Master of Fine Arts in Art and Masters of Arts in Art
The Studio Art Graduate program offers MFA (60 units) and MA (30 units) degrees. Please consult the most current version of the College of the Arts University Catalog in the "Students" tab above for more information about the course offerings for those degrees."
For more information, please visit our "Graduate Studies in Art" page.
Master of Arts in Art with a Concentration in ART HISTORY
OVERVIEW The MA program in Art History is designed to prepare graduate students for teaching positions, jobs in arts organizations, or further study at the doctoral level. Our program is tailored to the individual student’s interests and career goals at every stage, from study plan to thesis topic. The thesis process offers students time to determine their area of expertise, encouraging both primary research (interviews and archival work) and secondary research (scholarly monographs and journal articles) that help them define their academic path through intense work in visual analysis, critical thinking, and scholarly writing in the field of art history.
Students work directly with a faculty advisor (committee chair) to develop a program that allows them to explore the field of art history, gaining skills in visual analysis, research, presentations, and scholarly writing. Graduate Students are encouraged with both contemporary and traditional context investigations and research to support individual artistic development in consultation with program advisor, faculty and peers.
Master of Fine Arts in Art with a Concentration in CERAMICS
OVERVIEW MFA students in Ceramics pursue areas of practice and research in pottery, sculpture, installation, design, decoration, and other diverse ceramic processes and concepts. Graduate students are encouraged to explore both contemporary and traditional practices, and to conduct research that supports their individual artistic development in consultation with their program advisor, faculty, and peers.
Ceramics at CSU Fullerton promotes an open learning environment where students hone their visual literacy skills within a contemporary art context informed by the tradition of the medium. Graduate level classes encourage advanced aesthetic and conceptual development through self-directed exploration and teaching pedagogy.
Practical/professional consultations are available to students upon request. Topics include: how to photograph your work; gallery and museum practices; art handling; installing and de-installing a show; career counseling; and tips for creating a cohesive, idividualistic body of work.
Master of Fine Arts in Art with a Concentration in CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY AND EXPERIMENTAL MEDIA
OVERVIEW Graduate work in creative photography and experimental media, encourages self-expression by exploring the potential of the image as it relates to history, culture, social and aesthetic concerns within the visual arts. Students are challenged to confront issues brought about by a medium undergoing accelerated change and transition. The program encourages exploration of all forms of photography (black & white, color and digital), video and sound, installation, performance and experimental media. In the end, the student must seek a personal vision culminating in a body of work that is intellectually and artistically challenging.
Visiting Artists in Creative Photography and Experimental Media
William Camargo
, Eileen Cowin
, Zoe Crosher
, Darryl Curran
, Julian Day
, Andrea Fraser
, Victoria Fu
, Valerie Green
, Ken Gonzales-Day
, Micol Hebron
, Whitney Hubbs
, Farrah Karapetian
, Matt Lipps
, Alison O’Daniel
, Catherine Opie
, Miwa Matreyek
, Danial Nord
, Jimena Sarno
, Kelly Sears, Leonard Suryajaya
, Kenneth Tam
, Mario Ybarra Jr.
Website | Creative Photography & Experimental Media (CPEM)
CPEM on Youtube
Instagram | CPEM
Club | Camera Absurda
Master of Fine Arts in Art with a Concentration in DRAWING & PAINTING
Graduate work in Drawing & Painting encourages individual personal expression unlimited in conceptual scope. The program fosters an environment that enables passionately committed students to develop a serious approach to the development of the art form. Students of the program have the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue that informs their work, which results in a highly energized and intense program.
Visiting Artists in Drarwing & Painting
Lisa Adams, Lita Albuquerque, Sarah Awad, Sandow Birk, Edgar Bryan, Rebecca Campbell, Andi Campognone, Scott Canty, Mara De Luca, Merion Estes, Samantha Fields, Alexandra Grant, Emma Gray, Alvin P. Gregorio, Lila Halloran, Tim Hawkinson, Micol Hebron, Phung Huynh, Monica Majoli, Allison Miller, Yunhee Min, Catherine Opie, Stas Orlovski, Ruby Osorio, Pippilotti Rist, Rachel Rosenthal, Miriam Shapiro, Peter Shelton, Patty Wickman, and Jessica Wimbley.
Instagram | CSUF Painting & Drawing
Master of Fine Arts in Art with a Concentration in GLASS
OVERVIEW Graduate work in glass encourages students to take a leadership role in glass education and critical thinking. Students investigate theory, and processes needed to address aesthetic issues. The emphasis is on experimentation with the medium to encourage individual style and expression in order to prepare a personal body of work.
Graduate students in the Glass program are involved in every aspect of the contemporary studio glass experience. They assist in the design and construction of technical studio glass-making equipment such as glass melting furnaces and annealing ovens and serve as teaching assistants in the undergraduate Glass courses.
In order to expose our students to contemporary glass artists, we developed the Greater Southern California Glass Symposium. This visiting artist program brings internationally renowned glass artists to campus each semester to conduct lectures and workshops, giving our graduate students an opportunity to assist some of the best artists in their field.
Glass graduate students are also required to apply to summer glass workshops like the Pilchuck Glass School, The Pennland School of Crafts, the Haystack School of Crafts, and the Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass. Our program is a participant in the Pilchuck Partners Scholarship Program, and we receive a scholarship from the premier glass school for one of our students to attend an intensive workshop each summer.
Instagram | CSUF Glass & Metal Club
Master of Fine Arts in Art with a Concentration in GRAPHIC AND INTERACTIVE DESIGN
OVERVIEW The Graphic and Interactive Design program at Cal State Fullerton explores design paradigms in both digital and print-based platforms. Presented with an array of problem-solving methodology and creative processes for screen-based, time-based, and print-based mediums, students gain experience specific to research, information processing, conceptual thinking, and portfolio development. From user interface design (UI) and user experience design (UX) to brand strategy, and from layout to web design, generative design, data visualization, and interactive prototypes, students build vital communication skills necessary for proficiency within the field
The MA program within Graphic Design focuses on preparing graduate students to reenter the workforce, and to take up a leadership role within the professional design community. MA graduate students study contemporary issues with an emphasis on pragmatics, methodology, processes, aesthetic principles, visual thinking, and visual problem-solving skills for visual communications. A successful graduate student will possess the ability to communicate these ideas, both visually and verbally, to others. The MA program is designed so that a graduate student can reenter the workforce, or as a preparatory program towards a terminal degree.
Instagram | CSUF G & I Design
Master of Fine Arts in Art with a Concentration in ILLUSTRATION
OVERVIEW The MFA program in Illustration prepares graduate students for academic life and/or to broaden the academic goals described in the MA concentration. These goals are achieved through critical inquiry and theoretical research, and are demonstrated by superior illustration skills and an understanding of the medium. Students will develop a body of work that asserts a personal vision, which is both visually rich and effective in its communication.
Graduate students work closely with faculty to present a cogent exhibition of their graduate art project thesis. The MFA Illustration program offers graduate students teaching opportunities at the undergraduate level to selected students. Faculty work closely with these chosen students to develop a teaching pedagogy, philosophy, and pragmatics, including the development of student projects, project descriptions, and syllabi.
Facebook | CSUF Illustration
Master of Fine Arts in Art with a Concentration in JEWELRY AND METALS
The Master of Fine Arts in Art with a concentration in Jewelry and Metals prepares graduate students to be professional artists and/or become educators in their field of study. The MFA in Jewelry and Metals' curriculum explores media-based research that is both visually rich and focuses on the development of the student as an individual craft artist. The design of the curriculum incorporating graduate faculty advising, graduate seminar coursework and critiques focuses on the development the student’s ability to communicate visually, verbally, and in written form.
Through the exploration of functional art in contemporary context and visual expression graduate students work closely with faculty to develop their own personal aesthetic. Their acquisition of technical as well as visual skills enables them to make and sustain significant bodies of artwork. A successful graduate student will possess the knowledge and skills to sustain a professional career in the visual arts while making a unique contribution in their chosen field/media. A successful studio practice as exemplified visually by a culminating exceptional gallery presentation of their project is a clear indicator of the success in the MFA in Jewelry and Metals' program.
Master of Fine Arts in Art with a Concentration in SCULPTURE
OVERVIEW The MFA program in Sculpture is a 60-unit terminal degree within studio arts. As a result, the focus of the curriculum allows students to refine their undergraduate or MA portfolios and to prepare them for jobs in the field as instructors or working artisans.
The curriculum offers candidates a breadth of experience through studio electives, art history, writing course requirements, and regularly scheduled committee assessments. Technical information relevant to the field of sculpture is also covered, which provides a deeper understanding of the processes, maintenance requirements, and safety issues in the campus sculpture studio, which also includes a metal casting foundry. The program culminates in a capstone project of the student's solo work.
Candidates for the MA and MFA degrees also serve as sculpture lab monitors throughout their program. This voluntary position provides candidates with valuable experience overseeing and assisting undergraduate students with issues related to their work, and allows the department to maintain supervised, open lab times outside of class.
Instagram | CSUF Sculpture
