Art - Master of Arts

The Master of Arts in Art allows concentrations in three areas: art education, graphic design and studio art. All concentrations require a common core.

Admission Requirements

  1. General admission to graduate study.
  2. Completion of an undergraduate major in art or an equivalent experience with the requirement of supplemental courses.
  3. Undergraduate GPA in art of 3.0.
  4. Minimum combined GRE score of 277 on the verbal and quantitative sections.
  5. Cover letter, professional quality resume, statement of intent, (1-2 pages in length), which thoroughly addresses the following:
    1. Your current body of work; include information about your subject matter, media, techniques/processes, themes/concepts, and influences
    2. Your goals for graduate study and how it will benefit your current work or direction
    3. Your preparedness for graduate level study
    4. Your reasons for choosing MSU's art and design graduate program and your expectations for graduate study
    5. Your long-term career goals
  6. Digital portfolio which adheres to the following guidelines:
    1. Include 20 high-quality professional samples of your work, at least 10 of which relate to your current direction, description of your work, and proposed area of study
    2. Choose samples that support your proposed concentration
      1. Studio Art: a consistent body of work supporting a clear direction in subject, media, techniques and themes
      2. Design: diverse samples of print, motion, and/or web design, which demonstrates your layout, problem-solving, communication and technology skills
      3. Art Education: either a diverse body of work demonstrating your broad skills as an artist and teacher, or a consistent, focused body of work
    3. Exclude foundation or beginning-level pieces
    4. Use one of the following digital formats to present your work: PowerPoint (ppt) or Adobe Acrobat (pdf)
    5. Include with each digital image the following information: title, medium(s), size, and year
    6. Save to a jump drive or burn to a CD or DVD viewable on a Mac computer
    7. Incomplete applications will not be considered

Requirements for the Degree

  1. General admission to graduate study.
  2. Must be unconditionally admitted.
  3. Complete 15 core hours.
  4. A total of 30 hours required.
  5. Participation in Mid-Program Review.
  6. Final exhibition of artwork with accompanying statement.
  7. Passing of exit oral examination held during final exhibition.

Program Requirements

Core Requirements

Art History - Choose six hours from the following:

ART 631Private Applied Art History Studies

1-3

ART 66118th and 19th Century European and U.S. Art

3

ART 66220th Century Art

3

ART 663Arts of the United States

3

ART 664Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Art

3

ART 667Native American Art

3

ART 668Appalachian Arts

3

ART 672Ancient Art

3

ART 673Medieval Art

3

ART 674Renaissance Art

3

ART 675Mannerist and Baroque Art

3

ART 681German Art of the 20th Century

3

ART 682Contemporary World Art

3

Total Credit Hours:6

Drawing - Choose three hours from the following:

ART 604ADrawing

3

ART 604Drawing

3

Total Credit Hours:3

Studio - Choose six hours from the following:

ART 604Drawing

3

ART 604ADrawing

3

ART 604BDrawing

3

ART 605Figure Painting

3

ART 606Portrait Painting

3

ART 607Commercial Illustration

3

ART 609Airbrush

3

ART 610Computer Art Problems

3

ART 611AAdvanced Computer Art

3

ART 611BAdvanced Computer Art

3

ART 613APainting

3

ART 613BPainting

3

ART 614Painting Techniques V

3

ART 616Watercolor

3

ART 646Ceramics

3

ART 651AGraduate Printmaking Studio

3

ART 651BGraduate Printmaking Studio

3

ART 655AAdvanced Ceramics

3

ART 655BAdvanced Ceramics

3

ART 656Ceramic Sculpture

3

ART 657Alternative Glazing Techniques

3

ART 68735MM Photography

3

ART 688APhoto Studio

3

ART 688BPhoto Studio

3

ART 689Large Format Photography

3

ART 692Sculpture: Metal Casting

3

ART 694ASculpture

3

ART 694BSculpture

3

ART 695Sculpture Studio

3

ART 698Selected Topics

1-3

Total Credit Hours:6

Concentration in Art Education

ART 627Reading in Art Education

3

ART 680History and Philosophy of Art Education in the United States

3

Choose nine hours from the following:

ART 604Drawing

3

ART 604ADrawing

3

ART 604BDrawing

3

ART 605Figure Painting

3

ART 606Portrait Painting

3

ART 607Commercial Illustration

3

ART 608AAdvanced Graphic Design

3

ART 608BAdvanced Graphic Design

3

ART 609Airbrush

3

ART 610Computer Art Problems

3

ART 611AAdvanced Computer Art

3

ART 611BAdvanced Computer Art

3

ART 613APainting

3

ART 613BPainting

3

ART 614Painting Techniques V

3

ART 616Watercolor

3

ART 630Private Applied Art Education Studies

1-3

ART 632Private Applied 2-D Studies

1-3

ART 633Private Applied 3-D Studies

1-3

ART 634Private Applied Digital Studies

1-3

ART 646Ceramics

3

ART 651AGraduate Printmaking Studio

3

ART 651BGraduate Printmaking Studio

3

ART 655AAdvanced Ceramics

3

ART 655BAdvanced Ceramics

3

ART 656Ceramic Sculpture

3

ART 657Alternative Glazing Techniques

3

ART 676Directed Graduate Study

1-6

ART 68735MM Photography

3

ART 688APhoto Studio

3

ART 688BPhoto Studio

3

ART 689Large Format Photography

3

ART 692Sculpture: Metal Casting

3

ART 694ASculpture

3

ART 694BSculpture

3

ART 695Sculpture Studio

3

ART 698Selected Topics

1-3

Total Credit Hours:9

Concentration in Graphic Design

ART 608AAdvanced Graphic Design

3

ART 608BAdvanced Graphic Design

3

 

ART 610Computer Art Problems

3

or

ART 611AAdvanced Computer Art

3

Choose six hours from the following:

ART 604Drawing

3

ART 604ADrawing

3

ART 604BDrawing

3

ART 607Commercial Illustration

3

ART 609Airbrush

3

ART 610Computer Art Problems

3

ART 611AAdvanced Computer Art

3

ART 611BAdvanced Computer Art

3

ART 613APainting

3

ART 616Watercolor

3

ART 632Private Applied 2-D Studies

1-3

ART 633Private Applied 3-D Studies

1-3

ART 634Private Applied Digital Studies

1-3

ART 651AGraduate Printmaking Studio

3

ART 651BGraduate Printmaking Studio

3

ART 676Directed Graduate Study

1-6

ART 688APhoto Studio

3

ART 688BPhoto Studio

3

ART 689Large Format Photography

3

ART 698Selected Topics

1-3

Total Credit Hours:6

Concentration in Studio Art

Choose 15 hours from the following:

ART 604Drawing

3

ART 604ADrawing

3

ART 604BDrawing

3

ART 605Figure Painting

3

ART 606Portrait Painting

3

ART 607Commercial Illustration

3

ART 608AAdvanced Graphic Design

3

ART 608BAdvanced Graphic Design

3

ART 609Airbrush

3

ART 610Computer Art Problems

3

ART 611AAdvanced Computer Art

3

ART 611BAdvanced Computer Art

3

ART 613APainting

3

ART 613BPainting

3

ART 614Painting Techniques V

3

ART 616Watercolor

3

ART 632Private Applied 2-D Studies

1-3

ART 633Private Applied 3-D Studies

1-3

ART 634Private Applied Digital Studies

1-3

ART 646Ceramics

3

ART 651AGraduate Printmaking Studio

3

ART 651BGraduate Printmaking Studio

3

ART 655AAdvanced Ceramics

3

ART 655BAdvanced Ceramics

3

ART 656Ceramic Sculpture

3

ART 657Alternative Glazing Techniques

3

ART 676Directed Graduate Study

1-6

ART 68735MM Photography

3

ART 688APhoto Studio

3

ART 688BPhoto Studio

3

ART 689Large Format Photography

3

ART 692Sculpture: Metal Casting

3

ART 694ASculpture

3

ART 694BSculpture

3

ART 695Sculpture Studio

3

ART 698Selected Topics

1-3

Total Credit Hours:15

Student Competencies

Students completing the program will be able to:

  1. Understand and skillfully apply selected media, techniques, and technology in the production and presentation of artwork.
  2. Use knowledge of characteristics of visual art to effectively convey their ideas.
  3. Effectively choose and evaluate selected subject matter, symbols and ideas as content for works of art, and develop unified bodies of work.
  4. Reflect upon and assess the characteristics and merits of their work in relationship to the visual arts, history, culture and other disciplines.
  5. Communicate in a professional setting, in written and oral form, about a unified body of work selected for exhibition.

Assessments

  1. Mid-Program Review before a graduate committee consisting of at least three graduate faculty. At the conclusion of the Mid-Program Review, the candidate will be informed of any deficiencies and how to address them in their subsequent studies.
  2. Critical appraisal of the required graduate exhibition and artist's statement by the candidate's graduate committee.
  3. Oral exit examination in conjunction with the candidate's final exhibition before the Graduate Committee.

Total Credit Hours: 30