NYU IFA MA vs. PhD

[dnosarth]

Hi!

I was wondering if anyone is considering applying to/has applied to NYU's programs? I reached out to the admissions office and was told that if I don't get accepted to their PhD program, my application will NOT be considered for the MA. And so I will need to apply for both MA and PhD to be considered for both. 

I am rather confused and lost: applying to both programs feels weird (and expensive) but also I want to up my chances of getting into NYU. What should I do? Is this normal?

Any advice on this will be so appreciated!

 

[jmrobinson]

Hi! Is there someone you feel you *need* to work with at the Institute? If not, I would very much recommend NOT going to the Institute as a terminal MA, for a multitude of reasons, nearly all of which come back to cost, and money, attention and resources being skewed toward the PhDs at the expense of the MAs. I have had multiple full professors of Art History in NYC who received their PhDs from the Institute literally call the terminal MA program a "hell hole" or a "scam."

My recommendation, again, if there is someone specific you would like to advise you at the Institute, would be to apply to the PhD, and pick more affordable terminal MA programs to apply to if you do not get admitted to the IFA as a PhD student, with the intention of reapplying to the IFA for a PhD once you have received your MA. Hope this is helpful!