Master of Fine Arts in Art
The Master of Fine Arts program in Art provides a dynamic interdisciplinary environment within which students are encouraged to develop their creative practice as professional artists. The School of Art has facilities for printmaking, painting and drawing, sculpture, photography, textiles, digital media, and emerging technology, and ceramics. MFA students have access to all of the School of Art facilitates as well as individual and communal MFA studio workspaces. Our faculty are distinguished and professionally active artists and art historians. Students work closely with a graduate advisor/mentor to chart their individual path through the program, including studio seminars, critiques, and individually supervised tutorials. Coursework and seminars in art history and other academic fields complement studio courses, and students are encouraged to develop rigorous research and writing skills to enrich and complement their art practice. All students are provided with individual studio spaces, and there are opportunities for teaching, either as a teaching assistant or instructor of record. Our vibrant visiting artist program introduces students to artists in the Bay Area and beyond, connecting students to the local art community. The M.F.A. degree culminates with a written thesis report and a thesis exhibition in which students exhibit an original body of work. The program is completed in 2 years. Students must pass their first semester review without reservations to continue as a classified Art M.F.A. student.
Admission to Program
Application Procedures
Applications for the master of fine arts in art program are accepted October 1 through February 1 for admission the following fall semester. Late applications will not be accepted.
The graduate admission application to SF State consists of a two-part review. Part One: The Division of Graduate Studies reviews your application for general university admission requirements and requires you to upload copies of transcripts from every college or university attended, including study abroad coursework, community college coursework even if transfer credit appears on your degree transcript. Upload all transcripts to the Program Materials “documents” section of this application. Make sure you resolve any financial obligations at previously attended institutions so they will release your transcripts. You must submit clear, legible copies of transcripts that document your complete academic history. Part Two: The School of Art will review your application for program and discipline-specific criteria. Applicants must complete the Cal State Apply application by the February 1st deadline to be considered for admission.
Part 1: Apply to the Division of Graduate Studies (Cal State Apply)
- Apply online through Cal State Apply for a Graduate Program. You will be required to create a personal login to manage your application. Select "San Francisco" for campus, and "Art" for the degree program.
- Pay the $55 USD application fee online by credit card at the moment you submit your application.
Upload copies of transcripts from every college or university attended, including study abroad coursework, community college coursework even if transfer credit appears on your degree transcript. Upload all transcripts to the Program Materials “documents” section of this application. If selected for admission, you will be required to submit official transcripts. If an International Applicant, TOEFL Scores of 550 or better or Internet-Based Test TOEFL Scores of 80 or better are required, taken within two (2) years of the semester you wish to attend. The TOEFL is a requirement by the CSU and cannot be waived.
Part 2: Upload Supplemental Materials for the Program to Cal State Apply
Compile the following supplemental documents for your program file ahead of time to upload in the "Program Materials" portal of the Cal State Apply application:
Program application requirements include:
- An undergraduate art degree or equivalent preparatory degree, with three units of contemporary art history taken within the last five years. If the applicant does not complete this upon admission to the program, enrollment in a contemporary art history class during the first semester is required.
- A 3.0 grade point average in the last 60 units completed in an undergraduate degree.
- M.F.A. admissions application (details below).
Master of Fine Arts Admissions Application Requirements:
Current Resume/Curriculum Vitae
- Categories should include Education, Exhibitions, Publications, Special Activities and Awards, and Related Employment.
- List information with the most recent activity first.
Creative Work Portfolio
- The submitted portfolio is one of the most critical components of the application.
- The Graduate Selection Committee, composed of the entire full-time art faculty, screens documentation of work in search of candidates with strong artistic direction and promise of continuing in a sustained, independent, and exploratory manner.
- Portfolios not meeting the following requirements will not be reviewed. The organization of your materials is an element that will be considered in evaluating your application.
- The Selection Committee will review a maximum of 20 images from each candidate.
- Images should be labeled with the work’s title, date, media, size, and other significant information.
- Where appropriate, other documentary material is admissible in place of images. This may include films, audio and/or video, or web-based work. If applicable, please include a link in the PDF of the URL for video and/or digital based work.
- Due to time constraints, time-based digital media and films should be cued and cannot exceed three minutes. Short segments should be excerpted from longer pieces. Full-length versions of time-based media can be included as a supplement but should be labeled as such. These versions will not be considered during the first round of the review process.
Written statement
- Please submit a 500 – 1,000 word artist statement that addresses the following: Describe the significance of your work and the concepts, research, and/or processes that drive your studio practice within the context of contemporary artistic practice. Why do you think you are prepared for a master of fine arts program in studio art and what do you hope to get out of graduate-level study?
Letters of Recommendation
- Three letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation should be from individuals qualified to testify to the applicant's capabilities and readiness to enter graduate study in art.
Transcripts
- Provide transcripts from all institutions of higher learning attended.
Transfer of Credit for Previous Graduate Work
All transfer of credit must be approved on a course-by-course basis by a graduate advisor, the graduate coordinator and the Office of Graduate Studies. This transfer should be arranged before the first semester of graduate studies begins.
A maximum of 12 units total may be transferred towards credit for the master of fine arts in art degree.
- A student previously enrolled in any accredited master of fine arts in art program may transfer up to 12 units from that program.
- A student who has taken graduate courses in an unclassified post-baccalaureate status may transfer no more than six units in studio, and six units of other, credible, coursework, for a total of 12 units.
- A student who has accrued credits both as an enrolled candidate in an accredited master of fine arts in art program and taken courses in an unclassified post-baccalaureate status may transfer no more than 12 units total.
Program Learning Outcomes
1. Able to produce professional creative work – generate a cohesive body of work.
2. Sophisticated understanding of a range of visual art practices.
3. Able to discuss historic, cultural, and contemporary theory related to their own creative work.
4. Must demonstrate commitment to a career in art and potential to grow artistically.
Written English Proficiency Requirement
All students in graduate programs at SF State must demonstrate Level One (entry) and Level Two (exit) writing proficiency in accordance with university, departmental, and or programmatic guidelines.
Level One
Level One is satisfied by the successful completion of ARTH 700.
Level Two
Level Two is satisfied by the successful completion of ART 706.
Completion of the Degree
To complete the M.F.A., students must satisfy all University and Department requirements. Department requirements are described in detail in the M.F.A. General Information Brochure. In addition to satisfactory completion of the course of study, other requirements include satisfactory performance on yearly departmental reviews, a creative work exhibition and review, and creative work documentation (generally in the form of a written thesis report). The department accepts transfer units on a course-by-course basis, only upon advisement, and in accordance with the limits established in the section entitled Transfer of Credit for Previous Graduate Work of the M.F.A. General Information Brochure. If the creative work project is not complete in the final semester of the program, students must enroll in ART 899 in the semester they intend to graduate. Students are required to be enrolled during the semester in which they graduate.
Art (M.F.A.) — 60 units
Studio Requirements (30 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ART 704 | Interdisciplinary Critique Seminar (repeated for a total of 12 units) | 12 |
| ART 709 | Studio Research and Practice Seminar | 3 |
| ART 780 | Art Processes and Practices: Visiting Artists and Scholars (repeated once per semester for a total of 6 units) | 6 |
| ART 882 | Tutorial in Studio (repeated for a total of 6 units) | 6 |
| ART 894 | Creative Work Project | 3 |
Studio Electives (9 units)
Nine units by advisement. Suggested courses:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ART 704 | Interdisciplinary Critique Seminar | 3 |
| ART 709 | Studio Research and Practice Seminar | 3 |
| ART 780 | Art Processes and Practices: Visiting Artists and Scholars | 2 |
| ART 882 | Tutorial in Studio | 1-3 |
| Any undergraduate studio art course(s) | ||
Academic Requirements (12 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ARTH 700 | Seminar in Art History: Theory, Criticism, and Practice | 3 |
| ARTH 701 | Special Topics in Art History | 3 |
| ART 706 | MFA Writing and Research Seminar | 3 |
| ART 789 | Professional Practices for Visual Artists | 3 |
Academic Electives (9 units)
Nine units by advisement may be taken in any department and may include additional academic art history courses/seminars in theory, criticism, history, and directed experience. See MFA Handbook for a list of suggested courses in other departments in the University. Suggested courses in the School of Art:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ART 706 | MFA Writing and Research Seminar | 3 |
| ART 750 | Seminar in Teaching Art Practice | 3 |
| ART 850 | Directed Experience in Public Roles for Artists | 3 |
| ART 899 | Independent Study | 1-3 |
| ARTH 306 | Modern and Contemporary Art in a North American and European Context, 1945-present | 3 |
| ARTH 602 | Art History Seminar | 3 |
| ARTH 700 | Seminar in Art History: Theory, Criticism, and Practice | 3 |
| ARTH 701 | Special Topics in Art History | 3 |
| M S 800 | Museum Management, Law, and Ethics | 3 |