| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2025-09-01 | - |
| 2026-09-01 | - |
| 2027-09-01 | - |
Program Overview
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Program Overview
The Master of Fine Arts program invites creative artists to join us to pursue six semesters of challenging, exciting, and productive study in art-making and research creation. Students have the opportunity to work with a range of media or focus on a specific medium (such as Sculpture, Print Media, Photography, Painting, Drawing, or Digital Art), and are given studio space and full access to the resources of the Department. Students learn from award-winning faculty members who are actively engaged in contemporary art, art history, and curatorial studies. Many of our distinguished graduates have gone on to win prizes, exhibit nationally and internationally, start their own business enterprises, and work in the arts and creative industries, amongst other endeavors.
Completing this Program
- Core Courses: Courses explore studio practice, research creation, and studies in history and art theory.
- Thesis Exhibition: Students’ programs culminate in the thesis exhibition, accompanied by a support paper. Students are required to defend the thesis in an oral examination.
Specializations
- Sculpture
- Printmaking
- Photography
- Painting
- Drawing
- Media Art and Technology
Future Opportunities
MFA graduates are innovators, and their creative thinking and technical skills qualify them for a wide range of exciting opportunities. You may work as a professional artist and/or be engaged with art and arts-related fields including teaching, arts administration, curation, critical writing and research, and entrepreneurial enterprises, to name just a few.
Thesis-based Program
Students are required to produce a thesis exhibition and successfully defend their work in an oral examination.
Courses
Eight courses (24 units) in the Department of Art and Art History at the 600 level.
Classroom Delivery
The program is delivered in a classroom setting.
Time Commitment
Two years full-time; four years maximum.
Supervisor
A supervisor is required, but is not required prior to the start of the program.
Fees and Funding
See the Graduate Calendar for information on fees and fee regulations, and for information on awards and financial assistance.
Supervisors
The following faculty members are available to supervise this degree:
- Susan Cahill - Accepting Inquiries
- Jennifer Eiserman - Seeking Students
- Cultural Diversity in Art Education
- Digital Art
- Giftedness and Art Education
- Visual Midrash
- Denis Gadbois - Accepting Inquiries
- Photography
- Design
- Gerald Hushlak - Accepting Inquiries
- Digital Art
- Painting
- Heather Leier - Accepting Inquiries
- Jim Parker - Accepting Inquiries
- Game Design
- Generative Art
- Machine Perception
- Virtual Theatre
- Dona Schwartz - Accepting Inquiries
- Research Creation with a focus in photography
Admission Requirements
- GPA: A minimum of 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 point system, over the past two years of full-time study (a minimum of 10 full-course equivalents or 60 units) of the undergraduate degree.
- Minimum Education: A four-year baccalaureate degree, or equivalent from a recognized institution.
- Work Samples: A portfolio of 20 images of recent work submitted as a single PDF. Up to five minutes of video documentation may be submitted as links within this document.
- Documents:
- A written statement (no more than 1000 words) of research intent
- Reference Letters: Two
- Test Scores: None
English Language Proficiency
An applicant whose primary language is not English may fulfill the English language proficiency requirement in one of the following ways:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL ibt) score of 86 (Internet-based, with no section less than 20).
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 6.5 (minimum of 6.0 in each section).
- Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 68, or higher (Academic version).
- Canadian Academic English Language test (CAEL) minimum of 70 on writing sections, 60 on other sections.
- Academic Communication Certificate (ACC) score of A- in writing courses.
- Duolingo English Test and obtaining a minimum score of 125 (with no sub-score below 105).
Deadlines
- For admission on September 1:
- Canadians and permanent residents: January 15 application deadline
- International students: January 15 application deadline
Related Programs
If you're interested in this program, you might want to explore other UCalgary programs, such as the Computational Media Design (Thesis-based MSc or PhD).