Graduate Program:

Applying for the MFA Program

1. Students apply to the MFA program at Maryland in one of four areas of concentration: Design, Drawing, Painting, Printmaking or Sculpture. It is expected that the major emphasis of the MFA student's work will be focused within the area into which he or she is accepted. Students may, however, work with graduate faculty members from any area of the program.

2. An undergraduate degree with a major in Art from an accredited college, university or art school, or its equivalent, is required for admission to graduate study in the Department of Art. The applicant should have a minimum of 30 credit hours of undergraduate work in studio art courses and approximately 12 credit hours in art history. Other humanities courses should be a part of the candidate's undergraduate preparation.

3. General graduate admission application forms can be requested from the Graduate School, University of Maryland, College Park 20742, (301) 405-4198. An application for admission with transcripts should be sent directly to the Graduate School. Please note under "Application Instructions" on page 2 of the Graduate School application that: Applicants are solely responsible for making certain that their transcripts have, in fact, been received.

4. All application submissions MUST arrive in the Department by January 16th. Students are only admitted for the Fall semesters. Three letters of recommendation and documentation of your best work (see requirements below) should be sent to: Danielle Curtis, Graduate Administrator, Department of Art 1211E Art/Sociology Building, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742. Applicants are solely responsible for making certain that all letters of recommendation arrive on time. Each recommender should be given a stamped, addressed envelope for the recommendation form provided in the Graduate application packet. NOTE: If you wish to have your submission returned, please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your application. You may also pick up your submission in person. No other submissions will be returned.

5. When applying to the MFA Program the applicant must list his or her area of concentration, such as Design, Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture. The Department code is "ARTT."

6. If at any time you wish to check on the status of your application and materials, please write, or call the Graduate Administrator at 1-301-405-7790.

7. All decisions made by the Graduate Review Committee of the Department of Art are final. Please be assured that each applicant receives thorough consideration by every member of the committee. All aspects of the application will be reviewed, including the slide portfolio, statement of purpose, academic strength, art related background, and recommendations.

8. Upon acceptance of admission, the student should notify the Department of Art and schedule an appointment to meet with an advisor and make initial plans for a course of study. This may be done by phone or upon arrival prior to the beginning of the semester. General information is available from the Graduate Administrator. Studios will be assigned by August 15. Check with the Graduate Administrator after this time to obtain assignment.

Submission Requirements for MFA Application:

Submission of Digital Images:

The following requirements apply to still image submissions:

Submission of Websites or Software:

The following requirements apply to website and software submissions:

Submission of Video or Video Documentation

The following requirements apply to video and video documentation submissions:

Graduate Program Requirements:

Candidates for the Master of Fine Arts Degree must complete a program that consists of a minimum of 60 credit hours. These 60 credit hours are distributed as follows: 36 credits in Studio, Design Practicum and/or Teaching Internships, 6 credits in Art History/ Art Theory, 9 credits in Graduate Colloquium and 9 credits in Masters Thesis Research. Graduate Reviews, with committees made up of Graduate faculty members take place at the end of each semester. Each MFA candidate in his/her final semester must present their artwork in a Thesis Exhibition, usually installed in the Art Gallery at a designated time near the end of the end of the spring sememster. Students must also develop a written component to the Thesis (these have varied in length from five to fifty pages in recent years), and present an oral defense of the Thesis to the Thesis Committee.

Fellowships, Assistantships & Financial Aid:

The University of Maryland recognizes the high cost of education today and makes every effort to offer financial assistance to qualified students through a variety of programs.

Admission to the Graduate Program is a prerequisite for the award of a teaching assistantship, fellowship, traineeship, loan or a work-study award. Please make certain that all required documents for your application for admission, as well as the appropriate application for financial aid, have been submitted. Some awards are made on the basis of the applicant's academic merit (GPA), others on the basis of need or ability to contribute to the program.

There are three campus units which administer the primary forms of financial support: The Graduate School, the individual Department, and the Office of Student Financial Aid. The Graduate School processes applications for University of Maryland Fellowships and Maryland State Diversity Grants. The Diversity Grants are offered only to students who are Maryland residents. Applications are made directly to the Graduate School and not to the Department. The individual programs(departments) award Graduate Teaching Assistantships and nominate students for Graduate Fellowships.

The Office of Student Financial Aid processes College Work-Study and National Direct Student Loans.

Special Departmental Awards

The Department of Art offers two special awards annually to MFA outstanding students. They are: "The David C. Driskell Award of Excellence" to a graduating student for outstanding visual thesis, as well as for excellent teaching ability, and the "Daniel Nicholson Ohlke Memorial Fund Award" to support the work of a promising student in his/her second year of study.

The Department of Art currently awards full and half Graduate Teaching Assistantships totaling eight each year. Full assistantships provide a stipend of approximately $12,000.00 annually and ten credits tuition remission each semester. Full Graduate Teaching Assistants are assigned 20 hours per week of duties that might include assisting in classes, assisting in the University of Maryland Art Gallery, and monitoring studios during non-class hours.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships are awarded for merit and are highly competitive. Assistantships are evaluated each semester.

Loans and Part-Time Employment:

National Direct Student Loan Funds are available to graduate students of the University of Maryland. Applicants must be United States nationals (Citizens, have permanent resident status, or be recognized refugees).

Loans are approved based upon financial need. Applications should be directed, by February 15 for Fall Semesters, to:

Director Office of Student Financial Aid Mitchell Building University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742

When you have completed your financial aid form it should be mailed to the address below:

Federal Student Aid Program P.O. Box 4050 Iowa City, IA 52243-40545

Information on Guaranteed Student Loans, PLUS Loans and other programs available at the University of Maryland may be obtained from the Office of Student Financial Aid, Student Employment Section, located in Room 2114 Mitchell Building, telephone (301) 405-8313.

Graduate Program Specifics:

University of Maryland office of Graduate Studies

The Department of Art : University of Maryland
1211-E Art/Sociology Building
College Park, MD 20742

Tel: 301.405.1445
Fax: 301.314.9740
artdept@umd.edu