In addition to the general graduate application requirements, here are a few more items you'll need to complete your Mills admission application.
Note: If you’re an international student who is interested in applying to Mills, please visit our application requirements for international graduate students page first.
After the fall priority deadline of February 1, we consider applications on a space-available basis until July 15. If you cannot submit all of your materials by the priority deadline, here is our complete list of application deadlines:
We strongly encourage you to apply for admission by February 1 to receive the earliest consideration for our department's assistantships.
Please upload 15–20 images of your visual work (books, photographs, prints, drawings, and installations) to the portfolio section of the Mills admission application. Each image must be accompanied by a detailed description including title, size, format, technique, and the names of your collaborators, if applicable. You may also upload up to 10 minutes of video showcasing time-based work and/or performance pieces.
The artist's statement is your opportunity to provide us with insight into who you are as a person, what your thought process is as an artist, and where you wish to go in the future with your art. It should be typed, double spaced, and no longer than one page in length. In it you should introduce the work you are submitting in your digital portfolio, clearly articulating the nature and direction of your work. Upload your artist's statement in the statement of purpose section of the Mills online admission application.
As the final step in submitting your application materials, please upload a standard resume or curriculum vitae highlighting your book art projects, relevant work experience, and educational background. After submitting your online application, log in to your Check Your Application Status page and use the upload materials option to add your resume/CV to your application materials.
Students of all genders are eligible for admission to Mills graduate programs. On the undergraduate level, self-identified women and people assigned female sex at birth who do not identify with the gender binary are eligible for admission.
Given the rigorous nature of this program and the need to follow the sequence of courses, part-time attendance is not possible.
Mills offers a number of opportunities both in and out of the classroom to gain hands-on teaching experience, including course work, paid assistantships, and volunteer teaching assistantships.
Book art MFA students also can choose to offer undergraduate workshops outside of class hours. While academic credit is not awarded for leading undergraduate workshops, the opportunity provides valuable experience in workshop preparation, pacing, and articulating craft practice.
Mills is committed to ensuring that a high-quality education is within reach for those who have the desire and qualifications to attend. Financial aid options for graduate book art students include part-time graduate assistantships designed to offer professional experience and financial support
All prospective students are also advised to apply for federal and state financial aid in the form of loans.
Visit the graduate programs cost and aid page for detailed information. If you have questions about your financial aid options, contact your graduate admission counselor at 510.430.3309 or grad-admission@mills.edu.
If you have any questions about your program, please reach out to us at 510.430.3309 or grad-admission@mills.edu to connect with your admission counselor.
Mills College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, marital status, age, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, or disability in our admission policies, in our scholarship and loan programs, or in the educational programs, cocurricular activities, and residential facilities which we operate. Students of all genders are eligible for admission to our graduate programs. Self-identified women and people assigned female sex at birth who do not identify with the gender binary are eligible for admission to our undergraduate programs.