Call for applications

Cranbrook Academy of Art is now accepting applications for the fall of 2026. 

As one of the nation’s top graduate-only programs in art, architecture, and design, Cranbrook offers a transformative two-year MFA and M.Arch experience unlike any other. Instead of conventional classes and fixed curricula, you have time, space, and support to shape your own practice within a vibrant community of artists, architects, and designers. 

Cranbrook is: 

Small by design: 10–15 students per department, across 10 disciplines. 

Led by artists, architects, and designers: Each department is guided by full-time faculty and Artists-in-Residence who are leaders in their field. 

Collaborative and interdisciplinary: Students help shape visiting artist rosters, critiques, and discourse. 

And provides:

Immersive learning: Lectures, workshops, critiques, symposiums, (and studio kitchen debates!). 

Exceptional resources: Private studios, digital and fabrication labs, student-run galleries, publishing opportunities, and access to Cranbrook Art Museum, where every student exhibits their final thesis project. 

Our graduates go on to become leaders across the fields of art, architecture, and design—a tradition more than 90 years strong. 

More than 95 percent of students receive scholarships or aid, including up to 10 full-tuition Gilbert Fellowships. 

Located just outside of Detroit on a 300-acre National Historic Landmark campus, Cranbrook offers an inspiring setting where you can explore your work and join a legacy of innovation. 

Applications are open now through February 1, 2026. Apply here.