MA Degrees in Art Studies in USA 2020

Curate your future and join our elite group of alumni, employed throughout the country’s most prestigious cultural institutions and organizations.

Graduate Studies within the College of Communication and the Arts is an exciting community of scholars, theorists, researchers and professionals. One common feature among all of our programs is a commitment to excellence. Faculty are comprised of internationally recognized researchers and industry professionals. A cutting-edge curriculum incorporates the latest technology and trends, keeping you a cut above the rest.

Our 39-credit program is designed to both prepare students for careers in museums and to further refine and enhance the current museum professional’s skillset.... [-]

Our MA offers an intimate and intensive one-year experience that expands the possibilities of cultural production. We rigorously explore the interplay between critical theory and creative practice. We provide a one of a kind encounter with activists, artists, cultural policymakers, and theorists from diverse disciplines and interests.

Core faculty members include Ella Shohat, Hentyle Yapp, Karen Finley, Kathy Engel, Laura Harris, Pato Hebert and Sheril Antonio. Recent visiting and adjunct faculty include Anna Deavere Smith, Alfredo Jaar, Oskar Eustis, Nathalie Handal, Marta Moreno Vega, Grace Aneiza Ali and Adonis Volanakis.

Students take four core courses inside the Department of Art & Public Policy plus multiple electives throughout a major research university located in the heart of New York City. Our flexible curriculum allows MA students to develop highly individualized paths of research and professional development.... [-]

Established in 1971, the MA program in Visual Arts Administration was the first in the nation to focus specifically on management careers in the visual arts, in both traditional and alternative contexts. Taking into account the cultural and economic impact of the visual arts, nationally and internationally, as well as the challenges facing the arts today, the program prepares students to become leaders in a broad range of arts organizations.The Visual Arts Administration MA program addresses the whole art ecology, including the cultural environment in which art and arts organizations operate; the role of the artist in society; how artwork is documented, presented and interpreted; the structure and management of organizations that display artwork – both non-profit and for-profit; and the role of art theorists, critics, curators, and collectors. The program curriculum also considers how education in arts organizations expands knowledge and builds audiences, the increasing role of art in urban development and public spaces, and new approaches and tools for encouraging access and participation. A strong emphasis is placed on acquiring the theoretical and practical tools for fundraising, financial management, marketing, and knowledge of new media and technology in the visual arts. While the program is primarily oriented toward the non-profit segment of the field, it also offers a strong for-profit concentration.Emphasis is placed on collaboration across the visual arts administration field. The program takes advantage of its position in New York City to utilize the variety of arts organizations and professionals available through case studies, focus groups,... [-]

The MFA in Creative Writing program at Emerson College fosters a community of poets, fiction and creative nonfiction writers, editors, publishers and teachers. We are based in the heart of downtown Boston, historically a center of intellectual inquiry, creative endeavor, and innovation in education. MFA students at Emerson College engage with one another not only in the classroom but also in the greater cultural environment of Boston itself.

Learn more about Program Requirements and Curriculum »

As one of the longest-running creative writing MFA programs in the country, Emerson’s Department of Writing, Literature, and Publishing has attracted a faculty that is diverse in their capacities and adept in their fields. Nonfiction faculty members practice and teach the literary essay, memoir, biography, long-form narrative journalism, and opinion and arts commentary, making Emerson one of the most varied and challenging nonfiction programs nationwide. The fiction faculty is distinguished in all forms—the novel, novella, short story, and the short-short story. Our poetry faculty includes formalists as well as free-verse poets, with courses in the forms of poetry, translation, and the poetic sequence. A distinguishing feature of our MFA is the opportunity for students to have a translation/global engagement focus on their degree. MFA students can count on the mentoring of our faculty members during and after completing the program.... [-]

Georgetown University’s M.A. degree program in Art and Museum Studies brings the academic study of art museums together with museum practice and emphasizes the international contexts of museums in the modern world. Through courses, individual research, and internships, students work closely with Georgetown art history faculty, curators, and other museum professionals in Washington DC, and with faculty specialists at Sotheby's Institute of Art in London or New York.

The twelve-month course of study combines courses in museology and art history with internships at some of Washington’s premier art institutions. We examine the changing relationships between the academic study of art and new configurations of museum display and interpretation. Such topics as the roles of museums in modern cultures, museum education programs and audiences, new technologies, collection management, curatorial work and the ethics of acquisition and display are discussed in classes and individual research projects. Our students take part in critical debates about art exhibition and interpretation.... [-]

Whether you're just graduating or a seasoned professional, this 36-credit degree offers the tools you'll need to compete and succeed in a wide range of writing, design, production, creative and media careers.

The program is notable for its 50/50 blend of production and theory courses within six Areas of Concentration:

This integrated approach to media arts equips students and professionals with the necessary skills and knowledge to develop and evolve in the face of shifting and convergent technologies.... [-]

The Master’s of Art Therapy is 61 credits with 900 internship hours (400 direct client contact) required for graduation, which provides maximum educational credit received toward credentialing as a Registered Art Therapist (ATR) with the Art Therapy Credentialing Board (BC) and the coursework required for art therapy and counseling state licensure. All of our classes are on-campus, we do not offer online classes for the Master of Art Therapy.

This 63-credit thesis option is available by approval from the program for students to pursue original research and produce a Master's Thesis. The Thesis Option is applied for after the 1st semester.... [-]

Offered by the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts, the Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art is a rigorous interdisciplinary program that prepares graduate students for a career as a professional artist grounded in artistic innovation and creativity. The studio curriculum integrates practical and critical skills across diverse mediums and disciplines. The MFA program emphasizes intense and advanced individual studio practice, creative collaborations, informal mentorships, and rigorous academic discourse.

Master’s level graduate students attending SMFA at Tufts develop advanced professional competencies in the visual arts, including the understanding of issues both current and historical; the relationship of those ideas and broader world ideas; the development of a body of work in relationship to ideas and theory; and the realization of that work in a final thesis exhibition. There is also an emphasis on professional practice, meaning the skills necessary to develop and sustain a career.... [-]

The MFA in ceramics develops your intellectual and artistic thinking through an extensive curriculum. You will rigorously examine the work of historical and contemporary artists and craftspeople as you expand your knowledge of the techniques of ceramics design. In-depth critiques give you a deep understanding of your own work as well as your peers to enhance your artistic expression and personal voice. Earning your MFA in ceramics will deepen your understanding of aesthetics, forming processes, and fine art theory.

The ceramics program focuses on artistic development through an intensive teaching of the aesthetics and techniques of ceramic design. Graduate studio courses, seminar courses, and in-depth critiques, in conjunction with thesis planning and implementation, provide students with a deep understanding of not only their own work but the work of other students and their peers. Students examine the creativity, perceptions, aesthetics, and criticism of the work of contemporary artists and craftspeople in courses and discussions. Thesis reviews track students' progress towards the final thesis presentation, which is completed when a formal critique and evaluation is performed by the thesis committee. ... [-]

The Johns Hopkins MA in Museum Studies offers a perspective on the theory and practice of museums in a changing technological, social and political environment. Geared for current and future museum professionals, it emphasizes technology’s critical role in today’s museum. It also examines new models of education, exhibition, and business strategies while exploring the role of the museum as an agent of social change.

We welcome students from around the world interested in all types of museums including history, technology, science, art, special topic or themed museums, historic sites, national parks and zoos as well as those interested in exhibitions for corporations, government agencies and private organizations.... [-]

Whether choosing to work within our nationally recognized disciplines/intensives (ceramics, drawing, jewelry and metalsmithing, painting, print media and graphic art, and sculpture) or across genres, artists can develop a course of study particular to their own self-initiated creative research.

With complete access to the faculty and studios throughout the School of Art, the M.F.A. in studio arts provides students numerous options of study, including seminars that focus on artistic practice, professional practice, and thesis development; critiques that emphasize cross-disciplinary dialogue; and a unique semester residency focused on career development. Focused on artistic practice while developing essential professional skills and abilities, the M.F.A. in studio arts prepares students to succeed in the field of contemporary art.... [-]

Winthrop University's online Master of Arts in Arts Administration (M.A.A.A.) program gives you a solid toolkit for advancement in the arts. It combines current theory, academic research and applied practice to develop effective leaders who can work with skill, creative initiative and integrity in nonprofit arts environments.

Master of Fine ArtsPerhaps you would like to pursue a Master's degree with a more professional focus. A 60-credit hour degree program, the MFA is a terminal degree, preparing you to teach at the collegiate level or pursue other professional opportunities. Choose from drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, photography or graphic design as your area of emphasis.

Graduate School Requirements

Degree Requirements

The Master of Arts and Cultural Management ( MAACM ) is a joint program between the Drucker School and the School of the Arts and Humanities. It is an applied program, designed for students with a strong background in the arts or humanities who want to combine management, policy, and decision-making training with advanced study in the humanities.At Claremont Graduate University, you will be part of the dynamic culture of Los Angeles and its surrounding communities. Issues that most concern the global community of arts and cultural policy, now and for the future, are part of the unique cultural landscape of the greater Los Angeles area. As an art and cultural manager, you must be able to function as a community leader, planner, educator, facilitator, and fund-raiser. You must know how to interpret, influence, and formulate art and cultural policies and advocate the value and missions of an organization to diverse constituencies including artists, business people, government officers, and members of local communities.Our program in arts and cultural management strives to achieve the optimal balance of advanced study in arts and cultural theory, policy, management, and hands-on experience. Internships, practical research on life issues, and a faculty engaged in the community-at-large provide a unique opportunity to master the skills and knowledge required of leaders in arts and cultural management.... [-]

Master of Fine Arts in Environmental DesignArt Center’s Graduate Environmental Design program addresses the relationships between body, materials, space, and emotion. Our focus goes beyond style, considering the links between the psychological, physical, emotional and sensory effects of quality design.We design experience—from the first moment of encounter to the last moment of interaction. Our approach dictates that we work in a multi-disciplinary way, and most often we are the ones generating the creative guidelines by which the total experience is explored. We define ourselves as opportunity seekers in the creative process.Tracks in Spatial Experience and Furniture and Fixtures enable students to specialize and obtain advanced knowledge of theory and practice. Our focus points towards hospitality, retail, office, exhibition and event design.The goal of our program is to educate designers to position themselves as author-based design leaders. Our graduates are designers capable of advancing the discipline and the craft of environmental design. Our program concentrates on extensive conceptual rigor crossed with business practices with a focus on theoretical thinking, technical innovation, manufacturing, fabrication and project execution.Art Center’s history of industry partners and internationally acclaimed alumni and faculty create a vibrant environment in which to investigate the future of spatial, furniture, lighting and fixture design.Our students create opportunity, innovation, and development within our discipline. Scenography enhances our students’ ability to make a meaningful connection in all that they design.Art Center is now accepting applications for students entering the Graduate Environmental Design program in the 2012 Fall Term.... [-]