MFA in Art

Apply here by February 1, 2025:  MFA Art admission instructions  /  Meadows Graduate application.

See profiles of current  MFA graduate students,  Art faculty  and  Art History  faculty.  

For more information contact:  Meadows Graduate Admissions, meadowsgrad [​at​] smu.edu / T +1 214 768 3217.

About the program
The MFA in Art offered by  SMU Meadows School of the Arts  in Dallas, Texas is a highly selective two-year program preparing artists for professional careers in art. Students who earn the MFA develop a substantial body of artwork and understand the relevant contexts within which artists and their works function. The program is intended as an intensive period of focused study that culminates in the MFA qualifying exhibition at SMU’s Pollock Gallery.

As a part of the larger urban research university, MFA students are supported in the exploration of a wide range of materials, media, processes and histories across disciplines. SMU provides graduate students with individual studio spaces and access to facilities for and faculty expertise in ceramics, drawing, installation, new media, painting, performance, photography, printmaking, sculpture, sound and time-based media. The Division of Art embraces and celebrates human diversity in all its forms, including race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.

In addition to faculty actively engaged in exhibition and research at the highest levels, the Division of Art hosts an ongoing series of lectures, exhibitions, and studio visits by artists, critics and curators, a crucial part of the graduate and undergraduate curricula. 

Scholarships  
SMU offers up to six full scholarships, covering full tuition and all related fees each year, supplemented by teaching assistantships. Additional funds are available for materials and travel related to students’ creative research.

Recent visiting artists  
Ifeanyi Anene, David Challier, Stefan Chinov, Jovencio De La Paz, Surabhi Ghosh, Kawata Tamiko, Aitor Lajarin-Encina, An Te Liu, David MacDonald, Jemila MacEwan, Billie Mandle, Nishikawa Yuko, Anh-Thuy Nguyen, Signé Pierce, Jock Reynolds, Nyugen Smith, Raychael Stine, Sugano Maiko, Marc Trujillo, Holly Walker, Yamaguchi Akira

Dallas Arts District  
Dallas continues to invest in the largest arts district in the country, located a few minutes from campus, in which the Meadows School plays a growing role. The Division of Art seeks artists for graduate studies who wish to participate in the diverse arts opportunities of Dallas-Fort Worth and the North Texas region. See list of DFW art spaces, organizations, institutions here.

Upcoming virtual events  
November 11 (Monday): Graduate Art Close-Up, 7–8:30pm (CST), register here. / November 17 (Sunday): National Portfolio Day, 4–8:00pm (CST), register here.