Studio Art - M.F.A.

Full Description

The Master of Fine Art degree in Studio Art is designed to prepare students for careers as independent visual arts through the cultivation and refinement of a successful studio practice. The program emphasizes intensive personal investigation and the development of strong aesthetic and conceptual understanding. In addition to time in their own studio, students have opportunities to enhance existing skills and knowledge by observing undergraduate class demonstrations and critiques.

The M.F.A. is the terminal degree in the studio arts and is a requirement for those who intend to teach visual arts in higher education.

The Studio Art major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Ceramics concentration offers an intense focus on artistic development. Through mentorship and a broad spectrum of course offerings, students work closely with faculty advisors to find their own voice as artists. Studio practice is supplemented with art history seminars, visiting artist lectures, summer workshops and travel study programs to New York City, culminating in a solo M.F.A. thesis exhibition.
• The Drawing concentration draws upon contemporary practices and discourse in the field to prepare students for a life in the arts. Students are encouraged to work across disciplines and techniques in order to develop a body of work that reflects their independent investigations in drawing. Studio practice is supplemented with art history seminars, visiting artist lectures, summer workshops and travel study programs to New York City, culminating in a solo M.F.A. thesis exhibition.
• The Glass concentration is based on the belief that successful creative work results from spending time with one’s ideas and receiving constructive and supportive criticism from faculty and peers. The concentration aims to create an atmosphere where students pursue ideas and engage in an extended scholarly dialogue. While building on the legacy of the American Studio Glass Movement, students are fostered to be leaders in redefining the future of studio glassmaking.
• The Jewelry, Metals and Enameling concentration allows students to build individual research strategies for developing a coherent and distinctive body of work. Investigations of inter-media and interdisciplinary relationships are part of the curricular focus. Students are expected to be conscious of and involved in contemporary practices, discourse and trends, nationally and globally, among the field and within the larger arts/crafts/design movements. In addition to time in their own studio, students have opportunities to enhance existing skills and knowledge by observing undergraduate class demonstrations and critiques. Students are encouraged to use both traditional and contemporary studio practices while having access to an array of metalsmithing equipment, enameling kilns and a digital fabrication laboratory.
• The Painting concentration draws upon contemporary practices and discourse in the field to prepare students for a life in the arts. Students are encouraged to work across disciplines and techniques in order to develop a body of work that reflects their independent investigations in painting. Studio practice is supplemented with art history seminars, visiting artist lectures, summer workshops and travel study programs to New York City, culminating in a solo M.F.A. thesis exhibition.
• The Print Media and Photography concentration aims to strengthen students’ personal vision through emphasis on the conceptual aspects of the printmaking and photography disciplines. Students have access to studios for lithography, etching, relief, silkscreen and digital media, in addition to a darkroom, press room and digital fabrication laboratory. Enrollment is deliberately kept small enough to make possible the faculty mentor/student relationship.
• The Sculpture and Expanded Media concentration encourages proficiency in foundational methods of making-modeling, carving and assembly. The concentration is a springboard for students to learn how to communicate ideas through sculptural works. Although sculpture classes are rooted in the history of object-making, new forms of sculptural practice (installation, time-based practice, sound and kinetic works) are all part of a comprehensive three-dimensional program.
• The Textiles concentration positions textile-making firmly within the contemporary art landscape while encouraging a transdisciplinary approach to studio practice. Students work closely with faculty mentors to nurture their artistic voice and draw upon the significant resources of the textiles program. Individual-making is contextualized by engaging the histories, political meanings and social themes embedded in the discipline alongside the broader art historical canon. The program integrates studio activity, art historical research, summer workshops, travel study to New York City and the culminating M.F.A. thesis exhibition as a means of guiding emerging artists toward an active, public, evolving and sustainable art practice.

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
• Official transcript(s)
• Curriculum vitae that includes exhibitions and relevant experience
• Goal statement (250-500 words) indicating applicant's reasons for applying and the motivations for pursuing the degree in the proposed area of specialization
• Artist statement (250-500 words) that describes the major themes in the applicant's work, how the applicant formalizes those themes and the concepts and artists that influence the applicant
• Portfolio of 20 images with title, medium, dimensions and date
• Three letters of recommendation from persons who are in the proposed area of study or a closely related field.
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:¹
  • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
  • Minimum 58 PTE score
  • Minimum 110 DET score

¹

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores will not be considered for admission.

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Application deadline: February 1

All application materials (including applicable fee, transcripts, recommendation letters, etc.) submitted by this deadline will receive the strongest consideration for admission.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Create and publicly present a self-directed and significant body of work.
2. Develop an in-depth studio practice that synthesizes form, media and meaning.
3. Engage with interdisciplinary research within contemporary art and supporting fields.
4. Articulate verbally and in written form critical analyses of contemporary art as it relates to form and meaning in their work and the work of others.
5. Situate their work within the context of the field and the public.
6. Engage in professional practices as an artist.

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)