Art Major, MFA

Admission

To become a candidate, the applicant must be admitted by the Office of Graduate Admissions and approved by the School of Art. In addition to the minimum admission requirements, the School of Art specifically requires the following.

• A detailed letter of intent including statement requesting assistantship, if desired.
• Three letters of recommendation from former professors or professionals in the field.
• An undergraduate major in art or evidence of equivalent proficiency.
• A portfolio to be evaluated by the faculty.

Further information is available by writing to the School of Art.

Requirements

A minimum of 60 credit hours to include the following.

• A minimum of 16 credit hours of studio courses in a concentration area.
• A minimum of 9 credit hours of graduate-level academic (non-studio) courses of which at least 6 credit hours are to be in art history.
• 1 credit hour of First-Semester Graduate Seminar.
• A minimum of 14 credit hours of electives consisting of any combination of courses offered by the University of Tennessee for graduate credit. Students with a GTA are required to successfully complete 3 credit hours of ART 503 - Theory and Practice of Art Fundamentals . These credit hours are considered to be elective. A concentration area may have course requirements that reduce the number of elective credit hours.
• In lieu of a comprehensive exam, MFA students must complete a Project in Lieu of Thesis with written statements and accompanying documentation. A third year of semi-independent study, students must have completed all required coursework prior to taking 20 credit hours of ART 599 Projects in Lieu of Thesis .

Academic Standards

• First-year evaluation. At the end of the first two semesters in residence, the student must present a portfolio for evaluation by the faculty and receive permission to continue in the program.
• Second-year evaluation. With completion of all course work, the student must present work for evaluation by the faculty and receive permission to register for Project in Lieu of Thesis.
• If, in a review by the student’s major area faculty, the student’s progress is deemed insufficient, the faculty may recommend a work period without advancement toward the degree, probation with specific goals set for a specific time, or dismissal.