MASTER OF FINE ARTS FINE ART (University of the Arts Singapore)

NAFA hopes to attract applicants with the potential to become excellent arts practitioners. Applicants are selected by merit, based on the following criteria:

• Portfolio and Interview Requirements
• Educational Qualifications
• Language Proficiency
• Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning (APEL)

Selection is competitive and is subject to the availability of places. However, the Academy may give consideration to talented applicants who excel in Artistic Talent and Creativity, but have not fully met the education qualification stated.

Portfolio and Interview Requirements

• Research proposal (800 - 1000 words): The proposal requires you to identify the area of art practice that you intend to focus and develop during their study period, and your artistic position upon graduation.
• Personal statement (400 - 500 words): Your statement of purpose introduces you to the Admissions Committee. This is an opportunity for the committee to know more about you, your interests and background, and why you wish to pursue an MFA.
• Portfolio submission: Your portfolio should contain artworks documented in digital format (up to 15 images and/or 10 minutes of moving images or sound work). This should be submitted via a URL within a PDF document.
• Performance at interview: Interviews are normally held as part of the admissions process. Interviews are conducted in-person, or via an online platform if you are located overseas.
• Reference letters: You will need to register two referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course.

Interview Date

• 2 November 2023
• 7 December 2023
• 4 January 2024
• 1 February 2024
• 7 March 2024
• 4 April 2024

Note: You will be notified of the outcome of your application 4 to 6 weeks after your portfolio interview or audition. Some application outcomes may take longer than expected.

Educational Qualifications

A Bachelor's degree from a recognised local or international institution in Fine Art or related disciplines

English Language Proficiency

If English was not your primary medium of instruction throughout your school education, you must provide evidence at enrolment of the following:

Postgraduate alumni will develop careers in the fine arts-focused trajectories as practicing artists, curators and social change-makers, as well as thought leaders and agents of change in both public and private sectors. Others will go on to pursue careers in a variety of areas such as communication, education, architecture, management, policy-making, and the film industry. Graduates will be able to consider progression to PhDs that are relevant to their practice and research areas.

The MFA Fine Art programme is for practitioners who wish to focus on interdisciplinary art practice, critical inquiry, and cultural research in Southeast Asia. The programme is rooted in the NAFA heritage of connecting and impacting cultures and communities through art, focusing on the role of artists today and tomorrow and how their ideas are understood and grounded in various sociocultural contexts. It is proposal-driven and structured around thematic areas of investigation, situating students within certain research interests and fields of practice. It challenges students to respond to the region's sociocultural issues with courage, focusing on historical narratives, preservation of artistic practices, and urgent research in cultural economy, wellness, and sustainability relevant to Singapore's art and cultural visions.

The programme encourages experimentation and critical focus within studio practice, encompassing a diversity of disciplines including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, performance, installation, video, sound, digital media, and other expanded forms of art. Students are encouraged to test, disrupt, and deep dive into their practice, extending their research beyond the studio environment into areas of curatorial thinking, intercultural dialogue, and socially engaged art practices.