The Department of Art, Media and Performance, School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence (deemed to be University) would like to announce that admissions to the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program are now open for the academic year beginning in August 2026.

The MFA is a two-year/four-semester (minimum) program. Graduates from this program will go on to practice as artists with informed perspectives on current social and political discourses. The Department has a dynamic teaching faculty whose work is widely shown in the country and abroad, thereby impacting the arts regionally, nationally and internationally. A worldwide network of partnerships and collaborations in the institutional and professional spheres is maintained and facilitated for the growth of the Department and the benefit of the students.

(Please see the prospectus of the Department for more details).

ELIGIBILITY

The minimum entry qualifications for the MFA program are:

• A Bachelor of Fine Arts degree/diploma or an equivalent Under Graduate degree
• Applicants must also have a portfolio of work demonstrating the necessary skills and aptitude.
• Applications from international students with relevant qualifications are welcome. 

ADMISSION PROCESS

• The first step in the admission process is the online submission of the application form with all the required information (including the admission form and portfolio).
• Last date for submission of the online form isThursday, 18 June 2026.
• Based on the application and review of work, the selection committee will select candidates to be invited for a final online interview.
• These shortlisted candidates will be informed of the selection committee’s decision by Tuesday, 30 June 2026.
• The dates for the online interviews will be between Monday, 6 July- Friday, 10 July 2026. Applicants applying for the program are advised to keep the dates free for the online interview process.
• These final list of selected candidates will be informed of the selection committee’s decision by Wednesday, 15 July 2026.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Online upload of following documents is mandatory.

• Passport size photograph in colour as a JPG file (1mb)
• All Marksheets/Degree Certificates (10th standard onwards)
• Upload your portfolio as a single PDF file

Portfolio must include: 

1) an artist’s statement (500 words in English or in the applicant’s mother tongue)

2) a critical analysis (700 words in English or in the applicant’s mother tongue) of the work and practice of a contemporary Indian artist. Your response should demonstrate a well-informed understanding of their artistic approach and you should be able to contextualise the practice within broader artistic, cultural, or socio-political frameworks. Provide insights into the significance of their work and its impact on contemporary art discourse.

3) a list of technical and software skills you have

4) images of select work that best represents your practice. In the case of sound or video works, please upload them to a trusted video-sharing website and provide links.

Instructions for the portfolio

• The PDF file of the portfolio has to be less than 20 MB 
• Only 20 images will be considered. Do not upload more.
• Images in the portfolio PDF file must be labelled with:

Name, Title of Artwork, Medium, Dimensions, Year of production, Duration (for time based media works), Download/ Viewing Link for works not uploaded in the portfolio

ADMISSION PROCESS SUPPORT

For further queries regarding the admission process, please contact Mr. Kamal Arora, Executive Assistant, Department of Art, Media and Performance

Email: [email protected] | Phone : +91 8860101807

You may also reach out to any of the faculty members listed below

• Aadya Kaktikar (Head of Department): [email protected]
• Anandakrishnan S K: [email protected]
• Anupam Roy: [email protected]
• Atul Bhalla; [email protected]
• Deepti Mulgund: [email protected]
• Hemant Sreekumar (Graduate Advisor): [email protected]
• Iram Ghufran: [email protected]

MEANS-BASED SCHOLARSHIP

The University offers one means-based scholarship for candidates selected in the MFA program. The scholarship entails a full tuition fee waiver for two years. All other fee requirements have to be met by the candidate. Shortlisted candidates who are invited for an interview will be eligible to apply for this scholarship. A separate form will be sent out to candidates who wish to apply. Eligibility criteria: Family income should be less than INR 3,00,000/ per year). The final decision regarding the scholarship rests with the University. 

Would you be eligible for a means-based scholarship? 

Yes/ No

Would you like to be considered for a means-based scholarship? 

Yes/ No

TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIP

The Department offers 2 Teaching Assistantships for MFA students per batch for each academic year. The Teaching Assistant (TA) is expected to support the course instructors with Undergraduate courses offered by the Department. They get paid a monthly stipend of INR 12000 for the academic year (10 months). 

About Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Deemed to be University

Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence (SNIOE), Deemed to be University is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, research-focused and student-centric institution that is bringing a paradigm shift in higher education in India through its innovative curriculum, interdisciplinary focus, and cross-disciplinary thinking across a wide range of disciplines. The University is building an eco-system of knowledge to promote recognition of the inter-connectedness of ideas, systems, and environments in the world inside the campus, and those outside it. The University has 5 Schools, 18 Departments and 6 Research Centers engaged in teaching, practice, and research in disciplines as diverse as Engineering, Humanities & Social Sciences, Management, Natural Sciences, Art, Design, Performing Arts, Communication, and Extended Education & Professional Development. The Schools offer Bachelor, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees along with multidisciplinary curriculum to enable students to explore subjects and disciplines that may be widely different from their chosen Majors.

• The University received Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University status by the Government of India in August 2022.
• In the NIRF(Government's National Institutional Ranking Framework), SNIoE has been the youngest institution in the 'top 100' Overall list, and the score has been rising steadily. SNIoE ranked 62 in the University category, and 95 'Overall' in NIRF 2023.
• The University has been accredited with ‘A’ Gradeby the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), valid for a period of 5 years from 26 November 2019.
• SNIoE is also among a select group of green-field institutions in the country, which were awarded the prestigious Atal Incubation Centergrant by the Niti Aayog, Government of India, in the very first round in 2017. 

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