How to apply to MassArt for undergraduate art and design: 18 BFA majors, a first-year Studio Foundation before the major, a 12–15-piece portfolio, Early Action that cannot be re-reviewed in the same year, English requirements, 2026-2027 costs and scholarships, with portfolio requirements and timelines for students at high schools in China, Canadian high school students and transfer students

Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) in Boston awards only the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) at the undergraduate level. This guide covers its majors, portfolio requirements, application timeline, English requirements and costs, with notes for students at high schools in China (Gaokao, A-Level, IB, AP), Canadian high school students (including BC and Vancouver) and transfer students. The deadline pages show no year, so check them again before applying for fall 2027.

1. Majors and when you start one

• 18 BFA majors (Undergraduate Programs page): Animation, Architecture, Art Education, Ceramics, Communication Design, Fashion Design, Fibers, Film/Video, Glass, History of Art, Illustration, Industrial Design, Jewelry & Metalsmithing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture and Studio for Interrelated Media (SIM). Architecture is also a BFA and appears in the same list.
• Minors: the page lists Business of Creative Industries, Creative Writing, Ceramics, Fibers, Glass, Jewelry & Metalsmithing, Performing Arts, Sculpture and Sustainability, among others.
• Studio Foundation first: all first-time students (and some transfers) take Studio Foundation in year one: two semesters of drawing, Visual Language (2D), Time (4D), Form Study (3D), a studio elective, plus writing, a first-year seminar and art history, 30 credits in total. Students begin their major as sophomores. The portfolio page says students must pass two drawing classes during Foundation before beginning their major.
• Credits: the BFA is 120 credits, typically 30 a year; Art Education students may complete up to 126 to meet licensure requirements. About two thirds of classes are in art and design and one third in humanities, integrative sciences and biological arts, and history of art. Sophomore through senior years each include 12 major credits and 12 credits of liberal arts electives.
• Entering a major: the FAQ says students start their intended major in the second year after Foundation; apart from the Foundation drawing requirement, the pages do not mention any other conditions.

2. Portfolio requirements

• Number of pieces: 12–15 examples of your best work completed within the past two years; fewer than 12 is not accepted, and students struggling to reach the minimum should contact their admissions counselor.
• Content: classroom or independent work in drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, digital art, video, animation or any other visual medium; no unifying theme is required. Especially strong sketchbook pages or process studies may be included, but unfinished work should be avoided.
• Not reviewed: musical recordings, theater performances and creative writing. Work copied directly from existing media (including fan art) is discouraged; aim for your own ideas.
• Observational drawing: not required, but recommended practice before enrolling.
• What reviewers look for: craft and technique, exploration, concept and point of view, problem solving, and context. The page also offers optional prompts under technique, concept and exploration.
• Work must be your own; the portfolio page has specific disclosure rules about how work was made, so read it before submitting.
• Submission: 1–2 business days after submitting the Common App you get login details for the MassArt Applicant Portal, where each file is uploaded separately: JPG, PNG or TIFF for images, MP4, GIF or WAV for video, animation and audio. PowerPoint, PDF and website links are not accepted. Give each piece a title, medium, dimensions and year; a short description is optional.
• Portfolio reviews: a virtual portfolio review before applying is highly recommended but not required; National Portfolio Days, portfolio info sessions and campus events are other options.

3. Timeline and materials

• Entry term: first-time undergraduates may only apply for fall (FAQ).
• Deadlines: Early Action December 1, with decisions in early January; priority application February 15, giving first consideration for admission, scholarships and housing; later applications are reviewed as space allows. Reviews take about 4–6 weeks.
• Early Action rules: Early Action is not binding; you have until May 1 to decide. But the page states that applicants not accepted under Early Action will not be reviewed for the regular deadline and must wait a year to reapply. Early Action applicants must submit everything by December 1 and indicate their interest on the application.
• How to apply: through the Common App with the personal essay and a USD 70 fee paid by credit card; do not use a school email address for the account. Fee waivers are available through the Common App, College Board, NACAC or a counselor’s email request.
• Materials: Common App essay (500 words or more), portfolio, official high school transcript and activity list; the requirements also list a letter of recommendation, ideally from an art teacher, liberal arts teacher, counselor, employer or mentor, sent by the recommender.
• Tests: SAT/ACT not required and not used for admission or merit scholarships.
• Admissions standards (based on the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education standards): 17 college-preparatory units over four years of high school (English 4, math 2, lab science 2, additional math or science 1, social science 2, one foreign language 2, visual art 2, electives 2). ESL applicants may substitute two electives for the foreign language. The recommended weighted GPA is 3.0, applicants below 3.0 are considered, and no one is admitted below 2.3. The page does not explain how curricula from China, Canada or other countries map to these units; ask admissions.
• Decisions: posted in the applicant portal on a rolling basis, starting in early January for Early Action.

4. International applicants

• Same requirements as domestic applicants, plus:
  • Official translations and course-by-course evaluations of transcripts from outside the U.S., through a NACES or AICE member (the page lists CED, ECE, TEC, IEE, IERF and WES). Evaluations can take up to six weeks, and must convert grades to the U.S. 4-point scale, credits and degree equivalency.
  • English scores for non-native speakers: TOEFL iBT 85 total for tests before January 22, 2026 (Reading 21, Listening 19, Speaking 23, Writing 22) or 4.5 overall for the new edition from January 22, 2026 (Reading and Listening 4, Speaking and Writing 4.5); IELTS 6.0; Duolingo 105; PTE 59; TOEFL Essentials 9.
• No intensive English program: MassArt expects students to be proficient before applying.
• Possible waivers: four years of high school in the U.S.; two consecutive semesters of non-ESL college English at a U.S. institution with 3.0/B or better; or a completed four-year bachelor’s degree at an English-medium school. The listed waivers do not include any country-based exemption.
• Deposit and visa: international students starting in fall should pay the tuition deposit by May 1 at the latest. After the deposit and all I-20 documents arrive, the I-20 takes about 3–4 weeks; visa appointments may take 5–6 weeks or longer, and students may arrive up to 30 days before classes.

5. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-2027 tuition and fees: in-state USD 16,260; New England and New York USD 36,640; out-of-state USD 45,820 (tuition USD 31,020 plus fees USD 14,800). Rates depend on residency, and the cost page does not state separately which rate international students pay; confirm with MassArt.
• Cost of attendance: on-campus housing and food USD 19,140, books and supplies USD 2,000, transportation USD 810, personal expenses USD 2,242, for an out-of-state total of USD 70,012. There is also a USD 400 annual capital fee, and health insurance is required at 9 or more credits unless waived.
• Studio and supply fees: not included in tuition; instructors set the amounts and they are paid separately by department.
• Merit scholarships: all applicants are considered automatically with no separate application; admitted applicants are reviewed from March 1, notified through the portal, and awards renew for up to eight semesters. Test scores are not used. Applicants from outside New England, including international applicants, are considered for the Provost’s Scholarships.
• Trustees Scholarship: the top award for out-of-state applicants, six per year, covering all tuition and fees for up to four years, for top students with outstanding portfolios and financial need; it is available only to U.S. citizens and eligible permanent residents.
• Need-based aid: requires the FAFSA, which only U.S. citizens and permanent residents can file. International undergraduates can be considered for merit aid through their application, are not eligible for federal loans, and may apply for private loans with a creditworthy U.S. citizen or permanent resident co-signer.

6. Transfer students

• Deadlines: priority March 1 for fall and October 15 for spring, then as space allows; the page says transfer applications are currently reviewed on a space-available basis. The fee is also USD 70, through the Common App for transfer students.
• Spring eligibility: completed or current enrollment in at least three college studio courses, including one drawing course and one course comparable to Visual Language (such as Two-Dimensional Design or Design and Color Theory), plus at least two liberal arts classes (one 100-level or higher English Composition and one art history). Otherwise apply for fall.
• Transfer portfolio: students with college studio courses include 3–5 pieces from each course, typically 20–30 pieces in total; others submit 15–20 recent pieces, with a minimum of 15. The portfolio is also used to award studio credit.
• Credit limits: up to 69 transfer credits, with at most 39 studio credits and 30 liberal arts and art history credits; another line on the same page gives a maximum of 36 studio credits, so confirm with admissions. Students must earn at least 60 credits over at least two years at MassArt, and courses must be 100-level or higher with a C or better.
• Placement: determined by transferable studio credits and portfolio review, at Foundation, sophomore or junior level. Coursework equivalent to Foundation allows sophomore entry into the major; more major-related studio work may allow second-semester sophomore or first-semester junior entry.
• AP and IB: AP scores of 3–5 earn elective credit; only AP Art History with 4 or 5 counts for the required HART100. IB Higher Level scores of 6 or 7 earn elective credit. The website does not say how A-Levels are credited.

7. Students at high schools in China (Gaokao, A-Level, IB, AP)

• Gaokao: the website does not say how Gaokao results are used; ask admissions at admissions@massart.edu.
• Transcripts: official translation plus a NACES/AICE course-by-course evaluation converted to the U.S. 4-point scale; allow up to six weeks.
• English: submit TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or PTE; none of the listed waivers applies to high schools in China.
• AP and IB: credited as above; A-Level credit is not described on the website.

8. Canadian high school students (including BC and Vancouver)

• International applicants: the FAQ says anyone who is not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident is an international student.
• English: only non-native English speakers must submit scores; the listed waivers do not include Canadian high schools, so non-native speakers in Canada should check with admissions.
• Transcripts: all transcripts from outside the U.S. need a course-by-course evaluation. MassArt does not publish grade requirements for the BC curriculum; ask admissions.

9. Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Prepare 12–15 works from the past two years, photographed or scanned, each with title, medium, dimensions and year
• Take TOEFL 85 (4.5 on the new edition), IELTS 6.0, Duolingo 105 or PTE 59
• Send your transcript early for a NACES/AICE course-by-course evaluation
• Decide on Early Action (December 1): applicants not admitted cannot reapply that year
• For fall entry, pay the deposit by May 1, then request the I-20

Canadian high school students (including BC and Vancouver):

• Prepare the portfolio and apply through the Common App by February 15
• Get a course-by-course evaluation; non-native English speakers prepare an English score
• Ask admissions how BC grades are reviewed

Transfer students:

• Apply by March 1 for fall or October 15 for spring; check the drawing and Visual Language prerequisites for spring
• Prepare 3–5 pieces per college studio course, 20–30 in total
• Use the transfer credit guidelines to estimate your studio credit

Sources: Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt), First-time undergraduate How to Apply; Preparing Your Portfolio; Admissions Standards; International Students; Admissions FAQs; Undergraduate Programs; Undergraduate Curriculum; Studio Foundation; How to Transfer; Transfer portfolio; Transfer Credit Guidelines; 2026-2027 tuition and cost of attendance; Financial aid for undergraduates; Aid for international students; Studio and supply fees. Costs are 2026-2027 figures and the deadline pages show no year; check MassArt’s website for the latest.