MFA program virtual open house

Housed within one of the most respected research universities in the United States, the MFA program at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Art is a three-year, interdisciplinary, experimental program that provides its students with a challenging and supportive context in which to expand and develop their work and thinking as artists. Thanks to a new facility opened last winter, the program continues to offer students a robust in-person experience while maintaining strict COVID-19 safety protocols.

Ranked among the top ten graduate programs in art by US News and World Report, the program offers generous tuition scholarships, guaranteed graduate assistantships, esteemed faculty, and many opportunities for critique from visiting artists, curators, and critics.

Register for an open house on November 20 at 12pm ET here.

New graduate studio complex
The MFA program is housed in a new facility exclusively for graduate art students, providing a cohesive space for the community. It includes: 18 individual studios, each approximately 300 square feet with large windows for ample natural light; common study and community areas; a fully-stocked kitchen; and administrative offices. This facility also includes a 1,200-square-foot flexible-use space that supports varied coursework, group critiques, roundtable seminars, public programing, and more.

Health and environmental safety during COVID-19
The facility is equipped with an advanced HVAC system that creates ions in the air to make the filter systems more effective at removing contaminants, including the coronavirus. Additionally, all occupants are required to wear masks, and shared spaces and surfaces are regularly sanitized. Access to the facility, controlled by card swipe access, is limited to graduate students, School of Art faculty and staff, and custodial services, ensuring that only those who need access are permitted.

Student-to-faculty ratio
A cohort limited to 18 students works with highly active faculty members who possess a diverse set of expertise. The program is guided by four core faculty members who—along with the School’s additional seventeen full-time faculty—provide extensive support and mentorship for each student.

True interdisciplinarity
The interdisciplinary structure of the program supports artists working across all mediums by fostering relationships between artistic practices within the School and by bridging methodologies throughout the University. In addition to generous time afforded for individual studio development, graduate students take advantage of a wealth of electives, visiting lecturers, cutting-edge technologies, grant opportunities, funded external advisors, and much more.

Art and research
The program is unique among its peers for being one of the top-ranked programs in the country situated within one of the top-ranked research universities in the world. MFA students have the opportunity to study with faculty and engage with research across the University.

Three-year structure
The MFA program’s three-year structure is designed to provide the time, resources, and support for in-depth multidisciplinary research, the development of new technical and conceptual skills, and the possibility of radical shifts in the materials, themes, and processes of students’ art practices.

Visiting artists
Throughout the year, the School of Art’s Visiting Lecture Series brings highly acclaimed international artists, writers, and critics who interact with graduate students through studio visits, workshops, and informal engagements. Recent and upcoming visitors include artists and writers such as Steffani Jemison, Ian Chang, A.L. Steiner, Wangechi Mutu, Laure Provost, Huey Copeland, Zoe Leonard, Omar Fast, Andrea Zittel, and Hilton Als.

Financial support
The School of Art provides generous tuition support for all its MFA students, regardless of their background or citizenship status. Each admitted student receives a fellowship, which ranges from covering a minimum of two-thirds of tuition to full scholarships.

Graduate Assistantships
All MFA students serve as graduate assistants (GAs) for each of the six semesters in which they are enrolled in the program. The GA experience affords MFA students opportunities to develop university-level pedagogy and curricula within the context of a research university.

Applications for fall 2021 are due January 18.