MFA in Visual Art
The MFA in Visual Art program is a terminal degree that seeks to cultivate the entire person, motivating students to achieve their highest possible level of development and articulation through their art. Along with intensive faculty-student mentoring relationships, students study art theory and practice, historical and contemporary precedents, social context and interaction, audience, and professional presentation.
Program Format
APU’s MFA program accommodates the working artist/educator by requiring students to be on campus for two residencies each year, with students participating in the same cohort for the duration of the program, learning and growing together. Additionally, during these on-site times, students partner with MFA professors, visiting artists, and speakers who serve as artist-mentors, pushing and encouraging students to explore and develop beyond their current aesthetic and stylistic positions.
Individual studio time comprises an essential aspect of the program and offers the opportunity to retreat and augment on-campus interaction (e.g., classroom instruction, guest lectures, peer reviews, mentor direction, and critiques) and emerge with a cohesive and thoughtful perspective on art and faith. Through the consistency that studio time provides, students cultivate the discipline that lays the groundwork for excellence and inspiration. Ultimately, students graduate as artists who naturally integrate their art-making with the major facets of their lives.
Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ART 501 | Integration: Theory and Practice I | 2 |
| ART 510 | Introduction to Graduate Studies/Critical Issues in Art I | 2 |
| ART 530 | Graduate Studio: Special Topics I | 2 |
| ART 580 | Critique | 1 |
| ART 590 | Independent Studio | 5 |
| ART 581 | Critique | 1 |
| ART 591 | Independent Studio | 4 |
| ART 502 | Integration: Theory and Practice II | 2 |
| ART 520 | Critical Issues in Art II | 2 |
| ART 540 | Graduate Studio: Special Topics II | 2 |
| ART 582 | Critique | 1 |
| ART 592 | Independent Studio | 5 |
| ART 583 | Critique | 1 |
| ART 593 | Independent Studio | 4 |
| ART 584 | Critique | 1 |
| ART 601 | Integration: Theory and Practice III | 2 |
| ART 610 | Critical Issues in Art III | 2 |
| ART 690 | Creative Work Project | 2 |
| ART 594 | Independent Studio | 5 |
| ART 585 | Critique | 1 |
| ART 595 | Independent Studio | 4 |
| ART 602 | Integration: Theory and Practice IV | 3 |
| ART 620 | Critical Issues in Art IV | 3 |
| ART 695 | Exhibition Preparation | 3 |
| Total Units | 60 | |
Admission
University graduate admission and program-specific requirements must be met before an application is complete (see Admission to the University). Program-specific application requirements are available online.
International students should contact Graduate and Professional Admissions for application procedures.
Additional Requirements
Students must complete at least 19 semester units in residence at Azusa Pacific University. Courses are scheduled so that the maximum length of the program is three years and four summers. Classes, critiques, and workshops are held throughout three weeks in July and one weekend in January—these residencies are required, with no exceptions. A maximum of eight years is allowed for completion of the degree.
A 3.0 grade-point average (GPA) is considered satisfactory progress in the MFA program. In the event that the student’s GPA drops below the minimum 3.0, the student is placed on academic probation and given one enrollment period to raise it to the satisfactory level.