Degree Program Offered: Master of Fine Arts

Chairperson, Department of Visual Arts: Professor Patricia Mayer

Director, Graduate Program in Visual Arts: Associate Professor Ardele Lister

The master of fine arts (M.F.A.) is a 60-credit degree program that normally is completed within two academic years. The M.F.A. encompasses a wide range of perspectives and several fields of study. The program offers courses in painting, sculpture, photography, video, performance, printmaking, and mixed media. In addition, the faculty offers seminars that complement the school's studio courses and critiques by examining critical, social, and aesthetic issues. The university's proximity to New York provides students with access to major galleries and museums. Each semester, the school invites a wide range of artists to visit, providing students with opportunities to explore current ideas and developments. Among the artists and critics who have visited the school in recent years are Janine Antoni, Willie Cole, Lyle Ashton Harris, Rachel Harrison, Jim Hodges, Mary Kelly, William Kentridge, Nikki Lee, Catherine Opie, Pepon Osorio, Roxy Paine, Paul Pfeiffer, David Reed, Peter Saul, Carolee Schneemann, Fred Wilson, and Christopher Wool.

The M.F.A. program provides a supportive and critical community in which students can expand their concepts, formulate ways to express them formally and critically, and develop a pertinent and personal artistic practice.