You must submit all of the materials outlined below to complete an application for the Master of Arts in Teaching program. Visit How to Apply for an overview of the admissions process.
Program Application
The application will ask for your personal information, and you will be able to submit the following items as attachments within the application form:
- Digital Portfolio
- Personal Essay
- Current Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
You will be asked to fill in your recommenders’ contact information in the application. Afterwards, we will send an email with a link to your recommenders to complete an Endorsement Form.
After you submit your application, you can use the Applicant Portal to upload your college transcripts, track your application progress, and if offered admission, make an enrollment decision.
Start or continue your application here
Application Fee
To submit the application, you will need to pay a non-refundable application fee of $70. The fee can be paid by credit card within the web application.
We offer application fee waivers to anyone. Please be in touch with us at GraduateAdmissions@meca.edu for instructions to receive a fee waiver.
Digital Portfolio
Please submit a digital portfolio directly in your application. Your portfolio should include 10–20 individual works of art, or up to 15 minutes of video. Your portfolio must showcase your proficiency in two or more mediums.
If an artwork needs to be described through close-up shots or detail shots, please collage the images together into a single image submission.
A strong portfolio should be properly documented to succinctly convey your studio practice. We strongly encourage you to submit your most recent complete works to demonstrate an active studio practice and your creative trajectory at the time of application.
We do not accept portfolio submissions in any other formats, such as mailed in CDs, USB drives, or physical slides.
Personal Essay
In 750 words or less, please answer the following prompts:
- Please outline your interest in our MAT program: Why are you pursuing an MAT, and why now? How is the college a good fit for you, and how do you see yourself being a strong addition to the cohort?
- Please describe your creative practice in the context of your portfolio submission and the program application: Why are you presenting this body of work for the program application? What art historical connections have you identified in your portfolio, and how might your relationship with your practice translate into teaching in the art classroom?
- Please share your goals for graduate studies: What do you want to achieve during your time in our MAT program? What are your goals as an art educator after graduate school? How can our community and network help you reach these goals?
A strong Personal Essay should place equal emphasis on all of the above, and show a clear understanding of the relationship between your personal journey, your vision, and your goals for graduate study.
Please upload this document as one PDF attachment in your application.
Current Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
Please submit a résumé or curriculum vitae that captures your professional and academic history at the time of application.
Please upload this document as a PDF directly in your application.
Two Endorsement Forms
Instead of writing a letter of recommendation, your recommenders will complete an Endorsement Form. The form will ask your recommenders to address qualities that a strong art educator should possess:
- Passion for the visual world;
- Capacity for innovation and intuition;
- Willingness to foster respectful critique; and
- Ability to reflect on challenging situations.
In the Application, you will be asked to enter the names, titles, emails, and phone numbers for your two recommenders, as well as the nature of your relationships and how long you have known them. The Application will automatically send an email with a link to the Endorsement Form to your recommenders.
At least one of your recommenders should be an instructor/professor or in the field of art or education. Be sure to take into consideration whether or not your recommender can speak to the above qualities at a professional capacity. Refrain from citing them as “friends” in your application as it may introduce bias, even if your relationship is both professional and personal.
You can submit your application before your Endorsement Forms are completed, but please be diligent with following up with your recommenders. You can check their submission statuses in the Applicant Portal.
College Transcripts & Academic Prerequisites
Applicants should either hold a BFA or BA in Studio Art, or meet our alternate prerequisites (see “all other degree holders” for more information). Applicants should also have a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) or above from all previous degrees held.
Maine College of Art & Design alumni can request a free transcript transfer via email at registrar@meca.edu.
You can either submit unofficial transcripts in the web application as a PDF attachment, or request official college transcripts to be sent to us electronically to GraduateAdmissions@meca.edu, or to the following address:
Maine College of Art & Design
Attn: MAT Admissions
522 Congress Street
Portland, Maine 04101
BFA or BA in Studio Art degree holders
You academic history satisfies our prerequisites.
All other degree holders
If you don’t hold a degree in Studio Art, you can be alternatively qualified for our MAT program by meeting the following prerequisites:
- 6 earned credits in Art History.
- Completing the Praxis Art: Content Knowledge (5134) test with a passing score of 158 or higher.
We admit candidates conditionally on a case-by-case basis, leaving adequate time to meet our alternate prerequisites ahead of our program start date.
Undergraduate seniors
All of the above prerequisites apply to you and you must complete your undergraduate studies with an expected graduation date ahead of our program start date. We reserve the right to rescind offers of admission to applicants who fail to graduate on time or meet our GPA requirements upon completion of their undergraduate studies.
Virtual Interview
Applicants who meet the requirements listed above may be scheduled for a 20-minute virtual interview. You will be notified via email if your application is approved for the interviewing stage. Please note that you must meet the requirements listed above in order for the Admissions office to move forward with your application.
International Applicants
Maine College of Art & Design welcomes applications from international students. In addition to the above application process and future communications related to enrollment, there are additional steps required to successfully join us as an international student.
Additional steps required for international students
Due to the time involved in fulfilling legal requirements, we strongly advise international applicants to complete their applications by the Full Tuition Scholarship Deadline. If offered admission, we also advise you to enroll well ahead of the decision due date.
Tips & Notes
- To learn more about our MAT program, visit Program Overview.
- To learn more about the financial commitment and funding opportunities, visit Scholarships, Tuition & Fees, and Financial Aid.
- If you are eligible for the US Federal Student Loan, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Our School Code is 011673.
- All incoming MAT students will start during the Summer Institute in July 2025. We do not offer Fall or Spring entry into the program.
- Applications are reviewed with consideration given to the strength of the portfolio, personal essay, academic achievement, and cohesion across application materials, as well as performance in the virtual interview.
- Please consider completing your application by the earliest deadline. The sooner you apply, the sooner you receive an admission decision and the more time you have to prepare for enrollment. While we are often able to offer admission during the rolling admission period, we cannot guarantee decision extensions, deferral requests, or graduate housing.
Questions?
Contact us at GraduateAdmissions@meca.edu or call 207.699.5023.