Program Overview

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Art, MFA

The mission of the Art Department at the University of WisconsinMadison is to educate students in studio art and design to form lasting contributions to knowledge and culture. Our mission mirrors the guiding principles of the University, whose outreach efforts influence lives within the classroom, the state of Wisconsin, and beyond.

Seated within the School of Education, the MFA curriculum allows students to join their academic and studio disciplines to source the potential of the University. Research offerings at the University of Wisconsin rank among the highest in the world, including our libraries, museums, laboratories, collections, faculty, staff, and visiting scholars. Student learning and curriculum are also supported on campus by the Chazen Museum of Art, Tandem Press, and the Division of the Arts. Our prominent and diverse faculty work across creative disciplines to teach hands-on skills, critical thinking, observation, and innovation.

Graduate students engage with interdisciplinarity, professional practices, and standards for scholarship to develop meaningful research and social engagement in the visual arts. The Art Department values the diverse contributions, backgrounds, and experiences of each student who serves as a catalyst for the extraordinary within the contemporary practice of art at the University of WisconsinMadison and the world.

Students can study with any of our distinguished faculty, drawing from a wide breadth of instruction or focusing on a particular discipline. Students partner with faculty to develop a thesis body of artistic work. A strength of the graduate program lies in the diversity of its faculty and its strong commitment to student mentorship. The program places artists in the upper tier within any visual arts specialization.

Our department is well-equipped to support student studio ambitions. Students benefit from having access to the studio facilities, state-of-the-art shops, and equipment. Students are encouraged to challenge themselves and their research through the program's unique interdisciplinary approach to studio practice.

Admissions

• Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School.
• Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s).
• Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.
• Graduate Admissions Requirements:
  • Fall Deadline: January 6
  • Spring Deadline: The program does not admit in the spring.
  • Summer Deadline: The program does not admit in the summer.
  • GRE (Graduate Record Examinations): Not required.
  • English Proficiency Test: Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Requirements for Admission policy.
  • Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT): n/a
  • Letters of Recommendation Required: 3

Funding

Graduate School Resources

The Bursars Office provides information about tuition and fees associated with being a graduate student. Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School.

Program Funding

Students entering the UWMadison MFA in studio art program are offered tuition remission, generous monthly stipends, access to UWMadison health benefits, and other annual funding opportunities. Students are assigned Teaching Assistantships within their first year of study. Second- and third-year students are appointed Lecturing Student Assistantships; in addition, they may be selected by faculty for Project Assistantships or be awarded Fellowships based on their eligibility.

MFA funding packages reflect our commitment to students and require students to perform both academically and professionally at the highest level while studying on campus. Funding support is contingent on the students performance as a TA, LSA, or PA; academic performance; and satisfactory progress toward the completion of the MFA program. Students on assistantship are expected to provide 20 hours of service through their appointment each week during the 9-month academic year.

Teaching Assistantship (TA)

Incoming MFA students are assigned teaching assistantships. Students assist a faculty member who administers weekly lectures in Art 100, Art 107, and Art 108/208. Teaching Assistants are responsible for knowing the course content and leading three undergraduate discussion sections per semester.

Lecturing Student Assistantship (LSA)

Rising second and third-year graduate students are assigned LSA appointments. LSA-assigned courses are taught with support from a supervising faculty member. The graduate student is responsible for the content and delivery of the course curriculum and assessment of student coursework through group critique. LSAs are assigned two sections of undergraduate foundations or beginning level studio courses per semester.

Project Assistantship (PA)

Rising second- and third-year graduate students may be appointed a project assistantship. Faculty hand-select students to assist with their studio research.

Fellowships

Fellowships support graduate student research without the expectation of weekly work requirements. Fellowships are awarded to rising third-year graduate students through the departments annual application process.

Requirements

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Review the Graduate School minimum degree requirements and policies, in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Major Requirements

Mode Of Instruction

• Mode of Instruction: Face to Face
• Definitions:
  • Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion.
  • Evening/Weekend: Courses meet on the UWMadison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends.
  • Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.
  • Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats.
  • Online: These programs are offered 100% online.

Curricular Requirements

• University General Education Requirements:
  • Minimum Credit Requirement: 60 credits
  • Minimum Residence Credit Requirement: 30 credits
  • Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement: 30 credits must be graduate-level coursework.
  • Overall Graduate GPA Requirement: 3.00 GPA required.
• Other Grade Requirements: No other specific grade requirements.
• Assessments and Examinations:
  • First-Year Reviews: Near the end of the second semester, students will exhibit the work and research they have achieved during their first year.
  • MFA Qualifier: Students will host a solo exhibition of their work during the fourth semester of the program.
  • Final MFA Exhibition: After the successful completion of the qualifier, students will host a solo exhibition of their work.

Required Courses

• Course List:
  • ART 700: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Art (3 credits)
  • ART 508: Colloquium in Art (1 credit)
  • ART 908: Seminar-Art (3 credits)
  • ART 740: Interdisciplinary Graduate Critique (1 credit, taken three times)
  • Art History: One course numbered 300 or above (3 credits)
  • Outside elective: One course numbered 300 or above in subjects other than Art Department (ART) or Art History (ART HIST) (3 credits)
  • Additional coursework: Students work with their graduate committee chair to meet the minimum credit requirement (44 credits)

Policies

Prior Coursework

• Graduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions: With program approval, coursework from a previous graduate program completed within the past ten years may be considered for transfer.
• Undergraduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions or UWMadison: No credits from a UWMadison or other institution undergraduate degree are allowed to transfer toward the degree.

Probation

• Good standing: Progressing according to standards; any funding guarantee remains in place.
• Probation: Not progressing according to standards but permitted to enroll; loss of funding guarantee; specific plan with dates and deadlines in place in regard to removal of probationary status.
• Unsatisfactory progress: Not progressing according to standards; not permitted to enroll, dismissal, leave of absence, or change of advisor or program.

Advisor / Committee

• All students are required to conduct a yearly progress report meeting with the chair and members of their committee.

Credits Per Term Allowed

• 15 credit maximum.

Time Limits

• The MFA show of creative work must be completed by the sixth semester of the candidate's studies.

Grievances and Appeals

• Resources for addressing concerns and grievances are available through the University.

Professional Development

Graduate School Resources

• Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.

Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate a critical awareness of the relationship of artwork to its social, cultural, historical, theoretical, and contemporary contexts.
2. Develop, hone, and clearly articulate artistic goals, manifested in a substantial body of artwork and communicated through oral presentations and professional art writing.
3. Engage actively in a wider visual arts culture and community (local, regional, national, or international) and present exhibition/s in a public gallery or other cultural venues.