Cost and Financial Aid
The College of Arts, Media and Design is committed to working with students and parents to help meet their financial needs to attend Northeastern University. Through grants, awards, scholarships and assistantships, CAMD can help make enrollment possible for qualified students. Tuition and fee information can be found on the Student Financial Services Web site.
International Students
International students are an important part of our community. In an effort to make the transition from your native country to the United States, there are several requirements, and services to assist you. Detailed information can be found on the International Student & Scholar Institute Web site.
English Proficiency
Evidence of English proficiency may consist of satisfactory results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), satisfactory results of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, or proof of a baccalaureate or master’s degree from a college or university in which English is the only language of instruction.
The only code required for reporting purposes is our institution code, which is 3682.
Please note that TOEFL and IELTS scores are only valid for two years. Scores must be valid at the time the application is received.
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
If English is not your native language, you must submit results from the TOEFL. Proficiency in English is a prerequisite for acceptance and applicants must attain an acceptable score on this test. We expect a minimum score of 100 on the Internet-Based TOEFL (IBT) or 250 on the Computer-Based TOEFL (CBT). You should plan to take the TOEFL well in advance of the application deadline since (depending on the test center location and the test format) it may take six weeks for your scores to be sent to CAMD.
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
Students may choose to submit results from the IELTS in place of the TOEFL. CAMD expects a minimum score of 7.0 from an IELTS examination.
Certification of Finances
International students must include a completed Declaration and Certification of Finances (DCF) form. The form and original supporting documents must be submitted to the CAMD Graduate School at least sixteen weeks before enrollment to guarantee visa requirements.
Housing
Graduate housing on campus is limited and not guaranteed. Information about on-campus housing can be found at the Northeastern University Housing and Residential Life Web site. The office of Off-Campus Student Services can assist you in finding suitable housing in the Boston area, help you with any related issues associated, and answer your housing questions.
Health and Counseling
The health and well-being of our graduate students is a priority. To ensure that you meet the requirements of Massachusetts state law and understand your health care options, here is some important information that will assist you.
Health Report
All students must submit a health report that includes a physical exam within the last 12 months, documentation of a tuberculosis test within the last 10 years, and proof of immunity to tetanus, diphtheria, measles, mumps, and rubella. Please download the health report form from the University Health and Counseling Services’ Web site. The form must be returned no later than 30 days prior to the start of classes. If you do not submit the form, Health Services will block you from registering for your second semester at Northeastern.
Health Plans
As a graduate student you are automatically charged for the Northeastern University Health Plan. If you have comparable Massachusetts required insurance, you must waive the Northeastern University health plan by the deadline established by Student Accounts.
Health and Counseling Services
Northeastern University’s Health and Counseling Services comprises board certified clinicians (nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians, and physician assistants) and behavioral health experts (mental health counselors, a psychiatrist, psychologists, and social workers) who are committed to meeting the university’s health care needs. Open from 8 a.m. daily and on Saturdays, the University Health and Counseling Services also maintains a close relationship with local hospitals to provide superior health services.
Portfolio Requirements
Programs in Art + Design and certain programs in Architecture require students to submit a portfolio. You may submit a physical copy of your portfolio, or submit an electronic portfolio via SlideRoom, an online portfolio submission service. Detailed instructions for using SlideRoom are available on the site. SlideRoom charges $5 for using this submission option.
Apart from your electronic submission, certain programs suggest more specific ideas or requirements in the form of a portfolio. Return postage is required if you wish to have your portfolio returned first class. International students should send postal coupons to cover return postage. Portfolios will be returned before before May 15.
Please note: All portfolio materials will be handled with great care, but CAMD does not take responsibility for loss or damage.
Architecture
Applicants to the 2-year and 3-year graduate programs are required to submit a hard-copy portfolio. This requirement is waived for students applying to the 1-year and 3-year programs who do not have a visual arts undergraduate degree or visual arts coursework to show.
For applicants to the 2-year program and those 3-year program applicants who have a visual arts background, the portfolio requirements are as follows:
- A cover page with your name, your most recent degree and the college/university where you received your degree.
- A one-page (maximum) resume summary on the second page that includes a list of relevant software skills (for example SketchUp, AutoCAD, Adobe CS, etc.) and a list of your past architecture design studio courses including year, level, instructor’s name, credit hours and subject focus (for example: introductory design or urban housing)
- Your academic projects in reverse chronological order, including course name, instructor and a brief synopsis of the design problem.
- If you include professional projects (not required) they should be included in a separate section of the portfolio and should include project name, firm, supervisor, a brief synopsis of your role, and a brief synopsis of the project brief.
- All non-architectural creative work, such as painting, drawing, photography, etc., should be included in the last section of the portfolio. Labels for the work should follow the same format as architectural design work (see #3).
- Your portfolio should be no larger than 9 x 12 inches.
Further information about portfolio requirements can be found on the School of Architecture Web site.
Art + Design
The portfolio requirements are as follows:
- Select your work for your portfolio application
- The application portfolio requires a minimum of 15 individual images (20 maximum) of recent original work. Your portfolio may include work that is focused primarily in the area in which you will focus your graduate study.It is reasonable that an applicant may want to include a detail or an alternate view of a piece. You may include up to two additional views per entry. In the event that a Web site is included, up to three screen grabs of the Web site may be submitted. A screen grab is a JPEG of the Web page, not the Web page itself. Three examples of animated work may also be included on the CD portfolio. QuickTime digital video format is preferred. Maximum size for each movie should be 720×480 @ 20MS max.
- Develop inventory
- Prepare a one-page document listing the following for each portfolio image or video file. Please label each image or video file by number.
- Prepare digital images of your work
- You may use a digital camera, scanner, or film camera to capture your images or copy images created digitally for your application portfolio.
- All images need:
- Image or video file number
- Title of the piece
- Medium
- Category or description of the pieces
- Size (width, then height)
- Sharp focus
- Accurate color
- Tight cropping without wide borders to frame the image
- Center and edges of the piece should be evenly lit
- All images must be:
- RGB
- JPEG file format
- File size less than 2 MB
- Named properly – use only the 26 letters of the alphabet, the 10 digits and a period (.). Do not use the following or anything similar: $ # & / I @ % * ()
Contact
Feel free to contact us at gscamd@neu.edu with any questions about your application to CAMD.