Studio Art (MFA)
Department website: https://art.utexas.edu/graduate/studio-art
The interdisciplinary studio art graduate program is structured around five studio areas: painting and drawing; photography and media; print; sculpture and extended media; and transmedia (video/performance/digital media). Students are encouraged to practice across disciplines or conversely, to master a single area of studio practice. The curriculum is designed to privilege studio time while also delving into the academic riches available at The University of Texas at Austin. The course of study includes individual and group critiques, seminars taught by artists or art historians or other arts professionals, and discussions with visiting artists and critics. Students select a committee of three to four graduate faculty for whom, each semester, they present their work in service of a discussion and evaluation of their progress.
Graduate Handbook
Graduate handbook information is updated and maintained by each program. Graduate handbooks are available within each program's office and online. Please contact the program with concerns or questions.
Admission
The applicant must be an early-career artist with a bachelor’s degree in studio art. Applicants with bachelor’s degrees in other fields will be considered if they have completed substantial coursework in studio art and art history or if their portfolio proves demonstrated interest and accomplishment in studio art. Students apply to up to two of the five specializations and submit online a 20-image portfolio representing a coherent body of work made within the previous two years. Transmedia applicants must submit work online and may also provide additional materials on DVD or USB flash drive. Full application instructions are available on the program’s website.
Total Hours Required: 60
Requirements
The student must begin coursework in the fall semester. The program requires the completion over a period of two years in residence.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Hours chosen from: Studio coursework | 32 | |
| Art history and/or criticism course | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Studio seminars | 8 | |
| Professional practice seminar | 4 | |
| ART 398R | Master's Portfolio Report | 3 |
| ART 498S | Master's Exhibition Seminar | 4 |
| Hours chosen from: Elective courses in support of the student's studio research | 6 | |
| Graduate Fine Arts Requirements | ||
| Graduate University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 60 | |
Additional Requirements and Policies
In addition, students must pass a review by faculty committee at the end of each semester. The 30-hour midpoint review is presented before all studio art Graduate Studies Committee faculty and studio art graduate students while the other semester-end reviews are private. The final review takes place at the thesis exhibition.