School of Visual Arts (SVA) is a college of art and design whose mission is to educate students who aspire to become professional artists or to work in arts' many related fields.

This mission is the foundation upon which are built:

Undergraduate degree programs in art and design that prepare students for entry into an array of professional fields in or related to the visual arts, while also equipping students with the skills necessary to become productive and thoughtful members of society;
rigorous and practice-based graduate programs in the visual arts and its allied fields; a continuing education program intended to meet the diverse needs of New York City’s professional art and design community and the larger community within which the College resides;
and a commitment to serving the greater good through community service.

The College’s mission is realized by:

The employment of working professional artists, critics and scholars in all the disciplines taught at School of Visual Arts, and whose credentials and experience qualify them to teach at the college level;
a commitment of resources to meet the educational and co-curricular needs of students studying at all degree levels as well as to provide for an enriching campus life experience;
a concerted effort to capitalize upon the extremely large number and quality of cultural institutions located in New York City;
a system of institutional and learning outcomes assessment designed to facilitate institutional planning and institutional renewal;
and a sound financial position sufficient to ensure the College’s ability to meet the diverse and dynamic educational needs of the College community; to provide for opportunities for innovation and experimentation; and to ensure the maintenance of quality in all areas of the institution’s operations.