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Fall 2025 Graduate Catalog
Art, Studio, MFA
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 Return to: Master’s Programs
Degree Awarded: Master of Fine Art in Studio Art
The Art Department’s master’s of fine arts program in studio art occupies a unique position among graduate programs in art studies. The department’s programs have been built with a strong emphasis on modern art and contemporary visual culture, comprising a range of critical, theoretical, and interdisciplinary interests. Rather than being isolated at a special or autonomous art institute or school, these programs have all the advantages associated with the intellectual environment of a major research university.
Because of the Art Department’s extensive undergraduate programs, Stony Brook is the only major university in the New York metropolitan area to offer teaching experience to first- and/or second-year graduate students. Such experience is an invaluable asset in today’s job market.
Graduate studies are facilitated by Stony Brook’s ideal location half-way between the art centers of New York City and the Hamptons, along the beutifully wooded North Shore of Long Island.
All curricula are designed to take advantage of the full range of museums, galleries and libraries of the metropolitan region as well as the facilities of a major research university campus. Thanks to the well-established ties of Stony Brook faculty to the professional art world, our students are regularly placed in internship and apprenticeship programs with artists, galleries, museums, arts agencies and other cultural institutions throughout the metropolitan area.
MFA in Studio Art
The Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art at Stony Brook University is a three-year, 60-credit terminal degree program in creative art practice, and critical inquiry in the field of Studio Art, supported by production facilities, individual art studios, and a research university environment. The MFA in Studio Art degree requirements are concentrated primarily on studio art courses, teaching practicum, liberal arts courses, and participation in presentations and critiques, as well as exhibitions. The program culminates in a one-person thesis exhibition accompanied by a written thesis paper, a thesis defense, as well as participation in the MFA group thesis exhibition at the Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery. Normally, the MFA in Studio Art program requires three years of full-time residency. Students are not accepted into the program on a part-time basis. The degree is especially suitable for students who plan on pursuing professional work as artists, and may also be the degree of choice for those preparing for careers in art production, art education, art administration, or gallery and museum work.
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Admission Requirements
Application Website Admission into the MFA Program in Studio Art is at the discretion of the Studio Art Graduate Faculty with the final approval of the Graduate School. Admission is for the Fall semester. Admission to the program assumes a minimum of a B average in undergraduate work and meeting the standards of admission to the Graduate School (including English Proficiency Requirements). All candidates for the MFA program must enter with a minimum of 40 semester hours of credit or the equivalent of undergraduate work in Studio Art in a B.A., B.S., B.F.A., or similar program. Applicants should also have a minimum of 15 semester hours of credit in art history, theory, or criticism. At the discretion of the Graduate Faculty, those without sufficient background may be advised to complete further undergraduate coursework prior to admission to the program. Following should be submitted directly to the Art Department: Artist Portfolio Application Instructions: The below listed application materials for the MFA in Studio Art should be emailed directly to the Department of Art graduate program admissions email: GradArt@stonybrook.edu. Please include your full name and MFA in Studio Art Application in the email subject line. You can send up to 25 MB in attachments. Please ensure that your file sizes are adequately set for this inbox limitation. - Artist Portfolio:
20 visual images, slides or pages, that represent your best and recent artwork in a presentation format, packaged as a PDF document (Max 25 MB). The Artist Portfolio should include image captions stating the artwork title, media/materials, and date of production (no artwork older than 3 years please). Short project descriptions (max 100 words each) can be included within the Artist Portfolio document, or a separate image captions text document may be attached. Video and durational media should be hyperlinked and playable online within a web browser (Website, Google Drive, Vimeo, YouTube, etc.). - Statement of Purpose / Artist Statement:
A statement between 500 and 1000 words on your artwork and creative research, current directions, aims and objectives in pursuing graduate study. - Resume / CV:
Curriculum vitae including contact information, education, academic achievements, art exhibitions, professional experience, awards or recognitions. Degree Requirements
The Department accepts only full-time students into the MFA program. Course Offerings
Courses regularly offered in graduate Studio Art are ARS 550: In Process Critique, and ARS 580: Visual Arts Seminar, as well as ARS 531: Graduate Teaching Practicum and ARS 532: Thesis Project, along with various rotating Studio Art topics and Project courses. Course Requirements
The student will be required to complete successfully 60 credits of graduate work, as outlined in the list of courses below. No graduate studio course may be taken for more than three credits per semester. Liberal Arts Requirement
Students are required to take three or four graduate liberal arts courses (in art history and criticism, literature, history, writing, anthropology, philosophy, musicology, cultural studies, among others). Demonstrations of Studio Proficiency
All M.F.A. candidates should demonstrate proficiency through the development of a comprehensive body of work. Proficiency is determined by the faculty through periodic evaluation of the work, including mid-term and final critiques each semester, and thesis exhibition review by the student’s thesis committee in the third year. Teaching Requirement
All graduate students are required to observe a faculty and assist in teaching for a minimum of one semester; this course offers three credits toward the M.F.A. degree under ARS 531 . After the observation, a graduate student will teach a class as an instructor of record which offers an additional three credits toward the MFA degree. Beyond these six credits applied toward the MFA degree, all other teachings by students with stipends will be part of their obligation and additional teachings will be required without earning additional academic credit. Final Year and the Thesis Project
During the final year, in addition to regular coursework, the M.F.A. candidates prepare a one-person thesis exhibition at the Lawrence Alloway Gallery. They also participate in the Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery’s annual M.F.A. group thesis exhibition. They complete a written thesis paper and defense to complement the body of work as a scholarly articulation of thoughts and ideas in relation to the body of work and the field of Studio Art. |
Return to: Master’s Programs
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