Application Deadlines

Still time to apply!

We are reviewing applications on a rolling basis after 15 February, 2013. Fall 2013 applications that were postmarked by February 2013 received a priority response on 1 April 2013.

Interview Schedule

In-person and Skype interviews of select candidates began during the month of March 2013.

Financial Aid

Prospective students seeking financial aid are encouraged to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by February 1, 2013.

Types of Candidates

Products of Design welcomes both applicants with deep design knowledge and experience as well as applicants practicing in other disciplines who are looking to leverage scale, entrepreneurship and effectiveness by way of design. Above all, we are interested in individuals who have broad, interdisciplinary curiosity and are seeking deep immersion at the intersection of design thinking, design making and design doing.

Required Documentation

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university
• Online application form and nonrefundable $80 fee
• Official college or university transcripts
• Three letters of recommendation from instructors or practicing professionals, in a sealed envelope with the recommender’s signature across the seal
• Résumé, including professional experience, internships, publications (print and web) and awards
• Proof of English proficiency (required of applicants whose primary language is not English). Upon acceptance to the program, nonimmigrant alien applicants are required to submit documentation of sufficient financial resources to attend SVA.
• Portfolio (further explanation below)
• Statement of purpose (250-500 words)
• Personal Interview (Skype where necessary)

Optional Documentation

• Video profile (See details below)

Projects

You should conceive of your portfolio as a collection of projects. We are open to projects of varying aesthetic, formal and conceptual types. Whatever their form, projects should:

• Demonstrate an ability to think through a problem
• Articulate the designer’s approach and resolution in compelling ways
• Manifest solutions and offerings that show craft, rigor and delight.

Please include at least 10 projects in your portfolio. These 10 projects may vary in complexity and kind. Below is a partial list of some possible project kinds:

• Research project
• Designed object/artifact
• Craft/hack/mod
• Business venture
• Conceptual work
• Published work
• Pro-bono initiatives
• Competition entries

Several of your projects should show process along with finished work; we want to see how you came to a resolution, including some of your decision points along the way. Do not be afraid to show broken models, failed attempts, iteration and learning.

Be sure to include any published work (on the web, in print, or in exhibition), awards or competition submissions, and any other materials that evidence your commitment and passion for the enterprise of problem solving, celebration and design.

For accomplished designers: We will review your portfolios for concept development, sketching, iteration, research, problem solving, analytical thinking, strategy, prototyping, presentation and story-telling.

For qualified candidates entering the world of design: Products of Design welcomes candidates who do not have a formal design degree or experience in professional design practice. While these candidates’ portfolios may not emphasize the specific competencies listed above for practicing designers, they must convey the applicant’s acute ability to think analytically and strategically, and to harness this thinking toward successful problem solving. Your portfolio projects may be less visual, but please include snapshots of your process, images of the project in its final form, screenshots or PDFs of written documentation, and any documentation or press coverage of results.

Communication design and graphic ability: In addition to strong strategic, research, and three-dimensional abilities, we are especially interested in candidates possessing strong two-dimensional skills and who can create visually convincing artifacts. These can include graphic design, typography, motion graphics, branding, advertising, packaging, writing, websites, apps, and other collateral elements.

Optional Video Profile

Applicants are asked to submit an optional, speak-into-the-webcam video profile, 2-3 minutes in length, answering the following questions:

• What is your assessment of the current state of the design industry?
• Where do you see yourself within it, both now and in the future?
• At what scale are you most interested in working? Personal? Interpersonal? Community? Political? Global?

(Don’t like guidelines? Then scrap these questions and tell us what you’re really about and why you want to pursue advanced work in the enterprise of design.)

Portfolio Submission Format:

Any of the following formats are acceptable:

• Link to an online portfolio
• CD or DVD (please provide .jpgs, .mov, and other file formats compatible with Mac platforms; please do not include PowerPoint, Keynote, or .exe files)
• Physical printouts

Video profiles should be in Quicktime .mov format, and must not exceed 20MB in file size. Videos can also be published online with a link (and password if required), or included on the Project Porfolio CD or DVD disc.

Note: All portfolio submissions become the property of the School of Visual Arts and will not be returned. For this reason, we strongly recommend that applicants NOT submit original artwork. The College is not responsible for any media that is received in damaged condition and cannot be viewed.

All required application materials must be received together in one package by the Office of Graduate Admissions. Please include recommendation letters in a sealed envelope with recommender’s signature across the seal. Applicants who need confirmation of the receipt of materials should mail documents by a trackable means.

All materials should be sent together to:
Office of Graduate Admissions
School of Visual Arts
209 East 23 Street
New York, NY 10010-3994