At Boston University School of Visual Arts (SVA), we nurture the creative potential of every student through a balance of rigorous training and open exploration. We emphasize collaboration and dialogue alongside the focus of the studio and the freedom of choices offered by the larger university. Through our ethos, curriculum, and program offerings, SVA engages students in highly experiential learning, building expertise and experimentation through critique, process, and concept.
Discover Our Programs
Admissions & Portfolio Reviews
Ready to apply to a graduate or undergraduate program at BU School of Visual Arts? We can't wait to get to know you.
The SVA Experience
Resources for Students
The School of Visual Arts offers academic, extra-curricular, and career support for undergraduate and graduate students at all phases of their time at the College of Fine Arts. Find advising help, access equipment, and explore resources offered to all Boston University students.
SVA Stories
Read more BU School of Visual Arts students, faculty, and alumni making art and making change in the world
Boston Globe feature: Fool the eye and scramble assumptions is the goal of this artist
Lucy Kim, Associate Professor of Art, Painting at BU School of Visual Arts, makes casts and paints them in incongruous ways.
Boston University School of Visual Arts Presents the 2025 Undergraduate Thesis Exhibitions
Exhibitions feature works by graduating seniors in BFA Painting, Sculpture, Graphic Design, and the BA in Art
Guggenheim Fellowship Awarded to Renowned Printmaker and CFA Professor of Art, Lynne Allen
Now, in the program’s 100th year, six Boston University researchers and scholars have received the honor
Get to Know the 2025 CFA Esther B. and Albert S. Kahn Awards Recipients
The annual CFA event, being held on Tuesday, April 22, honors six students' artistic excellence and helps support their work after graduation
Dozens of Dazzling Projects on View in Annual School of Visual Arts MFA Thesis Exhibitions
2025 Graphic design, sculpture, print media and photography, and visual narrative theses on display through April 19; MFA painting theses April 29 to May 18
Beyond the Classroom: Print Media and Photography Students in Paris
Second-year graduate students visited Paris, France where they attended the Paris Photo fair, visited studios specializing in printmaking, and explored the magic found in the City of Lights
Boston University School of Visual Arts Announces 2025 MFA Thesis Exhibitions
The shows celebrate the works of graduating students in BU's Graphic Design, Painting, Sculpture, Print Media & Photography, and Visual Narrative graduate programs.
How I Made This: Maithili Rajput (CFA’25)
Maithili, an MFA sculpture student, is creating an ornate, human-sized contraption for her thesis project. Part of her final exhibition will include a 24-hour video of herself rotating inside it.
Why BU School of Visual Arts?
Guided by world-class artists and educators emphasizing skill-building and the ability to think creatively, you will hone your eye, hand, and mind at SVA.
Visual Arts Events
Join us for lectures, exhibitions, and more!