UTexas

College of Fine Arts

Master of Arts
Master of Fine Arts
Master of Music
Doctor of Musical Arts
Doctor of Philosophy

The College of Fine Arts educates artists, scholars, designers, and art educators within a context that emphasizes artistic excellence, advanced technology, cultural diversity and best professional practices.  The college places high priority on research and the creation of new work through its many programs and degrees offered by the Butler School of Music, the Department of Art and Art History, the Department of Theatre and Dance, and the School of Design and Creative Technologies.

Texas Performing Arts, the university’s arts presenting organization, and Landmarks, the university’s public art program, along with the Visual Arts Center a contemporary gallery space showcasing student, faculty and guest artists, are housed within the college and provide performances and exhibitions that deepen the understanding of the arts, expand audiences and develop a better quality of life in the University, community, state and nation.

Facilities for Graduate Work

In addition to specialized facilities of the Butler School of Music, the Department of Art and Art History, the Department of Theatre and Dance, the Department of Design and the Department of Art and Entertainment Technologies, which are housed within the School of Design and Creative Technologies, the College of Fine Arts includes the Fine Arts LibraryTexas Performing Arts, the University’s arts presenting organization, as well as Landmarks, the University’s public art program.

The Fine Arts Library (FAL), located in the Doty Fine Arts building (DFA), is a unit of The University of Texas Libraries that serves research and instruction in the College of Fine Arts. With the inclusion of materials from the former Audio Visual Library, the FAL collections include approximately 350,000 books and scores, 400 current serial subscriptions, 48,000 compact discs, 12,000 DVDs, 12,000 video cassettes and videodiscs, 6,200 reels of microfilm, 24,000 microfiche, and over 135,000 LPs. Opened in 2016, The Foundry adds a makerspace to the FAL, offering 3D printing, gaming equipment, a textile lab, and a music studio.

The theatre and dance collections support the Department of Theatre and Dance, which concentrates on performance, especially play production, theatrical design, playwriting, theatre education, and dance.  The Fine Arts Library holds texts of major plays written in English or translated into English, with contemporary plays collected most heavily. The Perry-Castañeda Library also holds texts of plays in English and other languages, with emphasis on plays as a literary form and on literary criticism. The extensive Art and Art History collections create a pivotal focus of research for graduate study.

The music collection supports instruction and research in the Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music, which includes music performance, composition, ethnomusicology, music and human learning, music theory, and musicology. Most historical periods and geographical areas are covered in both classical and popular idioms. Music is represented in a wide variety of printed and recorded formats.

The special collections of the Fine Arts Library include the Historical Music Recordings Collection, the papers of the Paramount and State Theatres, and papers of Sam Shepard. The Historical Music Recordings Collection is an archive of audio recordings in all formats. Holding more than two hundred thousand items, it is one of the largest collections of audio recordings in the United States. 

Texas Performing Arts presents a full season of music, theater, dance, and Broadway shows every year, with special student discounts for many productions. Located in the heart of the arts quadrant on campus, the TPA also serves as a learning laboratory for university students, providing them with opportunities to work alongside professionals in arts management and administration. 

As the University’s public art program, Landmarks enriches the lives of students and visitors by presenting art that is broadly accessible and free to all. More than thirty-five works of modern and contemporary art are on view throughout the 433-acre campus. The collection not only enhances the beauty of the landscape, but also supports scholarship and learning by demonstrating significant art historical trends from the past six decades.

Areas of Study

The College of Fine Arts offers graduate study through the following schools and departments: The Department of Design, which is housed within the School of Design and Creative Technologies, offers graduate study in design.  The Department of Art and Art History offers graduate study in art history, studio art, and art education. The Butler School of Music offers graduate study with concentrations in performance (including conducting and opera), music and human learning, musicology (including ethnomusicology), composition, conducting, and theory (a jazz emphasis is available in approved areas).  The Department of Theatre and Dance offers graduate study with concentrations in directing, dance, drama and theatre for youth and communities, performance as public practice, playwriting, stage technology and integrated media, and live design. See Art Education Art HistoryDesignMusicStudio Art, and Theatre and Dance for more information. Further information is available from the graduate advisor of each program.