Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art

Graduate students have 24-hour access to their studio space and other facilities in Henrion Hall and McKnight Art Center.

ADCI offers woodworking, metal working, ceramic studio equipment for all students, and semi-private studio spaces are provided for each graduate student during their time in the program. ADCI is proud to offer newly renovated classrooms and upgraded equipment in Henrion Hall, including classrooms dedicated to wax sculpting for mold-making and ceramic shell casting. 4 Blaauw kilns, 6 Skutt kilns, and 7 outdoor kilns are also available for student use. More information on all available equipment can be found on our Facilities page.

ADCI also offers ample gallery space for students to exhibit their own work and view exhibitions by visiting artists. 

• The Clayton Staples Gallery is a 600-square-foot teaching gallery that hosts two exhibitions per semester by national and regional artists, who typically conduct graduate critiques during their campus visit. MFA students also have the opportunity to exhibit their terminal projects here.
• Graduate students run ProjectSpace, a 400-square-foot experimental gallery that hosts student exhibitions.

• ADCI administers the downtown student gallery ShiftSpace in conjunction with Harvester Arts. Shiftspace also occasionally hosts terminal projects.

Located in McKnight Art Center, the Ulrich Museum of Art holds a permanent collection of more than 6,000 modern and contemporary works, which are accessible for teaching and research purposes. The premier contemporary art museum in our region also affords our students opportunities for professional experience. The WSU campus is home to the museum’s Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection, composed of over 80 works by artists such as Henry Moore, Orlan, Claus von Oldenburg, Ursula von Rydingsvard and Tom Otterness.  

GoCreate is a 18,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art makerspace located on WSU’s Innovation Campus. Students can use the space through a scholarship or paid membership, which confers access to a textile lab, fab lab, welding shop and much more. 

Graduate teaching assistantships with ADCI are available to qualified and deserving MFA graduate students at all levels of study, and students who are interested in teaching during their time in the program are typically offerend an assistantship. MFA students who are awarded teaching assistantships receive additional financial support from Wichita State University in the form of tuition waivers.

Admission with full standing requires an undergraduate degree and substantial previous study in studio art or a related field. The minimum cumulative grade point average for undergraduate coursework is 2.75. A minimum of 12 hours of art history are required with a preference of at least 15 hours.

Deadline for Application

Priority deadline is February 1, but applications will be considered on a rolling basis as space allows through March 31st. MFA candidates begin their studies in the fall.

Application Process

Applicants should submit the following to the Graduate School office via a single online application process:

1. Completed online application for admission to the Graduate School.
2. Payment of a nonrefundable application fee.
3. Unofficial transcripts of all college-level academic coursework completed. Unofficial transcripts must be obtained from each institution you have attended before submitting your graduate application. You will need to order a secure PDF or have a paper copy sent directly to yourself. (Official transcripts will be required prior to enrollment.)

In addition to the application form, applicants will be prompted to submit the following:

1. A statement of intent (outlining artistic goals, professional objectives, and expectations of graduate study experience) and an artist’s statement (outlining artistic philosophy and the nature of work represented in the portfolio)
2. A CV/resume listing education, academic and art awards and recognition, exhibition and any relevant information
3. Three original letters of recommendation (recommenders will be listed in the online portal)
4. A portfolio with 15-20 examples of recent work, labeled with title, description, size, medium and date.
5. Do not send materials directly to the School of Art, Design and Creative Industries (ADCI). They will be returned unopened.

Minimum course requirements for completion of the MFA degree are 60 graduate hours, summarized below. Three quarters of the 60 hours must be composed of 800-level courses.

Courses

23 hrs—Courses in studio art emphasis
12 hrs—Courses in non-emphasis studio art areas
6 hrs—Courses in graduate-level art history
6 hrs—University electives*
2 hrs—ART S 895, Professional Practices in Studio Art: Graduate
1 hr—ART S 790, Graduate Teaching Seminar
10 hrs—Terminal project in the emphasis

* Art or non-art courses 500 level or above. May include ARTH, ARTE, or ARTG courses. May include ARTS 800. Courses must be approved by the faculty advisor.

The terminal project consists of a thesis show proposal; an exhibition of original studio art work; a defense; and a terminal project report that documents the candidate’s studio work (images, video), a hard copy list of the work, a written statement and a resume.

Transfer of Credit

All graduate credit accepted for transfer will be at the discretion of the departmental adviser and graduate art coordinator. A maximum of 24 semester hours from prior graduate study may be considered for transfer to the MFA program. Final determination of transfer to will be made after the student has successfully completed 12 semester hours at WSU and the first graduate review. A maximum of 12 semester hours can be applied to the emphasis. If a transfer of credit is allowed, it may reduce course requirements but not entrance requirements. A ruling on hours converted to the MFA program by the dean of the graduate school, graduate studio art coordinator, and the emphasis faculty is final. Graduate non-degree work obtained before admission to a planned degree program will not be accepted.

Contact ADCI's Graduate Coordinator Robert Bubp at robert.bubp@wichita.edu.