Graduate Program Overview
Department Head: Professor Laura Gelfand
Graduate Program Coordinator: Professor John Neely, Ceramics
Specializations: Ceramics, Drawing & Painting, Graphic Design, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture
Degree offered: Master of Fine Art (MFA)
Click here to dowload the PDF version of the Graduate Handbook.
Master of Fine Art
The Master of Fine Art degree is the terminal degree in the visual arts field. The MFA program is designed to allow students to mature to a level of professional competence in the making of art. Related studies augment a rigorous studio program. The prospective student must exhibit both academic excellence and a well-developed personal artistic vision.
MFA Degree Requirements
Students must earn 60 credits total; the following classes are required:- 42 credits of graduate level studio art, determined by the student in consultation with the Thesis Supervisory Committee Chair, including a minimum of:
- 6 credits studio art outside of the declared emphasis area;
- 3 Credits of ART 6900: Graduate Seminar: Professional Practices;
- 3 credits of ARTH 6900: Graduate Seminar: Issues in Contemporary Art;
- 3 credits of ART 6910: Graduate Interdisciplinary Critique;
- 6 credits outside the art department as specified by the supervisory committee;
- 3 credits of ART 6970: Research and Thesis.
students not serving as graduate assistants otherwise employed on campus, nine credits per
semester is the minimum for full-time status. (12 credits is considered a maximum.) For students
employed on campus, full-time status is dependent upon the number of hours per week that the
student works. For instance, for a graduate student who is employed on campus for 20 hours per
week (.50 FTE), 6 credits is considered full time. Students in their last semester, who require
fewer credits to complete their Program of Study may also be considered full time.