Fully funded interdisciplinary MFA program

The University at Buffalo Department of Art invites applications for its MFA in Studio Art degree.

The MFA is a two-year program where students, faculty, visiting artists and curators participate in energetic, interdisciplinary and contemporary art discourse. Students engage with the program through independently driven studio practice alongside thematic labs, research, academic electives, seminars, studio visits, group critiques, and exhibitions, as well as with a vibrant professional arts community. Our students go on to build internationally celebrated careers in the Arts.

The Department of Art is situated within an “R1” designated research University, enabling access to knowledge bases across a wide range of creative and academic fields. The Department is located in the Center for the Arts, which houses the Departments of Art, Media Study, Theater and Dance as well as the UB Art Galleries’ CFA Gallery.

Our curriculum encourages interdisciplinary studio practice and research. As such, each student works closely with a thesis committee of full-time faculty to focus conceptual experimentation, personal and intellectual exploration, critical thinking, and self-directed production towards a publicly presented exhibition. 

Our program offers fully funded teaching assistantships to gain professional teaching experience, as well as health insurance. Funding options include full-tuition scholarships for all MFA students.

Each MFA candidate works in spacious individual studios with access to extensive departmental and interdisciplinary facilities: from manual and digital fabrication tools, photography facilities including photo processing labs (black and white and color) to print media and audio production equipment and labs. Students also have access to the Art and Science laboratory Coalesce: Center for Biological Arts and The Project Space for experimental exhibitions.

Department of Art Full-time faculty include Marc Böhlen, Becky Brown, Noah Breuer, Crystal Z. Campbell, Millie Chen, Kelly Myers-Chunco, Maximilian Goldfarb, Berin Golonu, Ilona Gaynor, George Afredzi Hughes, Matt Kenyon, Joan Linder, John Opera, Victoria Udondian, Reinhard Reitzenstein, Stephanie Rothenberg, T. Triandos, Abdi Osman, Paul Vanouse, and Livingston V. Watrous.

The application deadline is Wednesday, January 15, 2024. If you have questions about the MFA in studio arts, please contact Maximilian Goldfarb, Director of Graduate Studies: MG229 [​at​] Buffalo.edu.