For general admission questions, please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at gradadmissions@fitnyc.edu.
Applicants seeking admission to one of FIT’s graduate programs must hold an earned bachelor’s degree or equivalent. They must also meet the appropriate prerequisites as required by the departments.
All applicants—regardless of program of study—must submit at minimum:
1. Online Application for Admission: The School of Graduate Studies only accepts online applications, submitted exclusively from September to March. The Office of Graduate Admissions uses CollegeNET for the receipt and processing of graduate applications. Applications will not be reviewed until all necessary elements are received.
2. Academic Transcripts: Applicants 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. Transcripts must be mailed directly from the college/university registrar OR sent electronically from services such as eSCRIP-SAFE, Parchment, and National Student Clearinghouse.
3. Curriculum Vitae/Resume: A resume or CV that includes the applicant’s employment and professional history in reverse chronological order, with job titles and dates, noting part-time or full-time experience. Applicants are encouraged to include information about relevant skills, experience, and achievements.
4. Letters of Recommendation: Three letters of recommendation are required. Recommenders should be able to speak to your scholastic ability or professional performance. Recommenders will be required to complete and submit an online evaluation form through the online application system. Mailed and emailed recommendation letters will not be accepted.
5. Essays/Written Statements: 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. Applicants to the MFA in Fashion Design are also required to submit a one-page written thesis proposal as a part of their application.
Program-Specific Admission Requirements
Prerequisite Courses
MA in Art Market Studies
Art History Requirement
All students entering the program are expected to have taken two college-level courses in the history of art. Equivalent experience or coursework, however, will be considered, and the application will include a field for candidates to discuss their academic background in art.
MA in Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice
- Foreign Language Requirement
Entering students must have some proficiency in the use of at least one language other than English. Preferred languages are French, Italian, Spanish, and German (in that order), but other languages are acceptable. The requirement may be met in one of the following ways:
- Two years (usually four college terms) of a foreign language on their academic transcript;
- Students with prior experience in a language or studied a language in a nontraditional way may take a proficiency exam to given by the department once each term to demonstrate mastery of their language at the appropriate level.
- Chemistry Requirement
All students entering the program are required to have taken one term of college level chemistry with a lab component (usually called General Chemistry I). This course can be taken at any accredited college or community college and can be taken pass/fail.
- Art History Requirement
All students entering the program are required to have taken four courses in the history of art. Up to two of those courses can be from related humanities areas such as history, archaeology, or literature.
MPS in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management
- Prior to matriculation, candidates may be required to have satisfactorily completed undergraduate courses in marketing principles, macroeconomics, and accounting or finance, depending on undergraduate field of study and previous professional experience.
Standardized Test Scores
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are recommended for the MA in Art Market Studies and required for the MA in Fashion and Textile Studies and the MPS in Global Fashion Management programs. Competitive applicants should score above the 50th percentile in all areas. These are not cut-off scores, as a holistic approach is taken when making admissions decisions.
Note: The MPS in Global Fashion Management will accept Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores in lieu of the GRE.
GRE scores must be submitted in paper or electronically from Educational Testing Service to institution code 2257.
Professional Experience
MPS in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management
- Candidates must have a minimum of three years of work experience in an industry related to their course of study. Preference is given to candidates with at least five years of work experience, global work or study experience, and foreign language proficiency.
MPS in Global Fashion Management
- Applicants must have a minimum of three years’ work experience in a fashion-related industry, preferably on a managerial level.
MFA in Illustration
- Applicants must have three years of work experience after earning a bachelor’s degree in illustration or a related field.
Online Portfolio
The MA in Exhibition and Experience Design, MFA in Fashion Design, and MFA in Illustration programs require submission of an online portfolio using SlideRoom after submitting the application for admission. There is a $10 (USD) charge for your SlideRoom account access. This fee is separate from the online application fee.
Portfolio Requirements
MA in Exhibition and Experience Design
The portfolio should consist of 20 pieces of design work within one single PDF file. The portfolio should include:
- Samples of drafting in AutoCAD or Vectorworks
- Demonstration of proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite programs including Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop
- 3D digital rendering in 3D Studio Max, SketchUp or other programs
- Additional work in sketching, hand rendering, other software applications a plus.
PDF files with more than 20 pages will not be accepted. If you have examples of other forms of artistic pursuits such as photography, painting, sculpture or media, please include these with your portfolio. Creative expression, looseness, and playfulness are appreciated.
MFA in Fashion Design
The portfolio is the central component of your application for admission. You should include your best and most recent work, and your submission should be presented as two separate PDF files. Each PDF should not exceed 10MB.
- The first file should be a 10-page visual representation of the thesis proposal written in your online application for admission. The committee should be able to establish a connection between the thesis proposal and the visual representation.
- The second file should be a 15- to 20-page selection of your work completed to date. We encourage applicants to look beyond conventional mediums. The portfolio should tell a story of your creative process and how your work will confront commonplace thinking in fashion.
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.
MFA in Illustration
The portfolio should consist of 15-20 pieces, including a Microsoft Word document listing commissioned or unpublished works. Slides and original work are not accepted.
Work should showcase best and recent work, demonstrating range and skill across various types of artistic media. Life drawings and drawings from observation are required, as we evaluate conceptual ability, technical skills, and narrative sophistication.
Quality of portfolio presentation is considered. Images should be submitted as LOW-RES files (72 dpi), using the format #_Lastname.jpeg, with each illustration numbered sequentially.