Art, MFA

Admission Requirements

The following are the basic requirements for admission to the graduate program for the MFA degree:

• BA, BFA or BS in any field from a US accredited institution with a minimum of 3.0 (B) GPA earned in the last 60 hours of coursework.
• A portfolio and statement of intent are the most important parts of the application. The School of Art evaluates and admits MFA applicants primarily on the basis of work completed in the major area of concentration to which the application is made.

Applicant Checklist

• A University of Houston Graduate School application
• A Katherine G. McGovern College of the Arts application
• Non-refundable application fee
• Official transcript from each college or university attended since high school
• The names and email addresses of three people to serve as references. At least one of these should be familiar with your your art or design work.
• A statement of intent expressing your reasons for pursuing graduate study in your area of interest. Indicate on the statement the concentration to which you are applying.
• A resume or CV
• A portfolio uploaded to the Katherine G. McGovern College of the Arts application portal
• International students have additional documentation and/or test score submission requirements. For full details, visit the Graduate School web page.

Degree Requirements

Credit hours required for this degree: 60.0

The MFA degree is a sixty term-hour program.

• Studio courses in a single studio concentration: 18 hours
• Related arts: 24 hours
• Art history: 9 hours
• Art seminar: 9 hours

Academic Policies

• University of Houston Academic Policies  
• Academic Policies: College of the Arts  

Graduate Reviews

First-year Student Reviews: At the end of the fall and spring semesters, each first-year student will meet with a faculty committee. During this meeting the committee and the student will discuss the student’s current work, their progress in the program and plans for future study.

Second-Year Student Reviews: Prior to the end of the spring semester of the second year, students must arrange a meeting of their faculty committee to review their current work, progress in the program and plans for the final year.

A student will be permitted to graduate upon completion of their course requirements, submission of materials for inclusion in the MFA Thesis Exhibition catalog, participation in the MFA Thesis Exhibition, and an oral examination.

MFA Thesis Exhibition Catalog: The MFA Thesis Catalog will include the artist’s or designer’s statement developed in the Writing Seminar, documentation of the student’s work, and any additional supporting materials.

MFA Thesis Exhibition: A representative from the Blaffer Museum of Art will meet with the graduating MFA students. At this meeting the student must be prepared to give the museum a preliminary estimate of the scope of their work for the exhibition.

Oral Examination: MFA candidates will schedule a meeting with their committee for the oral examination, the final and comprehensive discussion of their work. The oral examination may be held at any time during the spring semester; however, students are encouraged to hold the examination in the Blaffer Art Museum after the installation of their work in the Thesis Exhibition. The exam must be completed prior to the closing of the exhibition (exceptions to this time constraint may be arranged with the approval of the Graduate Advisor).