Graduate Program:

The Department of Art at Maryland has an internationally recognized MFA Program. Since the mid 1970's, its graduates have successfully moved into the art world, their works recognized by museums, galleries, critical publications, the National Endowment for the Arts and other granting organizations. Former MFA students at Maryland are currently employed by Universities and art schools as far away as Arizona and California and as close by as Georgetown University; The Corcoran School of Art and The Maryland Institute College of Art. The MFA Degree is the terminal degree in studio art. It is not the simple extension of undergraduate studies that is associated with many general Master's degrees and has very competitive admissions standards. The Department of Art is looking for students who have developed coherent bodies of work that are personal and focused. Only the highest level of undergraduate work is appropriate for graduate application. Although a number of our MFA students come directly from undergraduate programs, an even larger number are returning to graduate school after a period of independent artistic development.

The Graduate Faculty consists of over 18 active professional artists specializing in painting, sculpture, papermaking, environmental art, digital media and photography. Students accepted into the program spend their three years (effective 9/03) at the University exploring their work in depth as well as pursuing new directions. Interaction with other students and a wide range of faculty is encouraged. The Department of Art also emphasizes a multi-cultural awareness of historical, theoretical and contemporary art issues. This is reflected in the Art History/ Art Theory requirement for the MFA degree as well as the larger context in which the students are expected to critique their own work.

Facilities:

Studio facilities are spacious and well equipped. Painting students are able to work in oils, acrylic, watercolor, fresco and encaustic. The Sculpture area includes a woodshop, a welding and forging area, a stone and related materials area (both indoors and outdoors), and an active foundry. Printmakers can choose to work in intaglio, lithography, photo-processes, relief and multi-media. There is also a well developed papermaking studio. Each graduate student is provided with a studio. These studios, averaging 15' x 20', are usually private but, depending on the size of the graduate class, are sometimes shared. Second year students get priority for private studios. Environmental works and sculptural installations may be built both indoors and outside on the grounds. Within the building housing the Department of Art, there are two galleries and two libraries. The University of Maryland Art Gallery, an independent unit that works closely with the Department of Art, features national and international contemporary and historical exhibitions as well as faculty and annual MFA Thesis shows. The West Gallery is a student organized gallery that features student exhibitions, lectures, special projects and a space for social activities. The Art Library, separate from the large research libraries on campus, has an outstanding collection of books, catalogues, periodicals and reproductions, all indexed on computer and CD ROM systems. For more information and photographs, please visit the resources link.

Graduate Program Specifics:

University of Maryland office of Graduate Studies

MFA Work:

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