickson
- Greg Drasler
- Monika Fabijanska
- Michele Fenniak
- Arthur Gonzalez
- Lindsey Guile
- Matt Hansel
- Julie Heffernan
- Kurt Kauper
- Zachari Logan
- Paul Marcus
- Carlo McCormick
- Alexis Rockman
- Tschabalala Self
- Sandy Skoglund
- Adam Parker Smith
- Ed Smith
- Kathia St. Hilaire
- Emma Stern
- Robert Taplin
- Charles Yoder
- Vinnie Bagwell
- Matt Bollinger
- Cecily Brown
- Nina Chanel Abney
- Taha Clayton
- Sue Coe
- John Currin
- Carroll Dunham
- Tracey Emin
- Rachel Feinstein
- Eric Fischl
- Walton Ford
- Julie Heffernan
- Clara Lieu
- Sangram Majumdar
- Azita Moradkhani
- Wendy Olsoff
- Dana Schutz
- Amy Sherald
- Sandy Skoglund
- Chie Shimizu
- Emma Stern
- Denyse Thomason
- Lisa Yuskavage
- Colleen Barry
- Will Cotton
- Tim Eitel
- Inka Essenhigh
- Hilary Harkness
- Julie Heffernan
- Damien Loeb
- James McGarrell
- Ledelle Moe
- Humphrey Ocean
- Maurice Payne
- Evan Penny
- Jenny Saville
- Tschabalala Self
- Jessica Stoller
- Jerome Witkin
Tuition & Financial Aid
ANNUAL TUITION
$52,735.00
SCHOLARSHIPS
Available
Academy Merit Scholarships are awarded to applicants who demonstrate exceptional artistic merit, and are applied directly to tuition. Awards vary from year to year and are confirmed in the letter of acceptance. To be considered, complete the scholarship section of your application and submit by the filing deadline; most students who ask to be considered receive scholarship support.
Students who demonstrate financial need may also apply for Need-Based Tuition Assistance following acceptance, and domestic students may additionally apply for federal aid through the FAFSA.
Application Requirements
Application Checklist
1
Submit Online Application
Via the NYAA Applicant Portal
2
Portfolio (20 Images)
17 self-directed works + 3 observational drawings
3
Personal Statement
One page, 3–4 paragraphs
4
Letters of Recommendation (2)
Academic faculty preferred
5
Transcripts
Official copies, sent to admissions@nyaa.edu
6
CV/Resume
Include all relevant art experience
7
Application Fee
$50, due upon submission
Alyssa Monks
MFA 2001
.
Ready to Begin?
Visit the NYAA campus
Anatomy
Study the human form from the inside out — skeletal structure, musculature and écorché for artists.
Printmaking
Explore etching, lithography and relief printing in a hands-on studio rooted in traditional processes.
Chubb Fellowship
A competitive postgraduate fellowship for the Academy’s most exceptional graduates, offering a year of studio space and continued mentorship.