studio art

Master’s Degree Program

Graduate opportunities

Our goals in the Department of Studio Art are to inspire creativity, to foster critical thinking and to help you develop the competencies necessary for effective leadership roles in art.

By pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art at the University of North Texas, you can receive a comprehensive education in one of nine concentration areas. Concentrations are available in Ceramics, Drawing and Painting, Fibers, Metalsmithing and Jewelry, New Media Art, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Watercolor. We also offer you:

• An active gallery program
• A caring environment of artists who learn from each other
• A challenging environment for visual and intellectual research
• Creative and supportive faculty members
• An extensive visiting artist program
• First-class university resources

U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks our M.F.A. degree program among the nation’s best. Our students regularly show their work in professional galleries and win awards at various competitions.

Studio art faculty members have achieved high levels of distinction at regional, national and international venues and are dedicated to quality teaching and service.

Outstanding resources

The College of Visual Arts and Design is one of the nation’s most comprehensive visual arts schools, and it is considered one of the best in the Southwest. The facilities include:

• Computer labs with new technology and cutting- edge hardware and software
• The Cora Stafford Gallery, focusing on M.F.A. exhibitions
• Specialized classrooms, studios and galleries
• The UNT Art Gallery, which offers 2,500 square feet of exhibition space

Other educational assets include the North Texas Institute for Educators on the Visual Arts, the Visual Resources Collection, the Print Research Institute of North Texas, an extensive art and library collection, and the Texas Fashion Collection.

In addition to exceptional studio, exhibition and campus resources, you can participate in the wide variety of cultural and career options available throughout Dallas and Fort Worth. We also offer regular opportunities to study and travel in foreign countries.

Attending UNT

Admission requirements

You will need to meet the admission requirements for the Toulouse Graduate School as well as submit the following documents to the department:

• One-page Statement of Intent indicating your reasons for pursuing graduate studies in your intended major
• Portfolio of artwork (20 images as slides or images on a CD)
• Résumé
• Two letters of recommendation from people familiar with your academic record

For graduate school requirements and possible exceptions, visit gradschool.unt.edu.

Degree requirements

The M.F.A. program requires a minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate course work that includes:

• 30 semester hours of studio art courses (24 semester hours must be in your concentration area)
• 12 semester hours of electives
• 9 semester hours of art history courses
• 3 semester hours of a professional practices course
• 3 semester hours of a creative project course
• 3 semester hours of M.F.A. exhibition

Financial assistance

Our college offers financial assistance with teaching assistantships and fellowships and area assistantships. The number of appointments and positions vary from semester to semester. Students awarded half-time appointments are eligible to receive state-paid individual health insurance, a reduced rate on insurance for spouses and children, and out-of-state tuition waivers.

We have approximately 60 teaching assistantships and fellowships and 20 area assistantships available each long semester. Numerous other scholarships open to all graduate art majors are offered annually.

New M.F.A. students may be eligible to receive $1,000 Academic Achievement Scholarships for their first year of study. This award qualifies a student for in-state tuition rates and is renewable for a second year if the student makes satisfactory progress in his/her program.

For more information about scholarships, visit art.unt.edu and scroll over the student services link.