Program of Study
First year
Fall semester
Adjust to your surroundings. The director of graduate studies is your curriculum advisor. However, you are encouraged to discuss curriculum with your area faculty. Prepare for the New Faces exhibition and final review. Begin to look for courses beyond the department that will support your creative work.
Spring semester
By now, you will have established communication with area faculty. These faculty members can advise you on a course of study for your future semesters in the program. You are always able to discuss issues with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). Begin to select your thesis committee members.
Course schedule
Fall semester
11 credit hours
- 6 hours of studio/design credits, typically with professors in your major area, students generally take 3 hours each with two professors, please get advice from your area professors.
- 3 hours of art history, 60000 levels and above
- 1 hour of Professional Practices, ARST 62704, required of all MFA Students
- 1 hour of Graduate Seminar
- ARST 63250, Painting/Printmaking Seminar
- ARST 63450, Photography Seminar
- ARST 63650, Sculpture/Ceramic Seminar
- DESN 63350, VCOM and ID Seminar
Spring semester
10 credit hours
- 6 hours of studio/design credits, typically with professors in your major area, students generally take 3 hours each with two professors, please get advice from your area professors.
- 3 hours of art history, 60000 levels and above
- 1 hour of Professional Practices, ARST 62704, required of all MFA Students
- 1 hour of Graduate Seminar
- ARST 63250, Painting/Printmaking Seminar
- ARST 63450, Photography Seminar
- ARST 63650, Sculpture/Ceramic Seminar
- DESN 63350, VCOM and ID Seminar
Second year (first-semester teaching)
Choose your thesis director. With their help, choose your thesis committee. Submit a completed thesis committee form to the graduate director’s office before fall break.
Meet with your committee at this time. You must initiate this meeting. Show your work and present a written statement about your work to the committee. Prepare for the second-year show. Your director should provide you with a summary report of this meeting and future meetings for your records. If there is any concern from the faculty after fall reviews, the DGS will address this with you through a letter.
Meet with your committee by mid-semester to discuss your ongoing work and your plan for presenting work for the candidacy review.
MFA candidacy review: This is an important step towards the third year. Present your work to the entire studio/design faculty at the end of the semester. All studio/design faculty vote on your acceptance to the MFA candidacy year. A 2/3 majority is needed for approval.
Course schedule
Fall semester
11 credit hours
- 6 hours of studio/design credits*
- 3 hours of art history, 60000 levels and above
(Design MFAs may take a substitute class; refer to page 8 of the Department Guide to Graduate Studies 2023-24) - 1 hour of Professional Practices, ARST 63704, required of all M.F.A. Students
- 1 hour of Graduate Seminar
- ARST 63250, Painting/Printmaking Seminar
- ARST 63450, Photography Seminar
- ARST 63650, Sculpture/Ceramic Seminar
- DESN 63350, VCOM and ID Seminar
Spring semester
10 credit hours
- 6 hours of studio/design credits, typically with professors in your major area, students generally take 3 hours each with two professors, please get advice from your area professors*
- 3 hours of art history, 60000 levels and above
- 1 hour of Graduate Seminar
- ARST 63250, Painting/Printmaking Seminar
- ARST 63450, Photography Seminar
- ARST 63650, Sculpture/Ceramic Seminar
- DESN 63350, VCOM and ID Seminar
Third year
In the summer outline and begin writing a draft of the thesis paper, primarily with your thesis director. When complete, submit copies to your committee for reading and approval. This paper should be completed by the studio and design schedule deadlines. Work for the thesis project also begins in the third year. Work produced prior to the third year of study will not be accepted for the thesis project.
Continue working on the thesis. Committee meetings are not mandatory this semester but may be called by either the student or the thesis director when needed. The thesis paper must be finished and approved by your committee before the thesis project can be installed in the Snite Museum. A Readers Report on Master’s Thesis form must be filled, signed by committee member readers, and turned into the office. Once installed, the studio/design faculty votes to accept or reject the exhibited work. A 2/3 majority is needed for approval.
Course schedule
Fall semester
9 credit hours (to be full-time)
- 6 hours of studio/design credits
- 1 hour of Professional Practices, ARST 62704, required of all M.F.A. Students
- 1 hour of Graduate Seminar
- ARST 63250, Painting/Printmaking Seminar
- ARST 63450, Photography Seminar
- ARST 63650, Sculpture/Ceramic Seminar
- DESN 63350, VCOM and ID Seminar
- 1 credit thesis direction with Director of Graduate Studies
- Thesis Direction, ARST 78708, studio
- Thesis Direction, DESN 78308, design
Spring semester
9 credit hours
- 8 hours of thesis direction credits taken with the Director of Graduate Studies
- Thesis Direction, ARST 78708
- 1 hour of Graduate Seminar
- ARST 63250, Painting/Printmaking Seminar
- ARST 63450, Photography Seminar
- ARST 63650, Sculpture/Ceramic Seminar
- DESN 63350, VCOM and ID Seminar
Courses outside of the department
*NOTE: All graduate students may take one class (and up to two) outside the art department. These classes must be graduate-credit courses with the approval of the student's area head (see page 25 of the Department Guide to Graduate Studies 2022–23). The first 3-credit course will be in lieu of 3 credits of an art history course; the second 3-credit class will be in lieu of 3 credits of "hours" with a studio or design faculty member.