Master of Fine Arts in Art

The Master of Fine Arts program in Art provides a dynamic interdisciplinary environment within which students are encouraged to develop their creative practice as professional artists. The School of Art has facilities for printmaking, painting and drawing, sculpture, photography, textiles, digital media, and emerging technology, and ceramics. MFA students have access to all of the School of Art facilitates as well as individual and communal MFA studio workspaces. Our faculty are distinguished and professionally active artists and art historians. Students work closely with a graduate advisor/mentor to chart their individual path through the program, including studio seminars, critiques, and individually supervised tutorials. Coursework and seminars in art history and other academic fields complement studio courses, and students are encouraged to develop rigorous research and writing skills to enrich and complement their art practice. All students are provided with individual studio spaces, and there are opportunities for teaching, either as a teaching assistant or instructor of record. Our vibrant visiting artist program introduces students to artists in the Bay Area and beyond, connecting students to the local art community. The M.F.A. degree culminates with a written thesis report and a thesis exhibition in which students exhibit an original body of work. The program is completed in 2 years. Students must pass their first semester review without reservations to continue as a classified Art M.F.A. student.

Admission to Program

Application Procedures

Applications for the master of fine arts in art program are accepted October 1 through February 1 for admission the following fall semester. Late applications will not be accepted.

The graduate admission application to SF State consists of a two-part review. Part One: The Division of Graduate Studies reviews your application for general university admission requirements and requires you to upload copies of transcripts from every college or university attended, including study abroad coursework, community college coursework even if transfer credit appears on your degree transcript. Upload all transcripts to the Program Materials “documents” section of this application. Make sure you resolve any financial obligations at previously attended institutions so they will release your transcripts. You must submit clear, legible copies of transcripts that document your complete academic history. Part Two: The School of Art will review your application for program and discipline-specific criteria. Applicants must complete the Cal State Apply application by the February 1st deadline to be considered for admission. 

Part 1: Apply to the Division of Graduate Studies (Cal State Apply)

1. Apply online through Cal State Apply for a Graduate Program. You will be required to create a personal login to manage your application. Select "San Francisco" for campus, and "Art" for the degree program. 
2. Pay the $55 USD application fee online by credit card at the moment you submit your application.

Upload copies of transcripts from every college or university attended, including study abroad coursework, community college coursework even if transfer credit appears on your degree transcript. Upload all transcripts to the Program Materials “documents” section of this application. If selected for admission, you will be required to submit official transcripts. If an International Applicant, TOEFL Scores of 550 or better or Internet-Based Test TOEFL Scores of 80 or better are required, taken within two (2) years of the semester you wish to attend. The TOEFL is a requirement by the CSU and cannot be waived.

Part 2: Upload Supplemental Materials for the Program to Cal State Apply

Compile the following supplemental documents for your program file ahead of time to upload in the "Program Materials" portal of the Cal State Apply application:

Program application requirements include:

1. An undergraduate art degree or equivalent preparatory degree, with three units of contemporary art history taken within the last five years. If the applicant does not complete this upon admission to the program, enrollment in a contemporary art history class during the first semester is required.
2. A 3.0 grade point average in the last 60 units completed in an undergraduate degree.
3. M.F.A. admissions application (details below).

Master of Fine Arts Admissions Application Requirements:

Current Resume/Curriculum Vitae

• Categories should include Education, Exhibitions, Publications, Special Activities and Awards, and Related Employment.
• List information with the most recent activity first.

Creative Work Portfolio

• The submitted portfolio is one of the most critical components of the application.
• The Graduate Selection Committee, composed of the entire full-time art faculty, screens documentation of work in search of candidates with strong artistic direction and promise of continuing in a sustained, independent, and exploratory manner.
• Portfolios not meeting the following requirements will not be reviewed. The organization of your materials is an element that will be considered in evaluating your application.
• The Selection Committee will review a maximum of 20 images from each candidate.
• Images should be labeled with the work’s title, date, media, size, and other significant information.
• Where appropriate, other documentary material is admissible in place of images. This may include films, audio and/or video, or web-based work. If applicable, please include a link in the PDF of the URL for video and/or digital based work.
• Due to time constraints, time-based digital media and films should be cued and cannot exceed three minutes. Short segments should be excerpted from longer pieces. Full-length versions of time-based media can be included as a supplement but should be labeled as such. These versions will not be considered during the first round of the review process.

Written statement

• Please submit a 500 – 1,000 word artist statement that addresses the following: Describe the significance of your work and the concepts, research, and/or processes that drive your studio practice within the context of contemporary artistic practice. Why do you think you are prepared for a master of fine arts program in studio art and what do you hope to get out of graduate-level study?

Letters of Recommendation

• Three letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation should be from individuals qualified to testify to the applicant's capabilities and readiness to enter graduate study in art.

Transcripts

• Provide transcripts from all institutions of higher learning attended.

Transfer of Credit for Previous Graduate Work

All transfer of credit must be approved on a course-by-course basis by a graduate advisor, the graduate coordinator and the Office of Graduate Studies. This transfer should be arranged before the first semester of graduate studies begins.

A maximum of 12 units total may be transferred towards credit for the master of fine arts in art degree.

• A student previously enrolled in any accredited master of fine arts in art program may transfer up to 12 units from that program.
• A student who has taken graduate courses in an unclassified post-baccalaureate status may transfer no more than six units in studio, and six units of other, credible, coursework, for a total of 12 units.
• A student who has accrued credits both as an enrolled candidate in an accredited master of fine arts in art program and taken courses in an unclassified post-baccalaureate status may transfer no more than 12 units total.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Able to produce professional creative work – generate a cohesive body of work.

2. Sophisticated understanding of a range of visual art practices.

3. Able to discuss historic, cultural, and contemporary theory related to their own creative work.

4. Must demonstrate commitment to a career in art and potential to grow artistically.