MFA in Studio Art

Creating art is a highly personalized experience, and so is the process of learning and developing as an artist. The intensive summer Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art recognizes that, and strives to nurture each student’s needs and goals by offering a variety of specialized disciplines, including Ceramics, Painting, Sculpture, Multidisciplinary Studies, Installation and Photography; providing studio access for individually focused studio experiences during the eight-week summer semester, and assigning students an individual mentor for the fall and spring semesters to guide their studio and writing work.

Designed to meet the needs of artists working and living in the Philadelphia area, as well as artists who are seeking a distance-learning master of fine arts degree, the MFA in Studio Art provides the conceptual, critical, historical and practical knowledge needed to sustain a successful studio.

Benefits of the intensive summer program include the flexibility to continue working while completing degree requirements and the opportunity to work with a variety of renowned visiting artists. During the on-campus portion of the program, students have extended studio access to UArts’ multiple facilities, including dedicated studios for painting, ceramics and sculpture; three major gas kilns with 90-, 40- and 30- cubic foot capacity; electric kilns; wood and metal shops; a carving studio; forge; foundry, and drawing studios.

Curriculum
The intensive summer MFA in Studio Arts is 60-credit degree-granting program that can be completed in two-and-a-half years. Students partake in three eight-week summer residencies at the UArts campus in Philadelphia. During the Spring and Fall semesters, students complete independent studios, writing and research projects, and work on the thesis exhibition and paper during the final fall semester.

Local students meet with studio faculty five times during the spring and fall semesters for critiques, while students outside the Philadelphia region will meet with assigned studio mentors in their geographic area four times a semester before returning to campus for a final critique with the program’s faculty, and will also complete off-campus writing and research projects via mail or email with program faculty. Successful completion of a thesis project is required for conferral of an MFA degree.

Requirements
In addition to the general requirements for graduate admission, a portfolio exhibiting a level of mastery is the primary prerequisite for the MFA. Applicants should submit images that represent the recent direction of the work as well as the full range of experience in one or more of the disciplines to which application is being made. Applicants should submit 18-20 digital images or time-based media for review online. Please refer to the instructions in the Portfolios section of the application instructions.

Applicants should note the intensive summer programs are year-round and require three annual eight-week, on-campus summer residences as well as off-campus independent study during the fall and spring semesters. These programs extend over two and a half years culminating in a thesis exhibition following completion of the third fall semester. Accepted MFA students must begin their studies in the summer semester.

Contact:
Erin Boyle
Interim Director
215-717-6106
eboyle@uarts.edu