Graduate Program: The Division of Art awards the Master of Fine Arts, the terminal degree in studio art. Students who earn the M.F.A. will be able to show a substantial body of work of uniformly high quality and of distinct originality when they graduate. The student will also have an intellectual grasp of the broad contexts, both historical and current, within which the artist functions. The degree program is comprised of a two-year focused period of study, which concludes with the M.F.A qualifying exhibition.

Graduate-level study is offered in painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics and photography. These are not so narrowly defined as to preclude development between media or diverse experimentation within the discipline. A goal of the graduate program of the Division of Art is to encourage a wide range of thought in its students, primarily through open, studio-based investigation.

To see samples of our graduate student's work, click here.

Admission: Admission to the graduate program is extremely selective. The admissions committee admits only those applicants who demonstrate clear prospects for attaining the objectives of the program during the two-year period of graduate study. Admission is also based on the objectives and limitations of the department. The primary criterion for admission is a portfolio of 20 slides, followed by recommendations, the artist's statement, and transcript review. In most years, approximately 55 students apply, with 6-8 accepted for admission and 4-6 enrolling.

The applicant is required to have a B.F.A. degree equivalent to that offered at SMU (i.e., 60 studio hours, 12 art history hours). In exceptional cases, unusually qualified applicants not holding an undergraduate degree in Art may be considered for admission. The ranked admission criteria are portfolio, statement of intent, transcript and recommendations.

Degree Requirements: Study within the degree program is primarily through tutorial studio hours taken under the supervision of individual faculty members, supplemented by study in art history and humanities, and the graduate seminar. A minimum of 60 term-credit hours of course work is required. All courses taken in the division must be numbered 5000 or above. In some instances, a student may be directed by the faculty to take more than this minimum number of credit hours. Thirty-six to 42 credit hours are to be clearly related to the major field of study. Twelve credit hours of graduate-level art history or study in other academic departments are also required. Approval for any courses outside of art history must be obtained from the graduate adviser. All students participate in the Studio Graduate Seminar (ASAG 6301, 6302, or 6303) each fall term, which offers study and discussion of topics in theory, criticism, and professional practices of art.

Only grades of B– and above may apply toward the degree. The Meadows School of the Arts ordinarily accepts no more than six term hours of transferred credit. Petitions for exceptions may be filed with the dean after the student is enrolled at SMU.

Upon entering the graduate program, candidates will be given, by the graduate adviser, a thorough outline of the expectations a graduate student will meet.

Graduate Committees and Critiques: Graduate studies for each student are guided by a three-person graduate committee selected by the student. By the end of the first month in residence, the student must designate a major professor (with that professor's consent). It is expected that the professor will be strongly identified with the student's chosen specialty, and he or she has the primary responsibility for guiding the student's academic and artistic program. Each student also selects (with the major professor's consent) two additional faculty members to serve with the major professor on the graduate committee. The faculty reserves the right to appoint at any time one faculty member not chosen by the student to serve on the committee.

The student is critiqued by this committee at least once every month during each term in which he or she is registered for studio credit. It is the student's responsibility to arrange this critique. Students are expected to submit periodically to the committee a brief written statement outlining their intentions and progress.

At the end of each term, a selection of completed work and a written statement discussing the term's progress will be presented for review by the faculty of the division. Continuation in the graduate program is on a term-to-term basis and is determined by the graduate committee with the advice of the faculty at the critique at the end of the term. At this critique, the major professor will discuss recommendations regarding progress made. Membership on the graduate committee becomes permanent at the beginning of the student's final (second) year. At the beginning of any term prior to that time, the student, with the advice of the graduate adviser, may alter the composition of the committee.

To see samples of our graduate student's work, click here.