Step 1 of 2:

The Graduate and Professional Admissions Application

Apply to the Ohio State University Graduate School by completing a Graduate and Professional Admissions online application. This process requires the following items:

• Official transcripts or record of marks for each university-level institution attended. Read the transcript requirements to know what to submit.
• If you are applying as an international student, see the English proficiency requirements as outlined by Graduate and Professional Admissions. 
• Select Design MFA as the major or program of study.

Questions about the Graduate and Professional Admissions application process should be emailed to gradadmissions@osu.edu. Check out these tips for submitting the application. Register for a live admissions event for additional application guidance.

Apply here!

Step 2 of 2:

 Complete the application to the Department of Art via SlideRoom. 

SUBMIT ALL SlideRoom application materials by the recommended deadline of December 15, 2026 (11:59 pm EST).  This SlideRoom/Step 2 deadline applies to both International and Domestic applicants.  International applicants must complete Step 1 by the university's International Graduate Application deadline of November 30 to be considered for fellowship. 

Allow approximately seven business days for your online application to be processed by Graduate Admissions.  You will be notified via email with the URL and login process for the Department of Art's online application system, SlideRoom.  Submit your portfolio, statement of intent, CV or résumé, transcripts, and letters of recommendation through SlideRoom. 

The Department of Art online application system requires the following information:

• Portfolio (details below)
• Statement of Intent (details below)
• Full Curriculum Vitæ (CV) or Résumé, including recent academic/professional experience, honors, awards, and other accomplishments.  Please be thorough.  Upload a PDF version of the document to Slideroom.
• Three online references.  Submit the email contact information for three individuals in SlideRoom. Recommenders will receive a prompt to submit their letters.  The applicant must follow up with all recommenders to upload their letters by December 15, 2026.
• Scanned copies of transcripts from all universities and colleges attended.  Upload a scanned copy of each official or unofficial transcript to the online application.  (Transcripts you submit for the OSU application in Step 1 must be official.  The SlideRoom transcripts in this step can be official or unofficial.)
• Pay the SlideRoom Application fee of $10 US.

Portfolio Requirement in SlideRoom

All applicants must upload a digital portfolio of art projects.  Submit no more than 20 examples of previously completed works that demonstrate your preparation for advanced study in art; include the title and a brief description of each piece submitted.  You may describe the research and art process that informed your work when appropriate.  Accepted media are images, video, audio, PDF, 3D models, and embedded media.  

If you plan to submit video work, please note that videos may be the final work, or they may be documentation of processes or installations.  Do not upload high-resolution (HD) videos.  Use compression formats, such as MP4, to reduce upload time and file size. 

You may also include links along with your portfolio images.

Statement of Intent in SlideRoom

In less than 4500 characters (approximately one and one-half pages), your written statement should address each of the following:

• What best describes the development of your current artistic practice?
• Why have you applied to the MFA program in the Department of Art at OSU?
• What are your professional goals as an artist?

Upload the document as a PDF to SlideRoom.

Optional Graduate Access Fellowship Consideration:

• U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and those eligible for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) status.
• Have overcome an educational, economic, and/or personal challenge to access Graduate School. Examples of challenges include being a first-generation student, having financial need, being a caretaker, returning after a long absence, or attending an undergraduate university with limited research experience opportunities.

The Graduate Access Fellowship recognizes exceptional graduate students who have demonstrated resilience in the face of educational, economic, or personal challenges and who embody Ohio State’s Shared Values: excellence and impact, diversity and innovation, inclusion and equity, care and compassion, and integrity and respect.

In 750–1,000 words (<2 pages, single-spaced), please respond to the following prompt:

In your response, reflect on how you exemplify Ohio State’s Shared Values. You may wish to highlight:

• Describe the challenges—educational, economic, or personal—you have overcome in your journey to graduate school. How have these experiences shaped your academic goals, your commitment to your field, and your broader contributions to community or society?

• Your pursuit of excellence and the potential impact of your graduate studies.

• How your lived experiences and background contribute to your field.

• Ways you’ve fostered Ohio State's Shared Values in academic, professional, or community contexts.

Your response will help us understand your path to graduate study, your potential for leadership and impact, and your alignment with the spirit of the Graduate Access Fellowship.

Submit ALL SlideRoom application materials by the recommended deadline of December 15, 2026 (11:59 pm EST) for ample time for recommendation letters to be received.  

FINAL DEADLINE FOR COMPLETED APPLICATIONS IS JANUARY 6, 2027, 11:59 PM EST.

Incomplete Applications will not be considered.

If you have any questions about the Department of Art MFA SlideRoom application process, please email owens-morrison.1@osu.edu.