Welcome, Admitted Graduate Students

This year’s admitted graduate classes are comprised of thoughtful, curious, and passionate artists, eager to connect scholarship to creative process. You submitted thoughtful work, showcasing your commitment to addressing social justice, gender equality, environmental conservation, and more. You donate your time to local organizations, participate in residencies around the world, work in museums and education, and are bravely setting a course for a lifelong commitment to artistic practice. We are eager to have you join our community. 

Please save the date for a special event for admitted students on the SMFA campus on Friday, March 10! Admitted students will be receiving detailed invitations in the coming days to join us for this and additional virtual events. 

We are here to support you as you decide which graduate program is right for you. Please get in touch with any questions or concerns by emailing smfaadmissions@tufts.edu. Below is some helpful information for you as you make your enrollment decision.

Ready to Enroll?

Log into your Tufts Portal to complete your Decision Reply Form!

Connect With Us

Admitted MFA and Post-baccalaureate students should check their email for updates about ways to connect with us virtually and should contact SMFA admissions with any questions.

Financial Planning

Complete information about tuition and fees can found here. Merit awards are set prior to your first year in the program and are awarded again for your second year upon successful completion of your first. Please reach out the SMFA graduate admission team with any questions you have concerning your merit award. For questions regarding your financial aid package, please contact the Financial Aid office.

Student Employment

MFA candidates can apply for teaching assistantships (TA) after their first semester. The Graduate Programs Office will communicate which classes need TA positions filled each semester. Students will apply to the faculty member of the class with a cover letter and CV. 

For the 2022/23 academic year, the TA position pays $2,850 per semester (before taxes).

Students can learn about and apply for additional positions around the through the Handshake platform using their Tufts ID. To learn more about student employment, visit the Financial Services website.

Additional local employment opportunities in the arts can be found on sites such as Hire Culture.

Travel and Research Funding

Graduate students may apply for various grants during their study, such as the Dean’s Research Award (up to $500) or the Tufts Graduate Research Competition (up to $1000).   

The Montague Travel Grant is specifically designed to support a student’s thesis research through international travel. Applications are reviewed twice a year by a panel of graduate faculty.
 
The Hamburg Exchange with the University of Fine Arts, Hamburg (HFBK) allows students from select international art schools to participate in a live/work studio experience in Hamburg, Germany while being taught and mentored by HFBK faculty.

Our graduates are eligible to apply for our Traveling Fellowship. Each year, this fellowship provides up to $10,000 to approximately 10 artists to travel, research, and create work. Traveling Fellowship recipients are also considered for a bi-annual solo show at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. View recent recipients and see what some of our MFA graduates are planning.

Post-Graduate Teaching Fellowships

MFA graduates who are interested in teaching in higher education can apply for a Post-Graduate Teaching Fellowship (PGTF) for the year following completion of your MFA. PGTFs receive a studio for the full year in the Mission Hill building and are responsible for all elements of their course at SMFA, from course design to preparation, ordering supplies, scheduling models, grading, attendance, awarding credit, syllabus, and 13-weeks of instruction. Due to the structure of the SMFA curriculum, which brings together students of varied skill-sets and ideological backgrounds, the PGTF experience provides a critical foundation for teaching at the university level.

Moving to Boston

View off-campus resources for finding apartments. This site will be available to students once they have their Tufts email and login information. 

Students tend to prefer living in neighborhoods close to public transportation and the studios. The SMFA campus has buildings in the Fenway and Mission Hill neighborhoods of Boston and many graduate students live in the nearby Allston, Brighton, Jamaica Plain (JP), Roslindale, and Roxbury areas. Learn more about Boston neighborhoods and places of interest.

Enrolling at SMFA at Tufts

Log into your Tufts Portal to find your Decision Reply Form and mark if you accept or decline your offer of admission. 

If you accept, the next step will take you to a page where you will be asked to submit a deposit of $300. Note: you are able to accept admission to SMFA and pay the deposit at a later date.

Enrolled Student Checklist

• Log into your Tufts Portal to get your Tufts ID and email account. Important information will be sent to your new Tufts email account so set this up as early as possible.
• Complete necessary forms for Tufts Health Service.
• Submit your official transcripts to Tufts Graduate Admissions.
• International students should contact the Tufts International Center (I-Center) to arrange for a visa and explore resources specific for International Students
• Visit your account in the Student Information System (SIS) for course registration, grades, billing, and more. Begin to browse courses that interests you before meeting with your graduate academic advisor in late summer
• Order a discounted MBTA pass so you can explore all Boston has to offer!