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Read the Graduate Studies Brochure for 2007-08
The college encourages application for admission to graduate degree programs from students with undergraduate degrees from institutions that are regionally accredited, or have appropriate programmatic accreditation, or have been evaluated and proven to be equivalent in course content and level of instruction to SCAD, or are recognized by the ministry of education or equivalent agency in the applicant’s home country. All graduate degree applicants should review the graduate candidacy and completion requirements in the academic policies section.
Applicants who have earned a five-year NAAB-accredited Bachelor of Architecture degree may be considered on a case-by-case basis for admission to the graduate year (final 45 hours) of the professional Master of Architecture degree program. Such applicants also have the option of applying to the postprofessional Master of Architecture degree program. Applicants who have earned a non-NAAB-accredited undergraduate degree in architecture or have earned an accredited undergraduate degree in another discipline may be admitted into the professional Master of Architecture program with required undergraduate prerequisite courses. Such applicants are required to take a minimum of 90 credit hours to complete the professional Master of Architecture program. All applicants are evaluated individually according to previous educational experience and level of achievement.
 Any student accepted into a graduate degree program may be required to take preliminary courses necessary to develop graduate level competency in certain areas. Courses are assigned at the admission review on the basis of the student’s prior educational experience, level of achievement and the desired program of study. Students must complete each required preliminary course with a grade of 3.0 or better and pass a faculty review. Required preliminary courses may be taken concurrently with graduate courses upon approval of the student’s faculty adviser.
Students who seek to be exempted from any assigned preliminary course must petition to do so and must provide documentation supporting the petition. In the case that a preliminary course may be exempted, students do not receive credit for the exempted course, but it may be eliminated from the student’s preliminary course requirements.
Graduate students apply for and are accepted into specific major departments. Students who wish to change from one department to another must meet all admission requirements for the new department.
Graduate students enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts program who wish to change to the Master of Arts program within the same department must submit a change of degree objective form to the office of graduate studies.
- Completed application for admission. The application form and application fee may be submitted prior to submission of supporting documents.
- Nonrefundable $25 application fee if submitted online; $50 application fee if submitted in paper form. Both application and fee must be received by the admission office for processing to begin.
- Official transcript from each college attended. International transcripts must be in English or accompanied by a certified English translation. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree or should anticipate completion of a bachelor’s degree before enrollment in the graduate program. Transcripts are evaluated to determine the conferment of a bachelor’s degree from an institution that is regionally accredited, or has appropriate programmatic accreditation, or has been evaluated and proven to be equivalent in course content and level of instruction to SCAD, or is recognized by the ministry of education or equivalent agency in the applicant’s home country, and to determine the applicant’s breadth of coursework and preparedness to undertake graduate-level study. Completion of relevant coursework on the undergraduate level is expected prior to progressing into graduate study. Art history applicants should show evidence of foreign language study at the undergraduate level; architectural history applicants should show evidence of studio-based experience. Arts administration applicants should show completion of related coursework in an art field, media or entertainment, communications or business as well as computer literacy. Cinema studies applicants should show completion of coursework in the humanities. Dramatic writing and professional writing applicants should show academic preparation relative to graduate study in those disciplines, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the major area of undergraduate study. Dramatic writing and professional writing applicants whose undergraduate transcripts show grades of C or below in any writing courses may be required to repeat equivalent courses as preliminary coursework before progressing into the graduate level writing courses. For all applicants, syllabi of specific coursework may be requested to aid in evaluation. The Admission Review Committee gives preference to applicants with a 3.0 grade point average or above. In extremely rare cases, the completion of a bachelor’s degree may not be required. These applications are evaluated on an individual basis.
- Recommendations. Applicants should submit three recommendations. All recommendations must be professional in nature and may not come from friends or family members. Recommendations may be written by professors, advisers, supervisors or community leaders who have had immediate contact with the applicant and who have knowledge of the applicant’s level of commitment and history of achievement. Recommendations should address attributes such as the applicant’s creativity, initiative, motivation, character and achievements, thus assessing the applicant’s reasonable potential for success as a student at SCAD.
- Statement of purpose. The statement should be a 500- to 750-word overview of the applicant’s academic and professional experience, describing preparation for and commitment to further study in a specific discipline. The applicant should state personal and professional goals related to the pursuit of an advanced degree in the discipline, indicating the applicant’s intended focus. The statement of purpose should describe qualifications for graduate study, and should demonstrate a high level of interest in and a highly developed understanding of the discipline.
- Portfolio or audition. Portfolios and auditions are evaluated individually by faculty from the department of application, as well as by the Admission Review Committee. An inventory sheet should accompany the portfolio. In the case of a group project, applicants should specify their role in the project and source material should be credited, where applicable. View available Audition dates here. Students also may submit audition recordings. (See graduate portfolio guidelines.)
- Résumé. The résumé should include educational and professional experience or other employment, and should list commissioned works, exhibitions, honors, memberships, interests and activities, including volunteer work.
- Interview encouraged, but not required. Applicants may arrange to visit the college and schedule an interview, tour or portfolio consultation at any time during the year. Telephone or e-mail interviews are acceptable. Admission representatives also may conduct interviews while traveling. Grad SCAD Days also provide opportunities for a tour, interview and portfolio consultation. Click here to see a schedule of Grad SCAD Days and information about college tours.
- GRE scores. The applicant must demonstrate to the Admission Review Committee adequate educational preparation to complete the graduate program and may be required to take the Graduate Record Examination. Submission of Graduate Record Examination scores is strongly advised for applicants to architectural history, art history, arts administration, cinema studies and postprofessional Master of Architecture degree programs. GRE scores are recommended, but not required, for admission to other graduate programs. GRE scores at or above the national mean may be one measure to indicate the ability to succeed in academic coursework at the graduate level with preference given to students with GRE scores at or above the national mean. Above average scores may qualify accepted students for fellowships.
Application materials cannot be returned.
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