MFA program virtual open house

Carnegie Mellon University’s MFA program in the School of Art encourages students to experiment, take risks, and question what it means to be an artist and to make art within our contemporary condition. The three-year, interdisciplinary program provides the time, resources, and support for students to expand and develop their work and thinking as artists.

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

Register for an open house on November 17 at 11am ET here. Other virtual and in person visit opportunities can be found here.

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 eighteen full-time faculty—provide extensive support and mentorship for each student. The School seeks students from a wide variety of backgrounds with diverse artistic and academic interests.

Financial support
All students receive generous, guaranteed financial support in the form of partial or full tuition scholarships.

New graduate studio complex
The program is housed in a new facility where students have large, individual studios, as well as common study and community areas. This facility also includes a 1,200 square foot flexible-use space that supports varied coursework, group critiques, roundtable seminars, public programing, and more.

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 program welcomes acclaimed international artists, writers, and critics who interact with graduate students through studio visits, workshops, and informal engagements. Recent visitors include artists and writers such as Steffani Jemison, Ian Chang, A.L. Steiner, Wangechi Mutu, Laure Provost, Huey Copeland, Zoe Leonard, Maggie Nelson, Cauleen Smith, Andrea Zittel, and Hilton Als.

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.

The Pittsburgh community
Pittsburgh combines affordability with a vibrant arts scene. From established institutions to grassroots organizations where students regularly exhibit their work, the city offers many opportunities to be involved in the arts and collaborate with regional artists outside the classroom.

Applications for fall 2023 are due January 17.