IFA | Information and Application

Prospective applicants are cordially invited to visit and tour the Institute, observe a class, meet with students and/or faculty in their area of interest, and attend lectures. To make arrangements for a visit please contact keith.kelly@nyu.edu.

With over 300 applications for an entering class of approximately forty students, competition for admission to the Institute is high. In addition to the requirements for admission to NYU's Graduate School of Arts and Science, a candidate for the Institute of Fine Arts should have an excellent background in the liberal arts, normally including at least four courses of undergraduate art history. The GRE is required of all applicants. A strong application will include a focused personal statement, academic letters of recommendation that speak to the applicant's research and writing skills, and reading knowledge of both French and German or the clear intent to obtain such ability. One writing sample is required and those applicants who already hold an MA in art history must provide a copy of their thesis or another research paper to be read by an appropriate member of the IFA faculty.

For additional admission requirements for the program in conservation, please see the section on The Conservation Center.

Candidates wishing to be considered for academic year 2008-2009 admission should submit their applications by December 18th, 2007. Applications are processed by NYU's Graduate School of Arts and Science Office of Admissions, 1/2 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003, (212) 998-8050. You may access and file an application directly at http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/.

Students admitted to the art history program may begin in either fall or spring term, but those entering the conservation program must begin in fall term.

Advisement

At the beginning of the first semester, each entering student meets with the Director or the Director of Graduate Studies. Students are then assigned a member of the faculty as an advisor with whom the student plans a program and consults regularly. Initial advisor assignments are based on an assessment of research interests; once students develop a clear understanding of their interests, they may change advisors in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies.

Minimum Program

To maintain full-time study during MA and PhD coursework, each student registers for three courses per semester or a minimum of five courses per academic year until the required point total for the degree is achieved. Exceptions are made only for urgent financial or medical reasons and must have the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. The conservation program can be followed on a full-time basis.

Registration

Fall and spring registration takes place by appointment made through the Academic Office. See the Academic Calendar for details on the registration periods.

Visiting Students

Students from other NYU graduate programs are welcome at the Institute of Fine Arts but must consult the Academic Office (212-992-5868) before registering for a course. A student in another university’s graduate art history program may register for courses at the Institute using the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium (see below for eligibility), or by applying for non-matriculated student status through the Graduate Enrollment Services office of the Graduate School of Arts and Science (212-998-8050).

The Inter-University Doctoral Consortium

The IUDC offers GSAS students who are enrolled in PhD programs the opportunity to take graduate courses at distinguished universities throughout the greater New York area, including, among others, Columbia, Princeton, and CUNY Graduate Center. The Consortium is open to IFA students who have completed the MA degree and attained doctoral candidacy.

Tuition Costs and Billing

Tuition is charged by the course and is billed to the student's address at the time of registration. For current tuition costs and full information about payment options, see: www.nyu.edu/bursar/

Guide to Financial Aid

Direct financial aid is available from the Institute:
IFA Financial Aid Policy
Award Sources
Outside Fellowship Awards
Application Procedure
Application Forms

Financial Aid in the form of loans and work-study grants is also available:
NYU Financial Aid - http://www.nyu.edu/financial.aid/
FAFSA Form - http://www.fafsa.ed.gov

Degree Conferral

At the beginning of the semester in which a student expects to graduate, he or she must apply for each degree and/or certificate to be awarded. Application is made using TorchTone (212)-995-4747 or Albert (NYU's online student system). See the Academic Calendar for application deadlines.