Please take a moment to fill out the form below and I will be in touch as soon as possible to help answer any immediate questions and facilitate the next steps in the admissions process.
I'm looking forward to working with you.
Best,
Molly Davis
Director of Administration & Director of Admissions
We are now accepting applications for September 2025 on a rolling basis.
Step 1: Create a profile and fill out an online application here. You will use this Blackbaud profile to track your application status.
Step 2: Review your checklist on your Blackbaud profile and submit documents as they are ready. You will be asked to submit the following information:
All written documents should be attached as a PDF document. Application materials can be sent in stages.
Step 3: Three letters of recommendation must be sent by the references to IDSVA through your Blackbaud portal. The letters are preferably written on letterhead, and at least two of the three letters should come from faculty who can support the applicant’s ability to perform PhD level scholarship.
Step 4: Arrange for your academic institutions to send official sealed copies of undergraduate and graduate transcripts to:
IDSVA Admissions Committee
63 Federal Street, Portland, ME 04101
or by secure email to: admissions@idsva.edu
Step 5: Once your materials have been submitted, a representative from the admissions committee will be in touch to arrange for an admissions interview.
To apply for financial aid: Go to Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and log in or create a new account. When prompted, enter the IDSVA school code G41888. If accepted, your completed application file, along with the FAFSA information, will be forwarded to the Scholarship Committee. You will also be eligible for Federal Student Loans. Learn more about scholarships.
Questions: Contact the Director of Admissions, Molly Davis at (800) 240-7357 / info@idsva.edu
Degree Requirements: Applicants must hold a master’s level degree. 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.
Statement of Intent: Applicants should submit an essay of purpose that describes their interest in pursuing doctoral studies in the visual arts, indicates related elements of their personal/artistic journey, and offers a preliminary sense of what themes and questions they hope to explore through a course of study in philosophy, aesthetics, and art theory. For more detailed information, please view this document.
Writing Sample: Applicants should provide a writing sample of academic quality and style, such as a paper written for coursework, publication, or a portion of an MFA thesis. The sample should be between 10-20 pages double-spaced.
Letters of Recommendation: Applicants should provide three letters of recommendation, at least two of which should come from faculty who can support the applicant’s ability to perform PhD level scholarship. For those applying who hold an MFA, the third recommendation may address the applicant’s studio practice in terms of philosophical significance and promise.
Portfolio and Artist Statement: Candidates who have a studio practice may also submit a portfolio and artist statement. The admissions committee will consider the portfolio and artist statement as a means of contextualizing the application and not as a determining factor in the admissions process.
Credit Transfer: Students may transfer up to four credits completed at other schools toward the IDSVA PhD. Graduate work is considered for transfer on an individual basis by the Director of the School. The work must be of acceptable quality and appropriate to the IDSVA course of study.
Admission Deferral: Accepted applicants admitted into a particular enrollment may defer admission to a later enrollment without penalty. If, however, admission is delayed for more than one year beyond the initial acceptance, the accepted applicant is required to reapply; readmission is not guaranteed.
International Students: Foreign students are welcome to apply and can pursue doctoral study from their country of residence. IDSVA can issue F-1 Visas to foreign students for the residencies held in the U.S. This means that foreign students can travel to the U.S. to attend the one-week residency held in New York City. The Visa does not provide for full-time residence in the U.S.
Statement on Discrimination:
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.
"I'm thrilled that only four months after receiving my degree from IDSVA I’ve been hired for an exciting position as full-time faculty and curator at an incredible institution, a dream come true!"
Dr. Leonie Bradbury, IDSVA PhD ’19
Henry and Lois Foster Chair of Contemporary Art Theory and Practice and Distinguished Curator-in-Residence at Emerson College