Program Overview

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Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art Program

The Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in the field of studio art. The program requires a minimum of 60 hours to include the following:

• A minimum of 16 hours of studio courses in a concentration area.
• A minimum of 9 hours of graduate-level academic (non-studio) courses of which at least 6 hours are to be in art history.
• 1 hour of First-Semester Graduate Seminar.
• 3 hours of ART 557 MFA Professional Practice Seminar to be taken in the fourth semester.
• A minimum of 14 hours of electives consisting of any combination of courses offered by the University for graduate credit.
• Students with a GTA are required to successfully complete 3 hours of Art 503, Theory and Practice of Art Fundamentals. These hours will count towards the elective requirement.
• A concentration area may have course requirements that reduce the number of elective hours.
• 20 hours of ART 599: Project in Lieu of Thesis. A third year of semi-independent study. Student must have completed all required coursework prior to commencement of ART 599.

Steps to Graduation

The following list outlines a general timeline for steps to graduation for students in the MFA Studio Art program. Concentration areas may have additional requirements.

1. Year One:

• Take 9-12 graduate credits each semester for the first two years.
• Print, Read, Sign, and Turn In the Graduate Studio Contract.
• At the end of the first year, the area faculty will create a document for the student to sign indicating progress in the program.

2. Year Two:

• By the end of the third semester, meet with the Director of Graduate Studies to ensure enrollment in all necessary classes to complete coursework before beginning the third year.
• Write a PILOT proposal and select the chair of the PILOT committee by the first Monday in March.
• Submit the PILOT Committee Form to the School of Art office by the third Monday in March.
• Deliver the Fourth Semester Presentation before Scholarship Day.
• At the end of the second year, the area faculty will create a document for the student to sign indicating progress in the program.

3. Year Three:

• By mid-September, submit the Admission to Candidacy form to the Graduate School.
• By December of the fifth semester, apply to graduate by submitting the Graduation Application online.
• By the end of the fifth semester, submit a rough draft of the Written Project Defense to the PILOT Committee.
• Submit the final draft of the Written Project Defense two weeks before the exhibition opening.
• In the sixth and final semester, create a public display of work, turn in the final draft of the written component, and defend the PILOT.
• After the PILOT defense and before the Graduate School deadline, submit the Report of Final Examination/Defense of Thesis/Project/Capstone.
• By the last day of classes in the sixth semester, submit PILOT documentation to the PILOT chair.

PILOT Documentation Guidelines

Following successful completion of the Project in Lieu of Thesis (PILOT) exhibition oral examination, all students completing the MFA degree in Studio Art must submit the following materials to the Chair of their MFA PILOT Committee by the last day of classes of the semester of graduation.

• A folder labeled “Written Component” containing:
  • MFA Exhibition Statement
  • Written Project Defense with a cover page
  • Complete Curriculum Vitae (both Word Document and PDF)
  • A list of accomplishments in the provided template
• A folder labeled “Documentation” containing:
  • A list of representative works from the MFA PILOT exhibition
  • A minimum of 10 image files documenting the MFA PILOT
  • A single PDF that includes the works represented in the “Documentation” folder
• An additional document with all of the documentation compiled into one PDF.

Areas of Study

The School of Art offers the following areas of study:

• Art History
• Ceramics
• Cinema Studies
• Painting & Drawing
• Photography
• Printmaking
• Sculpture
• Time-Based Art

Resources

The School of Art provides access to the following resources:

• Media Pool
• smART Lab
• Wood Shop
• Letterpress Lab

Opportunities

The School of Art offers the following opportunities:

• Study Abroad
• Undergraduate Scholarships
• Graduate Assistantships & Aid
• Artist Residencies + Internships

Art at UT

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is home to the following art galleries and exhibition spaces:

• Ewing Gallery
• Downtown Gallery
• Gallery 1010
• Local Exhibit Spaces
• MFA Exhibition Catalogs
• Faculty Work
• ArtBox: Limited Edition Prints