The School of Art offers programs leading to the degrees of Master of Arts, Master of Design, and Master of Fine Arts. Students pursue course work in MFA two-dimensional studies (painting/drawing, and printmaking), MFA three- dimensional studies (ceramics, glass, jewelry/metals, and sculpture), MFA digital arts (animation, imaging, and interactive media), MA art education, and MA art history and MDes in integrative design.
Within these programs students find a broad range of studio and academic disciplines, united by a deep commitment to technical development sustained by rigorous examination of accompanying contextual and conceptual issues. The School of Art’s MA, MDes, and MFA programs seek to foster a productive and diverse community of artists and scholars whose shared goal is preparation for careers in the visual arts.
The School of Art also offers classes taught abroad in partnership with International Studies Institute (ISI), located in Florence, Italy.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the MA in Art History, MDes, or the MFA degree, students in the Art History, or Art programs are expected to be able to:
- Produce creative works or scholarly projects integrating knowledge of art or art history specialization.
- Illustrate a breadth of understanding of various specializations within art or art history.
- Evaluate area of research in relation to contemporary art.
- Evaluate area of research in relation to historical theories and art.
- Organize a professional art exhibition or produce an art historical research project.
Admission Requirements
Since application reviews may begin immediately after the deadline, we recommend submitting your application and providing all required documents before the deadline.
The MDes Integrative Design, a 60-hour terminal degree, provides a combination of theoretical and practical curriculum to develop adaptive, strategic, and collaborative educators, innovators, and leaders who address complex problem-solving including creating connective, human-centered design experiences. Topics in design research and methods, complex systems, context and culture, integrative strategies, theory and implementation, and collaborative design studio intensives shape the focus of this program.
Pre-requisites: We recognize that students will enter the program with different experiences and backgrounds. Some, without previous professional design work experience or an undergraduate degree in design, may need to complete additional coursework prior to or shortly after entering the program. Prerequisite coursework includes experience in visual design courses with technical proficiency in the Adobe Software. Students lacking this background will need to take courses before beginning the program and will be counseled through process.
- Transcripts
- Resume
- Letter of Intent: Letter should outline goals, educational, professional and personal background. Letter should draw a correlation between applicants work, thinking and processing to iluminate their ability to develop creative work through visual and critical research and the motivation to explore and experiment while focusing on their studies.
- Digital portfolio consisting of 10-15 recent works/examples /contributions, please provide title, description, media, size and year (This should be submitted as a multi-page single PDF or URL of the portfolio)
- Three letters of recommendation denoting competencies in creative thinking, problem-solving and leadership skill sets.
International applicants are required to submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTEA). Successful completion of ELS 112 will also be accepted for this requirement.
Additionally, Duolingo test scores will be accepted for applications through Summer 2025. Applicants of the Graduate College who have completed a previous degree (associate, bachelor’s master’s or doctorate) from a U.S. college/university or are from a country (click here for a complete list) in which instruction was delivered in English (and attended the university for at least two years) are exempt from providing these test scores.
Application Requirements
Admissions Categories and Grade Point Average Requirements
International Application Information
Degree Requirements
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