Learning Outcomes

1. Student will demonstrate a sophisticated level of technical skill in their chosen discipline. 
2. Student will produce original artworks that effectively convey the conceptual content of their project. 
3. Student will demonstrate mastery of the historical and theoretical underpinnings of their project. 
4. Student will be able to effectively critique visual artwork including their own and the work of others.
5. Student will effectively research write and speak about their studio practice and its historical and conceptual origins.        

Admissions

Required Documents

• Online Application to the Graduate School
• Official Transcripts
• 2 Letters of Recommendation (at least one must be from a professor)
• Curriculum Vitae or Resume
• Personal Statement
• Portfolio:  Please upload a digital portfolio of 20 images of recent work and an identifying list of works, as a single .pdf document.  Applicants are encouraged to include their strongest artwork.

Note: Successful applicants to the graduate programs in Studio Art typically have an undergraduate GPA of 2.50 or higher on a 4.00 scale. This number is provided as a guideline; meeting the minimum GPA does not guarantee admission. All parts of an application are carefully considered in admissions decisions.

Degree Requirements (60 Hours)

The University of South Carolina offers the MFA degree program in Art Studio. The MFA degree provides the opportunity for professional growth and mastery of skills by requiring students pursue major and minor areas of concentration from among the following subject areas: drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, ceramics, and/or sculpture (3-D studies). Completion of the degree primarily affirms a candidate’s mastery of studio production in their major and minor areas of concentration. Additionally, through competitively assigned assistantships, candidates may develop professional competency in the teaching of studio art at the college and university level. The MFA degree requires a minimum of 60 hours of graduate level course credit:

• 33 hours art studio-to include 18 hours in the major area of concentration, 9 hours in the minor area of concentration, and 6 hours of Art Studio electives.
• 12 hours from art history, theory, criticism, and/or art education.
• 6 to 9 hours of the MFA Project (ARTS 896 and ARTS 897), including a written proposal and project documentation, and oral defense.
• 6 to 9 hours of graduate electives.

All MFA candidates are also required to complete a first semester critique with the Art Studio faculty. The critique is non-evaluative, allowing for open discussion of the student’s work produced during the semester.

MFA candidates must then successfully complete and pass two progress reviews, one each at the completion of the second and third semesters. Each review intends to provide a forum for discussion and evaluation of work produced during the semester, to give students an opportunity for contact with studio faculty and to monitor the candidate’s progress. The reviews are equivalent to master’s comprehensive exams.

Failure to pass will result in a re-review at the end of the next semester by the entire faculty. Candidates who do not pass re-reviews may not continue in the program. Students will not be allowed to register for ARTS 896 prior to successfully completing the two reviews.