Art Major, MFA

Concentrations (Required) and Options Available

Ceramics (Project)
Painting/Drawing (Project)
Printmaking (Project)
Sculpture (Project)
Time-Based Art (Project)

Campus Code

Knoxville Campus

Admissions Standards/Procedures

• 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.

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 coursework, 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.

Credit Hours Required

60 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

A minimum of 60 credit hours to include the following:

•  

  Select a minimum of 16 credit hours of studio courses in a concentration area:

• Ceramics Concentration:  ART 521 - Graduate Ceramics I
• Ceramics Concentration:  ART 525 - Graduate Ceramics II
• Painting/Drawing Concentration:  ART 511 - Graduate Painting and Drawing I
• Painting/Drawing Concentration:  ART 512 - Graduate Painting and Drawing II
• Printmaking Concentration:  ART 561 - Graduate Printmaking I
• Printmaking Concentration:  ART 562 - Graduate Printmaking II
• Sculpture Concentration:  ART 541 - Graduate Sculpture I
• Sculpture Concentration:  ART 542 - Graduate Sculpture II
• Time-Based Art Concentration:  ART 535 - Graduate Time-Based Art I
• Time-Based Art Concentration:  ART 536 - Graduate Time-Based Art II

•  

  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 (ARTH).

   

• Complete (1 credit hour)

• ART 504 - First-Semester Graduate Seminar

•  

  A minimum of 14 credit hours of electives consisting of any combination of courses selected based on students’ research in consultation with area professors.  Courses must be in the graduate catalog.

• Students with a GTA are required to successfully complete  ART 503 - Theory and Practice of Art Fundamentals (3 credit hours). These credit hours are considered to be elective.
• A concentration area may have course requirements that reduce the number of elective credit hours. Consult with your advisor for more information on available electives.

•  

• 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

Non-Course Requirements

• In lieu of a comprehensive exam, MFA students must complete a Project in Lieu of Thesis with written statements and accompanying documentation.