Master of Fine Arts in Art

The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in the School of Art is a two-year studio program that welcomes and supports all forms of contemporary art practice and research. While there are faculty with areas of specialization that include two-dimensional work (painting, drawing, printmaking), object-making (sculpture, installation, ceramic sculpture), and electronic media (photography, video, animation, web-based art), many of our faculty also have extensive experience in conceptual art, performance, sound, social practices, public art, and art writing.
Many of our MFA students use the university's resources to develop multi-disciplinary practices that take advantage of different equipment and expertise across campus. The primary goals of our MFA program includes developing studio work that is groundbreaking for each student, building innovative research frameworks for art practices, and advancing conceptual and technical skills. Additionally, our MFA students are presented with opportunities to learn how to teach effectively and are encouraged to develop lasting professional connections within the city and region.

The program is housed in exceptional facilities that include individual workspaces for graduate students in a dedicated building. In the nearby College of DAAP, there are studios for printmaking, ceramics, metal fabrication, metal casting, sculpture, woodworking, rapid prototyping (CNC milling, 3D printing, laser cutting/etching), digital photo printing, darkroom work, electronic art, sound, video, drawing, and painting.

In addition, the University's 1819 Innovation Hub Makerspace Microfactory has an advanced array of equipment including high-performing 3D printers, laser cutters, a CNC router, and a waterjet cutter. The Digital Futures complex houses the Motion Capture Lab, the Strange Tools Lab, the Institute for Research Sensing, and the NFT Media Lab, amongst many other resources. Four galleries are connected to the school and college to showcase artwork by students, faculty, and visiting artists, and many students get involved with local galleries and artist-run spaces to exhibit, curate, and intern.

Scholarships, graduate assistantships, teaching assistantships, travel fellowships, and research grants are available. The School of Art sustains an active visiting artist program and offers additional programs/courses in critical theory, art history & museum studies, art education, public art & placemaking, and professional practice. Cincinnati's dynamic art community and institutions such as the Contemporary Arts Center, the Cincinnati Art Museum, and Wave Pool Gallery offer many other resources and opportunities for students.

The admission confirmation fee is $500 and will be credited to your tuition bill when you register for classes in your first semester of attendance. The confirmation deadline is April 15th.
Unofficial transcript(s) from all colleges/universities attended. Note: Official transcripts are not required during the admissions process, and only unofficial transcripts are required for the application. Applicants should not send official transcripts until they are admitted. See the full transcript policy on the Graduate Admissions webpage.
Resume or CV
3 letters of recommendation. Recommenders should be people familiar with your academic and professional abilities and not those with whom you have a personal or family connection. The recommenders you list in your online application will receive information via email about submitting their recommendation letter online. Please ask them to provide the following information:
who they are and their relationship to you
why they think you will succeed in the graduate Fine Arts program at the University of Cincinnati
the reservations, if any, they may have about your application
the potential they see for you to teach within our program, and in what capacity (foundations, 2D, 3D, photo, or new media)
Artist's Statement. Include a statement (up to 500 words) describing the long-term goal to be met by your graduate study. Include the following:
a general introduction to the work in your portfolio
how you would like to creatively develop in graduate school
your professional interests (e.g., exhibitions, teaching, writing, curating)
your media of choice
why you are interested in the Fine Arts program at the University of Cincinnati
the Fine Arts faculty youd like to work with and why. Please name at least two. Please view our faculty directory.
Portfolio: Your portfolio should contain 20 works as a single pdf file.
Which images to submit:
For digital media (animation, coding, digital imaging, game design, interactive, net.art, sound, video, or other new media art forms), submit a combination of 14 images as a pdf portfolio plus links to 3-6 online examples. Those online examples must comprise one file no longer than 10 minutes. Post your online examples to Vimeo or YouTube and provide the link in your pdf portfolio. Before submitting, test the links to make sure they are working.
For all other art media (ceramics, drawing, fibers, installation, painting, photography, sculpture, etc.), submit your 20 works as one pdf portfolio.
How to size your images:
Your images should be no more than 3 MB each, at 96 ppi
To downsize your images to less than 3 MB/96 ppi, make your images 96 ppi and no more than 1500 pixels on the shorter side.
Convert these resized images into a single pdf by first assembling them into one document using PowerPoint, Keynote, or MSWord and then exporting the file.
Powerpointexport to pdf
Keynoteexport to pdf
MSWordprint'save as pdf
How to label your images:
Label your images in the pdf with the title, date, materials, and dimensions
In a separate pdf provide a list of your images with title, date, materials, and dimensions and a brief statement about each work.
If you have a website for your studio practice provide the URL in your image list and at the start of the pdf portfolio
Only work in which the applicant has played a major role in the project should be submitted. With collaborative work, include an explanation of your role in making the piece.

The following exams and minimum scores are accepted as proof of English proficiency -
TOEFL minimum score of 80 iBT
In-person and at-home online exam scores accepted TOEFL Essentials and My Best Test scores are not accepted.
IELTS minimum score of 6.5 overall band.
In-person and at-home online exam scores accepted.
PTE minimum score of 54.