Do I need an MFA to apply to artist residencies?

Most residencies do not require an MFA. The dominant convention in artist residency eligibility is that programs accept artists with a "sustained professional practice," which is interpreted broadly. Self-taught artists, BFA-only artists, and artists who never went to art school regularly land residencies at competitive programs. What the panels want to see is evidence of serious work over time — exhibitions, publications, prior residencies, a consistent body of work in the portfolio — not a particular degree. That said, some residencies do specify MFA or equivalent in their eligibility. These are usually university-affiliated programs (where the residency is integrated with a graduate program) or programs that explicitly target emerging-academic-trajectory artists. The eligibility section of the program's application page will state this clearly. If it doesn't say MFA-required, it isn't. The other reality is that MFA-holders are over-represented in residency cohorts at the most prestigious programs. This is less because the eligibility requires it and more because MFA programs build the application-writing skills, the portfolio documentation habits, and the recommender network that competitive applications need. A self-taught artist who has built those skills independently is on the same footing as an MFA-holder in the eyes of most panels. If you don't have an MFA and you're applying to your first residency, lean on the rest of the CV. Exhibitions you've been in, group shows you've curated, publications that have written about you, prior residencies (even small ones), workshop or visiting-artist positions. These build the same credibility the MFA otherwise signals. Don't apologize for lacking the degree; just demonstrate the practice.