ARTP-MFA - Art Practice (MFA)

Master of Fine arts in Art Practice

University requirements for the M.F.A. are described in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this bulletin.

Fields of Study or Degree Options

Fields of study for the M.F.A. degree are offered in Painting, Sculpture, New Genres, and Photography. These fields of study are not declared on Axess; they are not printed on the transcript or the diploma.

Although the MFA program is usually completed in two years, students entering in Autumn quarter 2019-2020 and 2020-21 may take three years to complete the degree. This additional time to degree is an exception, and has been granted due to the significant academic disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The applicant must have a B.A., B.F.A, or B.S. from an accredited school. It is expected that the applicant will have a strong background in art practice, either an undergraduate degree or at least three years of independent studio practice. Students accepted to the program are admitted for the beginning of the following Autumn Quarter. No applicants for mid-year entrance are considered.

Portfolio Specifications—See the department's Graduate Admission web site for portfolio requirements.

The student must complete a minimum of 48 units of study, all of which must be taken at Stanford.

The Department of Art and Art History is committed to providing academic advising in support of graduate student scholarly and professional development. When most effective, this advising relationship entails collaborative and sustained engagement by both the adviser and the advisee. As a best practice, advising expectations should be periodically discussed and reviewed to ensure mutual understanding. Both the adviser and the advisee are expected to maintain professionalism and integrity. Should serious challenges arise in the advising relationship, advisee and adviser (together or individually) should confer with the DGS and/or Department Chair.

Faculty advisers guide students in key areas such as selecting courses, designing and conducting research, developing of teaching pedagogy, navigating policies and degree requirements, and exploring academic opportunities and professional pathways.

Graduate students are active contributors to the advising relationship, proactively seeking academic and professional guidance and taking responsibility for informing themselves of policies and degree requirements for their graduate program.

For a statement of University policy on graduate advising, see the "Graduate Advising" section of this bulletin.

The program provides a demanding course of study designed to challenge advanced students. Participants are chosen for the program on the basis of work that indicates high artistic individuality, achievement, and promise. Candidates should embody the intellectual curiosity and broad interests appropriate to, and best served by, work and study within the University context.