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School of the Museum of Fine Arts
| Tufts University

Welcome, Admitted Graduate Students

And congratulations! We are thrilled to welcome you to the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University. 

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. The following events have been designed to help you get to know our community and make your enrollment decision:

SMFA: Admitted Student Tour & Open Studios
Friday, March 7, 2025 at 2:30pm-5:00pm EST Register
Admitted graduate students are encouraged to join us for this special on-campus event! Join us for an introduction to our graduate community, specialized art facilities, and studio spaces. This tour will include both the Fenway building and Mission Hill Building and will conclude with the Open Studios event.

SMFA: Virtual Admitted Grad Programs Community Panel
Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 7:00pm EST Register
Admitted graduate students are encouraged to join us for this special virtual event, where members of the SMFA at Tufts community including current students, faculty, and the MFA Program Director Laurel Nakadate will be ready to help you learn more about the program!

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences: Admitted International Student Webinar
Monday, March 24, 2025 at 9:00am EST Register
Join the International Center and Graduate Admissions to learn more about the Visa process and the Tufts community. Attendees will have the opportunity to submit their questions to the panelists throughout the event.

SMFA: MFA Admit & Museum Studies Virtual Info Session
Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 7:00pm - 7:30pm EST Register
Admitted MFA students are invited to join Museum Studies faculty and program director Cynthia Robinson and Admissions to learn more about the Museum Studies Concentration available to students enrolling in the MFA program.

SMFA: Admitted Student Tour & Program Sit-In
Friday, March 28, 2025 at 10:00am - 2:00pm EST Register
Admitted graduate students are invited to join us for a personalized tour and program sit in experience. Meet current graduate students, visit the studios, tour our facilities and sit in with the graduate students in their cohort mentorship class. This is a great opportunity to socialize with your new community!

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences: Admitted Student Housing & Financial Aid
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 at 10:00am EST Register
In this virtual session, we will talk about housing and loan options for admitted students.

SMFA: Admitted Student Tour & Program Sit-In
Friday, April 4, 2025 at 10:00am - 2:00pm EST Register
Admitted graduate students are invited to join us for a personalized tour and program sit in experience. Meet current graduate students, visit the studios, tour our facilities, and sit in with the graduate students in their cohort mentorship class. This is a great opportunity to socialize with your new community!

SMFA: Admitted Student Tour & Program Sit In
Friday, April 11, 2025 at 10:00am - 2:00pm EST Register
Admitted graduate students are invited to join us for a personalized tour and program sit in experience. Meet current graduate students, visit the studios, tour our facilities, and sit in with the graduate students in t heir cohort mentorship class. This is a great opportunity to socialize with your new community!

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 smfagradadmissions@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 at Tufts Graduate Admissions with any questions.

Financial Planning

Complete information about tuition and fees can found here. Scholarships 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. 

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.

SMFA Alumni 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. 

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. 

When you accept, you will be prompted 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

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