IDSVA has enabled me to work harder and strive more than I ever have in my life with the
greatest payoff possible! The faculty is the most helpful, organized,
and intelligent group of people you will ever meet.
~ Alexx Shaw
IDSVA has rolling admissions. The institution enrolls approximately twelve candidates per year.
Upcoming enrollment dates:
May 2011
July 2011
IDSVA seeks candidates engaged in an established studio practice or similar creative practice (e.g., architecture, curatorial studies, criticism of art and/or visual culture, art history) who wish to develop their critical and scholarly interests through the rigorous study of philosophy, aesthetics, and theory. It is expected that IDSVA candidates anticipate the further development of their creative endeavors through advanced academic study.
Applicants must hold an MFA, M.Arch., or a master’s level degree in a visual arts discipline. Criteria for evaluation will include undergraduate and graduate transcripts from accredited institutions of higher learning. The minimum grade point average in both cases is 3.0. A working knowledge of art history, critical theory, and philosophy should be demonstrated in the graduate transcripts. Applicants should submit an essay of purpose outlining a particular interest in doctoral studies in the visual arts and stating in specific and well-exemplified terms the problems and questions to be addressed while working toward the PhD. An additional writing sample is required. An academic paper written for course work or publication will suffice, and informal essays are acceptable. Applicants should provide three letters of
recommendation, two of which should support the applicant's ability to perform PhD level scholarship. A curriculum vitae should be submitted. For those applying who hold an MFA, the third recommendation may address the applicant's studio practice in terms of philosophical significance and promise.
Additionally, candidates who hold the MFA are asked to submit a studio portfolio. The admissions committee will consider the portfolio as a means of contextualizing the application and not as a determining factor in the admissions process. The portfolio should consist of a CD with 20 high-resolution images saved in jpeg format and an artist statement of no more than 500 words.
Because of the unique design of this PhD program, credit from previous graduate level work is not transferable and credit is not given for experience. When the application file is complete, an Admissions interview (by telephone) will be scheduled.
Under current U.S. Federal Law, IDSVA cannot provide Visa support to applicants who are non-U.S. citizens.
Application Checklist:
1. To apply online and pay the $50 application fee, click here.
These documents should be sent in one email, attached as Word or PDF documents.
- current curriculum vita
- letter of purpose, minimum of 750 words
- one writing sample
- artist statement of no more than 500 words, (for holders of the MFA)
3. Send the following by mail to:
IDSVA Admissions Committee
130 Neal Street
Portland, ME 04101
- official sealed copies of undergraduate and graduate transcripts
- 3 letters of recommendations, as signed hard copies in sealed envelopes
- CD of studio work (for holders of the MFA). The CD should contain twenty high-resolution jpegs as single files, not in a Word or PowerPoint document.
4. Once the application file is complete, an Admissions interview (by telephone) will be scheduled.
IDSVA is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and affirmatively seeks to attract to its faculty, staff and student body qualified persons of diverse backgrounds. In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Maine law, IDSVA does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual's sex, race, color, religion, age, handicap or national or ethnic origin; nor does IDSVA discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.
The PhD for working art professionals
To arrange for an informational interview contact Amy Curtis at:
or 207-879-8757
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