Program type:

Major
Format:

On Campus
Est. time to complete:

3 years
Credit Hours:

60
Shape your future through a program which sits at an exciting crossroads between traditional and contemporary art, design and craft practice.
The terminal degree, an M.F.A. in Studio Art with a concentration in Metalsmithing and Jewelry, focuses on individual intellectual and creative growth. Fostering our students' professional practices and preparing them for a lifetime of accomplishment, graduates are well prepared to make meaningful contributions as culture creators.

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Why Earn a Studio Art Master’s with a Concentration in Metalsmithing & Jewelry?

The M.F.A. program integrates creative research, contemporary theory and studio practice culminating in a solo exhibition and frames the individual needs of each student through the development of conceptual, aesthetic, and technical skills.

While in the College of Visual Arts and Design, Studio Art M.F.A. students engage with ideas and methodologies across disciplines while engaging in the critical practice of the fine arts.

Students’ work ranges from jewelry, vessels, and sculptural forms to large-scale multi-media installations. Cross-disciplinary research is supported through a network of available resources in other studio areas.

Refine your personal creative voice within a balance of conceptual, aesthetic and technical development achieved through your independent, in-depth, studio-focused research and exploration.

Housed in a world-class Tier 1 research institution, CVAD is a short drive from the vibrant cultural capitals of Dallas and Fort Worth.

You will be led by engaged artists and educators who are recognized nationally and internationally for their intellectual and creative research. The studio art faculty are passionate and work to ensure that students realize their potential.

We are proud of the diverse means of research modes and art-making processes in our program and the many successes of our M.F.A. graduates who make their impact through creative inquiry, scholarship and innovation.

Through the CVAD M.F.A. program, you too can become a passionate, skilled, dedicated artist with a unique vision.

New facilities provide access to comprehensive tools and processes in support of individual interests, including digital fabrication, jewelry production, blacksmithing, silversmithing, metal spinning, micro & Tungsten Inert Gas, TIG, welding, electroforming, die-forming, powder coating and more.

Marketable Skills
  • Critical thinking
  • Advanced craftsmanship
  • Teamwork
  • Advanced oral and written communication
  • Advanced multiple approach assessment

Studio Art Master’s with a Concentration in Metalsmithing & Jewelry Highlights

Our students regularly show their work in professional galleries and win awards at regional and national competitions.
Studio Art faculty members are productive, accomplished and dedicated to quality teaching and service.
Visiting artists, scholars and critics are an integral part of our program’s pedagogy giving you direct exposure to national and internationally known artists and scholars through lectures, private studio visits, critiques and seminars.
UNT's proximity to Dallas and Fort Worth offers you a wealth of experiences and resources, and there are opportunities to exhibit your work on campus and at local galleries.
One of the nation's most comprehensive visual arts schools and one of the best in the Southwest, the College of Visual Arts and Design is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, which means the college meets or exceeds high standards of academic excellence.
U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks our M.F.A. degree program among the nation's best.

What Can You do With a Studio Art Master’s with a Concentration in Metalsmithing & Jewelry?

The Studio Art M.F.A. degree prepares graduates for diverse career pathways in:

  • Education
  • Museum work
  • Manufacturing
  • Entrepreneurship
  • The arts

Employment opportunities include being hired as a:

  • Faculty member or visual arts technician at a college or university
  • General art teacher in elementary/high schools
  • Workshop leader
  • Entrepreneur/self-employed
  • A member of a manufacturing team or a large-scale studio

Artists may produce one-of-a-kind pieces or production work to exhibit and sell in museums, galleries, art fairs and specialty shops. In manufacturing, businesses may focus on stone setting polishing/finishing, CAD designing, model making, and wax techniques.

Additional employment opportunities include working in the areas of:

  • Art handling
  • Research consulting
  • Gallery managing
  • Curating
  • Blacksmithing
  • Costume/prop working
  • Tool making
  • 3D printing

Overall employment of fine artists is projected to grow 14% from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Studio Art Master’s with a Concentration in Metalsmithing & Jewelry Courses You Could Take

Seminar in University Art Teaching (3 hrs)
Study of problems unique to university art faculty; professional practices in various fields of art teaching.
Praxis: Rotating Topics (3 hrs)
Readings, discussion and/or studio exploration of various art issues. Praxis graduate seminars are intensive topical or single discipline-based courses which encourage innovation, the development of a new method, idea and results. Seminars vary in structure offering a blend of reading/writing/presentation/discussion and studio practice/group critique.
Professional Practices for the Studio Artist (3 hrs)
Introduces and examines a wide range of strategies for developing a professional practice as a working visual artist.
M.F.A. Project In Lieu of Thesis Research (3 hrs)
Art research and practice for creative project in lieu of thesis. Typically taken with project in lieu of thesis supervisory committee chair in consultation with the supervisory committee.
M.F.A. Project in Lieu of Thesis (3 hrs)
Art research and practice for creative project. Students present project as an exhibition, oral defense, project report, artist statement, portfolio of outcomes.
Topics in Studio Art (3 hr)
Variable topics course designed to explore concepts and processes in art-making that go beyond the normal curricular parameters of traditional studio disciplines.

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