Art

Master of Fine Arts

The terminal degree program has two separate concentrations: (1) Studio Art from the Department of Art and (2) Design Thinking (an online program) from the Department of Interior Design & Fashion.

Department of Art
MFA – Graduate Program Coordinator, Studio Art: Ken Smith

Department of Interior Design & Fashion
Holly Cline, Department Chair
MFA – Graduate Program Coordinator, Design Thinking: Joan Dickinson

Graduate Faculty

Graduate Program General Requirements

The graduate program draws students from many parts of the United States as well as other countries, promoting a global perspective and experience. The Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) requires 60 graduate hours and allows students to seek a terminal degree. The M.F.A. program has two concentrations – one in Studio Art and one in Design Thinking. The latter is a totally online program. Admission requirements differ for each concentration.

In the Studio Art concentration, students work with faculty to design their course of study. Because of the comfortable size and flexibility of the concentration, students benefit from close association with professional faculty and fellow students. Students elect an area of specialization. A final thesis/exhibition developed with the guidance of the thesis advisory committee culminates this concentration’s requirements.

The Design Thinking concentration provides a completely online experience to develop expertise in the design thinking process. Individual and collaborative assignments through courses and studio experiences are the framework of this program. A final project or thesis developed with the guidance of the thesis advisory culminates this concentration’s requirements.

Application Deadlines:

Nov. 1: Deadline for consideration for Spring semester admission
April 1: Deadline for consideration for Fall semester admission

Admission Requirements

M.F.A.: Studio Art Concentration

Admission to the program is competitive.

Minimum grade point average of 2.75 overall and in the major
Two letters of reference
A cover letter indicating professional goals and an Artist’s or Designer’s statement
BFA or a B.A. in art or graphic design, including at least 12 credit hours in upper level studios and 6 credit hours in art history, or a bachelor’s degree in any major with a strong portfolio showing evidence of equivalent proficiency
Electronic portfolio with 15 - 20 recent works in a single PDF document, optimized not to exceed 50 mb; at least 15 images should be of work in your preferred medium

Students not meeting these requirements may be reviewed for conditional admission or admission with deficiencies in their program.

M.F.A.: Design Thinking Concentration

Admission to the program is competitive.

Minimum grade point average of 3.0 overall and in the major preferred
Three letters of reference
Undergraduate degree and GPA
Prior experience/work history
Evidence of creativity and leadership
Statement of philosophy, overall goals and synopsis of why obtaining this degree is important for your future