Studio Art - Master of Fine Arts

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and of the College of Arts and Letters, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Applicants must meet the general requirements for consideration for to master's and doctoral degree programs in the College of Arts and Letters referenced in the college statement.

To be considered for to the Master of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art, an applicant must submit a digital portfolio of no more than 20 examples of original artwork and provide supplemental information as outlined at www.art.msu.edu.

To be admitted to the program on regular status, an applicant must have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art from a recognized educational institution, or have completed the courses in art that are required for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in studio art at Michigan State University or their equivalents. A cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 is required for regular .

Students are admitted to the Master of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art for fall semester only. Applications materials for must be received by January 5.

The department believes that studio space must be made available to students who are admitted to the program as a means of fostering their creativity.  Therefore, the number of students who can be admitted to the program will  be limited by the availability of suitable studio space.

Residence

The student must earn a minimum of 6 credits in the degree program in residence on campus during the final two semesters of enrollment in the program.

Requirements for the Master of Fine Arts Degree in Studio Art

The program is available only under Plan B (without thesis).  A total of 60 credits is required for the degree.  The student's program of study must be approved by the student's academic advisor.  The student must meet the requirements specified below:

1. Be enrolled in the program for a minimum of four semesters.
2. Complete both of the following courses during the first year of enrollment in the program: STA 890 Master of Fine Arts Seminar: Exploring Research, Resources, and Context and STA 891 Special Topics in Art Education (section Master of Fine Arts Seminar: Teaching and Pedagogical Practice in Studio Art).
3. Complete 3 credits of STA 893 Master of Fine Arts Professional Seminar during the last year of enrollment.
4. Complete at least 36 additional credits in Studio Art courses including:
   1. A minimum of 8 credits in both of the following courses: STA 895 Master of Fine arts Studio: Exploration and Research in Studio Art and STA 896 Master of Fine Arts Studio: Integration in Studio Art.
   2. A minimum of 5 credits in STA 897 Critique.
   3. At least 13 credits of Studio Art 898 Master of Fine Arts Research. These credits must be completed while in residence during the final two semesters of enrollment in the program.
5. Complete at least two courses at the 400–800 level in History of Art.
6. Complete one course of at least 4 credits outside the department during the first year of enrollment.
7. Pass an oral final certifying examination over the student's research.  The student must take this examination while in residence during the final semester of enrollment in the program.
8. Participate in the Master of Fine Arts Exhibition accompanied by a public presentation in the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum.

Due to cancellations of many international English language proficiency tests, MSU will be temporarily accepting the following tests for international students applying for fall semester 2022. In addition, MSU will be expanding the ability for students to receive provisional admission. If a provisionally admitted student is able to take a test that meets our regular admission standards prior to enrollment, we will update their admission status to regular.