MFA – Master of Fine Arts in Visual Arts2024-02-02T20:26:12+00:00

MFA

Master of Fine Arts in Visual Arts

The MFA in Visual Arts at Florida International University is a stimulating and supportive environment in which individuals grow and expand as artists through a program that inextricably weaves its students’ experience into the fertile landscape of Miami. The 4th largest urban area in the country, Miami is home to prized international art fairs, prominent private collections, world class museums, and rich cultural dialogues. The city and surrounding area are one of the nation’s most significant and thriving arts communities.

The FIU MFA curriculum fosters rigorous critical engagement with contemporary and historical cultural art forms generating ongoing conversations through studio-based practices and discussions about what we make, how we make it, and why. We are a trans disciplinary, transnational program that challenges artists to develop a critical body of work through experimentation, research, and exploration. The program facilitates connections to the highest levels of contemporary art and design discourse. Ultimately, faculty guide artists in their pursuit of a sustained and successful career in the arts that will shape the future of visual culture.

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FIU is committed to excellence in student success, research and teaching, regardless of the challenges.

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Spring 25 Deadline September 1, 2024

Degree Program Hours: 60 – 3 Years

FIU Graduate School Admissions – Apply Online

Submit MFA Portfolio via SlideRoom – https://fiuart.slideroom.com

For a complete list of requirements visit the MFA Plan of Study: MFA Plan of Study

For a complete list of requirements and courses, visit: Graduate Art + Art History Course Catalog 2023-24

*For a complete list of Graduate Faculty in the Department of Art and Art History, please go to Gradschool Graduate Faculty

John Colon

Spring 2025 Applications and Portfolio deadline is September 1, 2024
Fall 2025 Applications and Portfolio deadline is February 1, 2025

Applying to the MFA in Visual Arts is a two-step process…

FIU Graduate Admission Application:

First, please complete and FIU Graduate Application form that can be completed online via the following link: https://admissions.fiu.edu/how-to-apply/graduate-applicant/index.html.

As part of this application, you will need to provide the following:

  1. Successful completion of a bachelor’s degree. For MFA in Visual Arts admissions, the portfolio of work is the most crucial part of the application. The Department of Art and Art History invites all applicants who feel they have strong portfolios to apply.

  2. Certified transcripts of all college level work.

  3. Three (3) letters of recommendation from persons who are in a position to evaluate the applicant’s previous professional, academic, and personal performance, and potential for success in the graduate program.

  4. For international and foreign graduated domestic applicants whose language of instruction for the undergraduate degree was not English, an IELTS score of 6.5 or TEOFL score of 550 paper-based/80 internet-based is required.

  5. Please note that the Department of Art + Art History does not require GRE test scores.

Portfolio Submission – SlideRoom:

Next, please upload the following to SlideRoom (separate nominal fee of $30 charged by SlideRoom): https://fiuart.slideroom.com

1. A written statement of intent (no more than 500 words), which should enhance the Graduate Admissions Committee’s understanding of the applicant’s creative work. The candidate should outline their goals, ambitions, and reasons for pursuing graduate study at FIU.

2. Your Curriculum Vitae (CV)

3. A portfolio of 20 artwork that can include:

  • Images must be .jpg at the highest available quality (must be under 8MB each)

  • Videos: upload excerpts or preferably complete works (max. 3 minutes total runtime). Videos hosted on YouTube or Vimeo can be shared through url link.

  • Audio: excerpts or preferably complete works submitted as .mp3 (max. 3 minutes total runtime). Each individual file should be less than 30 MB. Audio files hosted on SoundCloud can be shared via url link.

All artworks must include the following label information:

Title
Dimensions
Duration (video/audio files)
Medium
Date Produced
Notes and supporting text may be included within the “Description” textbox.

4. An image list that gives the following information for each piece included in your portfolio:

Title, Media, Dimensions (Height x width x depth) and year created, along with the corresponding file name.

5. Statement addressing the question : How do you see yourself using a studio and how would it impact your practice?

Ukrainian Soldier, 2022, 32” X 52” X 8”, Acrylic on canvas, debris Mark Herrera MFA
Mark Herrara, “Ukrainian Soldier”, 2022, 32” X 52” X 8”, Acrylic on canvas, debris

Degree Requirements

The MFA requires 60 semester hours of course work at the graduate level to be distributed over 3 years as follows:

ARH 5805 Critical Studies in the Visual Arts 3
Art History Electives 9
ART 5907C Directed Study 3
ART 5910C Research 2
ART 5938C Art Pedagogy 1
ART 5939C Graduate Art Seminar I 3
ART 6939 Graduate Art Seminar II 3
ART 6971 Graduate Prospectus & Exhibition Preparation 3
Tutorial Instruction in Studio Practice 18
Tutorial Instruction in Studio Electives 15

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Department of Art + Art History or the FIU University Graduate School:

Department of Art + Art History
Florida International University
VH 216, Modesto A. Maidique Campus – Miami, Florida 33199
Tel: (305)-348-2897

Jennifer Printz
MFA Director
Department of Art + Art History
Office: 305-348-5308 Email: Jprintz@fiu.edu

Christopher Rodriguez Barake
Sr. Coordinator of Academic Support Services
Department of Art + Art History
Office: 305-348-6648 Email: crodri@fiu.edu

University Graduate School
Modesto A. Maidique Campus, MARC 240
11200 S.W. 8th Street Miami, FL 33199
Phone: (305) 348-2455 | Fax: (305) 348-3433
Email: ugs@fiu.edu Website: https://admissions.fiu.edu/how-to-apply/graduate-applicant/index.html