Graduate Studies
The Department of Studio Art also offers a Master of Fine Arts degree in 8 areas of specialization: Ceramics, Drawing and Painting, Fibers, Metalsmithing and Jewelry, New Media Arts, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture. Each option requires a creative project and a solo exhibition instead of a thesis. Interdisciplinary work is encouraged but not required.
The M.F.A. is a 60 credit-hour terminal degree requiring a minimum of 24 credit hours in the area of your specialization.
Application to the MFA in Studio Art is a two-step process.
You will apply to the Toulouse Graduate School at the University of North Texas. You can find out more information about the process and apply on the Toulouse Graduate School website. You also submit materials to the department via our SlideRoom portal.
The MFA is offered in the following areas:
• Ceramics • Drawing & Painting • Fibers • Metals & Jewelry •
• New Media Art • Photography • Printmaking • Sculpture •
DEADLINES FOR ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS:
January 5 for fall enrollment.
Graduate Admissions generally takes approximately 2-4 weeks to verify and process application materials. If the application meets minimum university requirements, these materials are sent to the Studio Department Office for review by appropriate faculty in the major.
Application, transcripts, and portfolio should be submitted well in advance of the deadlines to insure adequate processing time. However, a provisional admission can be obtained after these dates. In this case, one may register with a special non‑degreed status until formal admission is complete. To avoid late registration penalties, an application must be filed at least 30 days prior to the term for which admission is sought.
Summer course offerings are limited for all areas.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES:
The process of applying to a program in the College of Visual Arts and Design is twofold. First, the applicant is evaluated by the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies to verify that minimum standards required for all graduate students at UNT are met. (See the UNT Graduate Catalog at http://catalog.unt.edu/) Secondly, the applicant is evaluated by appropriate faculty in their major art area.
STEP 1: Application to the Toulouse Graduate School (940-565-2383)
Apply through the Toulouse Graduate School at www.applytexas.org. Submit application fee and official transcripts from all schools attended to their office. If the minimum GPA requirements are met, the packet will be forwarded to our department for review. You must meet the admission requirements of the Toulouse Graduate School, including a minimum 3.0 on Bachelor's (if applying without a Master’s degree).
After being accepted by the Toulouse Graduate School, your application will be sent to the Department of Studio Art for further review. Please note that admission to the MFA in Studio Art is not guaranteed because you are accepted by the Toulouse Graduate School. Admission to the graduate program in studio art is not determined by any single criterion but on the decision by the faculty members in the department based on all the materials and information submitted.
Send transcripts to the graduate school:
By U.S. Postal Service:
UNT Graduate School
1155 Union Circle #305459
Denton, TX 76203-5017
By UPS/FedEx:
UNT Graduate School
1147 Union Circle, ESSC 354
Denton, TX 76203-5459
PLEASE NOTE THE G.R.E. IS NO LONGER REQUIRED FOR THE MFA IN STUDIO ART
STEP 2: Application to the Department of Studio Art (phone 940-369-7671 or email studio@unt.edu)
Submit Items 1-4 online via our Slideroom portal.
- Portfolio of artwork—This should be 15-20 images of your recent work. Label each image with your name, title, medium, size, and date; or include an image list with this information.
- Artist Statement—A brief statement addressing the artwork submitted.
- Statement of Intent—A brief statement about why you are interested in attending graduate school and a declaration of your intended major area or concentration in art. Include the area in which you wish to concentrate, your application may be delayed in processing of you do not.
- Resume—Your resume should include relevant professional experience and an exhibition record, if you have one.
- Two letters of recommendation—Applicants are required to provide a minimum of two (2) letters of recommendation with application materials or have your reviewers emailt directly to the Department of Studio Art at studio@unt.edu. We do not have a required format for these letters.
- TA/TF Application—If you are applying for a TA position, please fill out the application completely and submit it by the deadline on the form. This application can downloaded in PDF form.
- Scholarships—Apply online at the Toulouse Graduate School and CVAD website for graduate scholarships.
PREPARATION OF THE PORTFOLIO FOR SLIDEROOM.COM
The faculty are looking for portfolios that demonstrate the skills and focus necessary to be successful at the highly-independent graduate level. Portfolio work should be clearly photographed images of your work of adequate resolution to be viewed via SlideRoom. They should show your most recent work and including close ups is recommended but not required.
When submitting images, provide appropriate metadata/additional details about each work in the blanks provided in SlideRoom.com. JPG or PNG files preferred. PowerPoint slideshows are acceptable, as are video files. All required documents (resume, artist statement, letter of intent) should be in PDF format and included with your media upload.
If you submit an incomplete portfolio, it will be unsubmitted for you to complete at no additional charge but this may delay your portfolio’s review by faculty, lowering your chances of admittance. Please do your best to submit complete applications the first time.
PROGRAM STRUCTURES
You can download a pdf copy of our MFA in Studio Art procedures manual here.
In its graduate programs, the College of Visual Arts and Design strives to develop the competencies necessary for effective leadership roles in art as expected of practicing professionals in the field, college teachers of art, administrators and researchers. Towards this aim, the resources of the entire school, university, and region are utilized.
The student and major professor plan programs of study for the MFA degree to meet individual interests, needs, and professional goals. With each course counting as 3 hours, the candidate must earn a minimum of 60 hours for the MFA degree. All courses must be at the 5000-level; 4000‑level courses cannot be counted for graduate credit.
It is strongly recommended that each graduate student be familiar with the policies and regulations outlined in the graduate catalog. It is the responsibility of each individual student to meet all of the requirements of the College of Visual Arts and Design and of the Toulouse Graduate School.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER OF FINE ARTS DEGREE IN STUDIO ART
|
30 |
hours |
10 courses |
Studio Art (minimum of 24 hours must be in Major Studio Area) |
|
9 |
hours |
3 courses |
Art History |
|
12 |
hours |
4 courses |
Electives (may be additional art courses or outside College of Visual Arts & Design) |
|
3 |
hours |
1 course |
Professional Practices (ASTU 5010) |
|
3 |
hours |
1 course |
Creative Project (ASTU 5015) |
|
3 |
hours |
1 course |
MFA Exhibition (ASTU 5020) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
60 |
HOURS |
20 COURSES |
|
MFA COMMITTEE
The MFA Committee is composed of three faculty: the major professor, the department chair or associate dean, and a third member selected in consultation with the major professor. The committee should be formed no later than the semester prior to graduation.
ASTU 5010 – PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES
Professional Practices is a study of the theoretical and practical aspects of succeeding as a practicing artist both inside and outside the academic community. This class offers a survey of the protocols and common practices expected of the artist as a productive member of the business community wherein fine art is a commodity.
ASTU 5015 – CREATIVE PROJECT
Students working toward the Master of Fine Arts degree will engage in a creative project and prepare an accompanying descriptive paper, according to the field of specialization. This project also must be done under the supervision of the major professor with input from the MFA Committee.
ASTU 5020 – MFA EXHIBITION
Each candidate for the MFA degree with a major in a studio area must prepare an exhibition of work of a quality suitable for presentation to the public. The MFA candidate may schedule their show in any of the UNT Art Gallery spaces, which should be reserved the semester prior to the exhibition and graduation. A graduate student has the option of scheduling the MFA show at any reputable exhibition space in the metroplex, but must secure approval from the major advisor and their department chair first.
GRADUATE REVIEW
All graduate students in MFA Studio Concentrations are required to present their work to appropriate review committees each long semester. The process is repeated until the Graduate Review Committee recommends that the student be passed and admitted to candidacy.
DEGREE PLAN
When you have accumulated 12‑18 hours toward an MFA, you should schedule an appointment with your major professor to work up a degree plan, which is then filed with the graduate school. This lists all your required courses and names your major professor.
ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY
Candidacy is an attainment, which must be actively sought and earned. The graduate faculty assists in this endeavor via coursework, individual consultations, and the graduate portfolio review. Although the accumulation of graduate hours with satisfactory grades is an integral part of program requirements, candidacy is not an automatic occurrence. The following specific requirements must be satisfied:
- Completion of 30 hours of graduate work in ART or ASTU classes at UNT.
- Written recommendation from the Graduate (Portfolio) Review Committee (pass Graduate Review)
- Degree Plan approval and certification by the major professor.
Additional Questions?
Please feel free to call 940-369-7671 or email studio@unt.edu for more information or talk to the faculty. A complete faculty listing is available here.