Selection of Applicants

• Applicants must hold, or expect to hold, a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, or the foreign equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a college or university of recognized standing.
• Online application
• Application fee
• Official academic transcripts or course-by-course International Credential Evaluation
• Two (2) letters of recommendation
• Curriculum vitae (CV)/Resume
• One (1) short written response/One (1) optional short written response
• English Language Proficiency Scores—International Applicants (TOEFL, IELTS Academic, Duolingo, or PTE)
• Video recording interview: upon initial review of your application, all candidates will be sent a link to submit a brief recorded interview. Applicants should be prepared to take part in a follow-up live interview with their academic department upon request.
• Thesis proposal and portfolio: The MFA in Fashion Design thesis proposal and portfolio are the central components of the application for admission.
  • Thesis proposal: Applicants are required to submit a written thesis proposal in Slideroom as a part of their application. The thesis proposal presents the scope of work students plan to pursue in the MFA in Fashion Design program and the questions students want to attempt to answer through their research. We understand that concepts can be abstract, so students should view the proposal as a guide through the development of ideas. Applicants are encouraged to discuss the methodology that will guide their research, with an understanding that the thoughts and ideas will evolve as students go through the program. The proposal will aid the mentors and industry partners specially selected for the student’s project in crafting their personal journey, working closely with the student to define the context in which their project will best be understood.
  • Portfolio: Applicants should include their best and most recent work, and the submission should be presented as two separate PDF files.
    • The first file should be a 10-page visual representation of the thesis proposal written in the online application for admission. The committee should be able to establish a connection between the thesis proposal and the visual representation. Our committee looks for candidates who can present a record of thinking through both written and visual pieces.
    • The second file should be a 15-to-20-page selection of your work completed to date. We encourage you to look beyond conventional mediums. Your portfolio should tell a story of your creative process and how your work will confront commonplace thinking in fashion.
    • Each PDF should not exceed 10MB. 
    • If an applicant has examples of other forms of artistic pursuits, they are welcome to include these in the portfolio. This is optional and will not be considered if the program’s portfolio requirements are not met. Please make sure the link is set up for public access. If an applicant removes the original or restricts access to the link, it will no longer be viewable in SlideRoom.

GLOBAL FASHION MANAGEMENT

• Applicants must hold, or expect to hold, a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, or the foreign equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a college or university of recognized standing.
• Online application
• Application fee
• Official academic transcripts or course-by-course International Credential Evaluation
• Two (2) letters of recommendation
• Curriculum vitae (CV)/Resume
• Three (3) short written responses/One (1) optional short written response
• GRE/GMAT are not required.
• English Language Proficiency Scores—International Applicants (TOEFL, IELTS Academic, Duolingo, or PTE)

ILLUSTRATION

• Applicants must hold, or expect to hold, a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, or the foreign equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a college or university of recognized standing.
• Online application
• Application fee
• Official academic transcripts or course-by-course International Credential Evaluation
• Two (2) letters of recommendation
• Curriculum vitae (CV)/Resume
• One (1) short written responses/One (1) optional short written response
• English Language Proficiency Scores—International Applicants (TOEFL, IELTS Academic, Duolingo, or PTE)
• Video recording interview: upon initial review of your application, all candidates will be sent a link to submit a brief recorded interview. Applicants should be prepared to take part in a follow-up live interview with their academic department upon request.
• Portfolio
  • The MFA in Illustration portfolio should consist of 15 to 20 pieces. Work should showcase your best and most recent work, highlighting your technical abilities, professional ambitions, and your interests and personality. Examples might include published work, unpublished work, sketchbook pages, comics pages, animation, and gifs. Drawings from observation are required, as we evaluate conceptual ability, technical skills, and narrative sophistication.

DEFINITIONS OF REQUIREMENTS

Online Application
The School of Graduate Studies only accepts online applications. Applicants are only permitted to apply to one undergraduate or graduate program at FIT per year. The Office of Graduate Admissions uses CollegeNET for the receipt and processing of graduate applications. Through the CollegeNET account, applicants can submit and review their complete application, and access post-submission updates through the applicant portal. A link to the portal can be found on the School of Graduate Studies website.

Application Fee
All applicants must submit an application fee, payable by credit card or electronic check. Application fees are nonrefundable. If an applicant applies to a wrong program in error, it is the responsibility of the applicant to select and pay for a new application.

Academic Transcripts
The expected standard for the cumulative undergraduate grade point average is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent. Applicants from institutions based in the United States must submit official transcripts from each college or university attended, listing all courses taken, grades and degrees earned, and dates of graduation to the Office of Graduate Admissions. If you submit your application prior to the conferral of your bachelor’s degree or equivalent, you will be required to submit your official, final transcripts prior to your arrival at FIT.

Applicants are welcome to mail domestic transcripts; however, it is strongly recommended that official transcripts (U.S. institutions only) be sent electronically. If your school offers electronic delivery, transcripts can be sent to gradadmissions@fitnyc.edu. If ordering transcripts from a predetermined list of schools, make sure to choose the option for the “FIT–School of Graduate Studies.” Transcripts sent to “FIT” or “SUNY FIT” may not reach the Graduate Admissions Office.

Our mailing/email address is:

Fashion Institute of Technology
Office of Admissions, Room C139 
227 West 27th Street
New York City 10001-5992
gradadmissions@fitnyc.edu

Candidates with degrees earned outside the United States are required to obtain a course-by-course international credential evaluation. Additional information about foreign credential evaluation services can be found on our Graduate International Applicants page.

Resume/CV
A resume or CV is required that includes the applicant’s employment and professional history in reverse chronological order, with titles, dates, noting part-time or full-time experience. Applicants are encouraged to include information about relevant skills, experience, and achievements.

Essays/Written Statements
One to three short written responses are required, depending on which graduate program you are applying for. Our essay questions are designed for applicants to show their personality while communicating clearly about their educational pursuits. We encourage applicants to discuss future professional objectives, including pertinent work and travel experience. Essay topics are revealed as you complete your online application.

Standardized Test Scores
The GRE exam is not required.

English Language Proficiency Scores
Applicants who speak English as a second language must submit evidence of English Language Proficiency to do graduate work, as measured by the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing Service), PTE (Pearson Test of English), or Duolingo exams. This includes individuals who did not graduate from an undergraduate institution where the primary language of instruction was English, or come from a country where English is not the official language.

English language proficiency scores are valid for two years prior to the semester of your application.

The minimum scores for English language examinations are below.

• TOEFL: A minimum TOEFL iBT (internet-based test) score of 80
• IELTS Academic: A minimum band score of 6.5
• Duolingo: A minimum score of 105. Beginning with the Fall 2025 term, a minimum score of 110 will be required.
• PTE: A minimum score of 53

Portfolio
A portfolio is a compilation of materials that demonstrate your skills, qualifications, education, training, and experiences. Submission of an online portfolio is required for all studio programs. Requirements vary by department. Specific portfolio requirements can be found on the Portfolio Requirements page on the School of Graduate Studies website.

Recorded Interview 

Upon initial review of your application, all candidates applying for the Art Market Studies, Fashion Design, Exhibition and Experience Design, and Illustration programs will be sent a link to submit a brief recorded interview. Applicants will be given two minutes to respond to each of the four recorded questions. Applicants should be prepared to take part in a follow-up live interview with their academic department upon request.

THE ADMISSION PROCESS

The admission process for the School of Graduate Studies is a collaborative effort between the Office of Graduate Admissions and the academic program. An admission file for all applicants who meet the application requirements by the posted deadline for their respective program is forwarded to the appropriate academic department by the Office of Graduate Admissions.  

The fact that an applicant meets minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to a specific program. The Office of Graduate Admissions monitors whether the minimum admissions requirements established by the Fashion Institute of Technology are met; however, the in-depth review of an applicant’s credentials takes place within the program. Individual programs are responsible for reviewing applicants and recommending admission for the top applicants in each cycle through a self-conscious and objective measure to recommend admission or denial for candidates.

When recommending admission for a candidate, factors contributing to an offer may include, but are not limited to, the following institutional guidelines:

1. A minimum grade-point average of B or better (3.0), or demonstration of aptitude for both quantitative and qualitative coursework 
2. Applicable leadership or managerial experience
3. School of Graduate Studies English language proficiency minimums of:

• TOEFL: A minimum TOEFL iBT (internet-based test) score of 80
• IELTS Academic: A minimum band score of 6.5
• Duolingo English Test: A minimum score of 105
• PTE: A minimum score of 53

EVALUATION OF APPLICANTS

The Office of Graduate Admissions supports the candidate evaluation process by facilitating a holistic approach to reviewing application materials. Departments are responsible for determining the relative importance of each application component in the decision-making process. Factors considered when evaluating an applicant for a degree program may include, but are not limited to:

• institution(s) attended, undergraduate or graduate grade point average and performance in specific courses

• scores on English language proficiency exams

• relevant employment history

• an evaluation of the applicant’s portfolio

• the motivation and perspective of the applicant as determined by written statements

• letters of reference

• writing ability

• a recorded and personal interview (if necessary)

OFFER OF ADMISSION

Applicants will be notified that a decision has been made on their application via their email. In order to view their official decision letter, applicants must log in to their online portal. The offer of admission specifies the type of admission offered and is good only for the semester and program for which the applicant applies. A graduate applicant may be offered conditional admission if sufficient evidence is presented to suggest that the applicant has the ability to pursue graduate work. The admission offer must be officially accepted or declined by the stated deposit deadline in the admission letter. To accept their offer of admission, students must follow the process outlined in their acceptance communication and submit a non-refundable tuition deposit which is applied to the first term of tuition. 

A denial of admission is not subject to appeal. 

FIT and the School of Graduate Studies reserves the right to rescind offers of admission if applicants fail to satisfy all requirements or it is determined that admission was obtained through the use of incomplete, falsified, altered, or embellished information. The College also reserves the right to withdraw the offer of admission to any student based on cancellation or revocation of any credential required for admission.

DEFERRALS

The Office of Graduate Admissions, in coordination with the academic department, will consider requests from admitted students to defer enrollment up to a maximum of 12 months from the original enrollment date. Admitted students who are requesting a deferral will be expected to have paid a deposit prior to submitting the deferral request. If there is an extenuating circumstance in which a student cannot submit the tuition deposit, the admission department will review the request on a case-by-case basis. If a student does not enroll in the term to which they were granted admittance to, they will be required to reapply for a future term.

REAPPLICATION

FIT does not have a formal leave of absence policy and requires that any student who wishes to interrupt their studies withdraw from the College per the Office of the Registrar website. Students who wish to resume their graduate studies must be reactivated by the Office of Admission. If it has been more than one year since you last attended, you must submit a new and complete graduate application. Students who have interrupted their studies for less than a year may complete the Graduate Readmission Form. All applicants for readmission must be reviewed and approved by the program chair. Readmission is not guaranteed and is subject to availability in the program’s cohort. If admitted, the student must resolve any financial or other outstanding obligations to FIT before returning to the college, including all maintenance of matriculation fees. 

Students resuming graduate studies will be admitted under the degree requirements in effect at the time of reapplication. Courses taken 10 or more years ago are subject to revaluation and must be approved by the appropriate department chair and/or academic dean in order for students to receive credit toward their degree. The School of Graduate Studies also may set specific requirements to be fulfilled by the readmitted student during the first year of their readmission. Readmission may be revoked if the admitted student does not fulfill the requirements.

All documents submitted to the college, in support of applications for admission, academic evaluations, or required administrative processing must be true, accurate, and complete. Supporting documents must not make misrepresentations, omit relevant information, or be altered from the original. The School of Graduate Studies reserves the right to modify an admission decision, including canceling an application, denying admission, or rescinding an offer of admission, based on information provided postsubmission.