ART DEPARTMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS, IN THE J. WILLIAM FULBRIGHT COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES

University of Arkansas
Retro Guy
 

master of fine arts

(Application materials packet must be POST-MARKED by February 1 for potential Fall admission.)

Master of Fine Arts

The Department of Art at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, is the major university art department in the state of Arkansas and is the only department in the state approved to offer the Master of Fine Arts degree in art. The M.F.A. degree was initiated at Arkansas in 1952.

The Master of Fine Arts degree, which is considered to be the terminal degree in studio art, is awarded in recognition of professional development in the visual arts as evidenced by a period of successful post-bachelor's degree study.

by Jason Barnes
by Jason Barnes

The objectives of the MFA program in art are

The program of study will vary, depending upon the studio emphasis (or area of concentration) and goals of the individual graduate student. The MFA degree is recognized as preparatory to studio art teaching positions at institutions of higher education.

What does the work towards an MFA entail? Read the General Program Guidelines.

Graduate Coordinators
Areas of Concentration

Major and/or minor concentrations include:

How to Apply:

(Application materials packet must be POST-MARKED by February 1 for potential Fall admission.)

by Ben Edwards
by Ben Edwards

Each applicant must apply to BOTH of the following:

In addition to the requirements for admission to the Graduate School (listed on their site, link above), the applicant must also submit the following materials to the Department of Art:

The applicant for the MFA degree in art is expected to have earned the Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree or its equivalent, with a major concentration in visual art. Applicants who do not have an art major may present evidence of proficiency in creative work in the visual arts.

Acceptance to the MFA degree program requires a two-semester art history survey or its equivalent. Failing to meet this requirement, the MFA student is required to complete the appropriate semesters of survey of art history for non-graduate credit.

After admission to the Graduate School and acceptance by the Department of Art, the department chair will appoint an advisor to work with the student in planning a suitable program of advanced study. The student's work and progress in the program will be reviewed by the faculty at least twice each year.

Course Requirements for the Master of Fine Arts Degree

Once accepted to the MFA degree program, students will be required to complete a minimum of 60 semester credit hours and a minimum of four regular semesters in residence (not to include summer terms).

  1. Studio Courses (41 hours minimum):
    • 4 semesters (12 credit hours) in major concentration area
    • 3 semesters (9 credit hours) in minor concentration area
    • 12 additional "elective" credit hours, which may include additional credits in the major concentration, minor concentration, and 3 credit hours in excess of the required 9 hours of Art History and/or criticism.
    • A maximum of 12 credit hours in courses taken outside the Department of Art may be counted toward the degree, with the approval of the department.
  2. Art History requirement (9 hours minimum):
    • An elected 19th or 20th century art history course from the following:
      (ARHS 4813, 4823, 4883, 4893, 4913, or 4923)
    • An elected pre-19th century art history course from the following:
      (ARHS 4833, 4843, 4853, 4863, or 4873)
    • ARHS 6943, Seminar: Critical Thought in the Arts
  3. Graduate Critique (4 semester hours of 1 credit hour each)
    • MFA students will have regular group critiques with faculty in their major concentration areas of study. The format for these critiques will be flexible, and professional and practical problems in art will be covered.
    • All MFA students will have regular reviews with the art faculty to critique works in progress. Required participation in these reviews will be by registration in ARTS 5901, Graduate Critique, for four semesters. The first three semesters will require participation with the full groups of MFA students and art faculty. The fourth semester will be the individual graduate student and the graduate committee; or, a group of MFA candidates preparing to complete the degree, thesis or exhibition requirement. Graduate students not working toward the MFA degree are encouraged to participate in critiques, but they are not required to register for credit.
  4. Graduate Seminar in Studio Art (4 semesters 2 credit hours each)
    • Graduate Seminar in Studio Art is an examination and analysis of current issues in contemporary visual art. The relationship of current theoretical literature to studio practice will be explored through presentations and discussions of graduate student research.
  5. MFA Exhibition (6 hours)
    • The required final semester in the MFA program is to be devoted to work on MFA Exhibition, ARTS 601V (6 credit hours) The production and presentation, under the direction of a graduate committee, of a one-person exhibition of art work. The MFA candidate will be responsible for making three acceptable slide sets of the exhibition and exhibition statements, which will be retained by the Department of Art and the University Library. The final semester must be completed during a regular school year. During this final semester, the MFA candidate may enroll for three additional credit hours in electives if the candidate does not hold a graduate assistantship. The MFA candidate holding an assistantship may not take additional credits in the final semester.
Graduate Assistantships

Financial aid is available at the graduate level for teaching, gallery, and workshop assistants. For the current academic year, assistantships have a stipend of $8200 and a waiver of registration and tuition fees. By a separate application and evaluation procedure, the Graduate Assistantships are awarded by the faculty each spring for the following school year. Please download the Department of Art MFA Application packet to view the assistantship application.

Residence Requirements
Television Will Save us All, Shane Richey
'Television Will Save us All,' by Shane Richey

To meet the residency requirements, the student is required to complete a minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate credit and study in residence for a minimum of four regular semesters on the Fayetteville campus. All degree requirements must be completed within six consecutive calendar years from the date of first enrollment. With approval of the department chairperson and the Graduate School, up to 12 credit hours of graduate level work in studio art or art history may be transferred from another recognized graduate school and applied to degree requirements.

Candidacy Application and Review

After completion of two semesters in the MFA degree program the student may make application to be a candidate for completion of the MFA degree. The art faculty will conduct a formal review of the applicant's work and progress in the program. At least two regular semesters of residence must be completed after acceptance as a degree candidate.

Graduate Committee and Major Adviser

When the student has been accepted as a degree candidate, the student will select a major advisor from the graduate art faculty. The major advisor will serve as advisor to the student in planning the completion of the program of study. At least one semester before graduation, a four- or five-member committee of graduate art faculty will be selected. The student's major advisor will be chairperson of this committee and one member of the graduate committee will represent the art history or criticism area. One additional committee member from a discipline outside the Department of Art may be selected by the degree candidate.

Final Examination

Final approval for the completion of the MFA degree will be the responsibility of the candidate's graduate committee, and will require an oral examination over the candidate's exhibition of creative works and related aspects of the student's program of study.

Fine Arts Center

The Department of Art is located in the Fine Arts Center, designed by the noted architect Edward Durell Stone, a former native of Fayetteville and graduate of the University of Arkansas. First opened in 1950, the Fine Arts Center was one of the first buildings in the United States to combine facilities for the various fine arts, and it currently houses the departments of Art, Drama, and Music, as well as the University Theater, Concert Hall, Fine Arts Library, and Art Gallery. The Art Gallery is the focal point in the design of the Fine Arts Center, serving as a foyer for the University Theater, Concert Hall, and Fine Arts Library. Managed by the Department of Art, the gallery is a major instructional and public relations asset to the art program through its regular schedule of exhibitions, traveling and special shows, and faculty and student exhibitions.