Master of Visual Studies programs in Curatorial Studies and Studio Art

The Master of Visual Studies in Curatorial Studies and Master of Visual Studies in Studio Art programs are now accepting applications for the 2025–26 academic year.  

The John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto focuses on interdisciplinary training and research in art, design, and their allied practices, with a mission to educate students, prepare professionals, and cultivate scholars who will play a leading role in creating critically-minded cultural production in more politically engaged, ecologically sustainable, and socially just environments. Located in the heart of Toronto, the Daniels Faculty community is incredibly cosmopolitan, hailing from every part of the world and producing work that crosses geographic and cultural boundaries.  

The Master of Visual Studies (MVS) program at the Daniels Faculty offers two streams of study: Curatorial Studies and Studio Art. The artistic research and scholarship that emerges from both program pathways reflects increasingly complex modes of art and exhibition-making, filtered through philosophy, cultural theory, criticism, and diverse material practices.  

Situated within one of the world’s leading research institutions, the MVS programs focus on art and its presentation as research—fostering interdisciplinary exchange within the greater Daniels Faculty and across the University of Toronto. The MVS faculty is comprised of field-leading artists and curators with significant exhibition careers. Small class sizes and individual mentorship creates a unique atmosphere where our students have the opportunity to connect with visiting international artists, curators, writers, and other cultural practitioners through one-on-one studio visits, masterclasses, and lectures. 

Students are provided exceptional studios and access to state-of-the-art technologies and academic resources, along with exhibition space in museum-grade environments. Our graduates exhibit internationally and nationally, curate and direct important museums and collections, and have been honoured with prestigious awards for their work.   

Master of Visual Studies (MVS) in Curatorial Studies  
The MVS in Curatorial Studies program immerses participants in an environment structured around historical and contemporary approaches to curatorial methods, together with developments in contemporary art, theory, and critical writing. Program participants will examine the history and practical skills of exhibition-making in conjunction with studies of the developments of contemporary art and theory through core and elective courses. The two-year course of study is designed to offer students many opportunities for in-depth development of their thesis project in the form of a graduating exhibition.  

Master of Visual Studies (MVS) in Studio Art  
The MVS in Studio Art experience evolves around approaches to art production that encourage cross-disciplinary exploration and hybrid forms of practice focused through intensive consideration of art and art theory, criticism and critical writing, and professional practice. Over the course of a two-year program of study and experimentation, participants produce an exploratory project in the first year that leads to a body of work that forms the basis of a graduating exhibition at the end of the second year.  

Application deadlines  
January 6, 2025: Program application payment and transcripts due  
January 13, 2025: Supporting documents due   

Contact: graduate [ at ] daniels.utoronto.ca 

Graduate open house 
November 5, 2024: Learn more about the MVS program during an in-person session at the Daniels Faculty in Toronto. Visit our website for more details and registration. 

For prospective applicants unable to attend an in-person information session, please email the Visual Studies Program Director Gareth Long MVSDirector [ at ] daniels.utoronto.ca to arrange a virtual session.