Degree Program: Master of Fine Arts
Chair, Department of Visual Arts: Associate Professor Gerry Beegan
Director, Graduate Program in Visual Arts: Professor Stephen Westfall
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, media, 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 are Michele Abelese, Cory Archangel, Polly Apfelman, Ei Arakawa, Rachel Beach, Huma Bhabha, Mike Cloud, Angela Dunfrense, Carroll Dunham, Lyle Ashton Harris, Rachel Harrison, Oliver Herring, Jim Hodges, David Joselit, William Kentridge, Nick Mauss, Ohad Meromi, Eileen Myles, Catherine Murphy, Catherine Opie, Virginia Overton, Clifford Owens, John Pilson, David Reed, Peter Saul, Peter Schjeldahl, Dana Schutz, Carolee Schneemann, Gedi Sibony, Joan Snyder, Wendy White, Fred Wilson, Terry Winters, and Christopher Wool.
The M.F.A. program provides a supportive community in which students can expand their concepts, formulate ways to express them formally and critically, and develop a pertinent and personal artistic practice.