Caine College of the Arts
Department of Art and Design
The Master of Fine Arts degree is the terminal degree in the visual arts field. The MFA program is designed to allow students to mature to a level of professional competence in the making of art. Related studies augment a rigorous studio program. The prospective student must exhibit both academic excellence and a well-developed personal artistic vision.
Specializations are available in Ceramics, Drawing and Painting, Graphic Design, Interior Architecture and Design, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture.
Admission Requirements
All applicants are required to have earned a BFA or BS degree in Art or BID degree in Interior Design, or its equivalent, including a minimum of 12 credits of art history from an accredited U.S. college or university or a similarly recognized international university. GPA in art courses must have been at least 3.0 on a 4-point scale.
Degree Requirements
Students must earn 60 credits, to include:
- 42 credits of graduate level studio, including a minimum of 6 credits outside of the declared emphasis area (consult professor before registering),
- 3 credits of ART 6900 Graduate Seminar: Professional Practices (required for studio arts disciplines; optional for graphic design and interior design students in the case that a related course, more specific to their area of study, be taken in its place at the recommendation of the students Thesis Advisory Committee)
- 3 credits of ARTH 6755: Contemporary Art: 1989 to the present
- 3 credits of additional Art History (6000 level), area specific theory, or theory-related credits outside the department as advised by the Thesis Advisory Committee
- 3 credits of ART 6910: Graduate Interdisciplinary Critique
- 3 credits of ART 6970: Research and Thesis
- 3 credits outside the Department of Art and Design as specified by the supervisory committee
Graduate students are required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for degree-program courses. Grades of C- or lower will not be accepted for a graduate degree. The Program of Study must include at least 15 semester credits at the level of 6000 or above.
Credits in the following areas are not acceptable in a degree program: foreign languages (unless included in an approved Program of Study), continuing graduate advisement, individual home study, military science, and courses numbered below 3000.
Students must pass a first-year review at the end of the first year of completion of study (12-24 credits). The MFA thesis is a visual presentation, the equivalent of a written dissertation in other disciplines. The thesis exhibition is the single most important feature of the MFA program; the culmination of three or more years, of intensive study in a single discipline. Students earning a master’s degree in other fields are required to write a written Master’s Thesis. In the MFA, the Thesis Exhibition takes the place of the written thesis. This exhibition takes place during the student’s final semester. In addition, students must pass an oral examination during the final semester of the graduate program. The “orals” are usually held during the time that the MFA thesis exhibition is on display. The student must also submit visual documentation of the thesis, in the form of a digital image portfolio to the library.
The MFA program is a resident program; it is not possible to complete the requirements for graduation by correspondence. Students must complete a minimum of four semesters in residence as full-time students. At least 24-semester credits for a master’s degree must be from a committee-approved and a School of Graduate Studies-approved Program of Study from Utah State University.
For students not serving as graduate assistants who are otherwise employed on campus, 9 credits per semester is the minimum for full-time status. (12 credits is considered a maximum.) For students employed on campus, full-time status is dependent upon the number of hours per week that the student works. For instance, for a graduate student who is employed on campus for 20 hours per week (.50 FTE), 6 credits is considered full time. Students in their last semester who require fewer credits to complete their Program of Study may also be considered full-time. A minimum of five semesters is thus required to complete the 60-credit program; most students require three years.
The MFA must be completed within six years of entering the degree program. Additional time may be requested by the student’s committee and submitted to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for review. Coursework over eight years old at the time of degree completion may not be used for a graduate degree unless it is revalidated.
Form Requirements
- Supervisory Committee
- Program of Study
- Appointment for Examination
- Record of Examination
- SGS and library review and approval
Return to: