Graduate Fine Arts Courses

The MFA coursework requires eight credit units of Graduate Studio, four credit units of Graduate Critique and seven credit units of electives. Of the seven elective courses, two must be graduate seminars, two must be outside of the Fine Arts Department, the remaining three courses may be taken either in the department or anywhere in the university. Each graduate student works with the faculty to select courses that will support the thesis research. Additional requirements for the MFA degree includes a thesis exhibition, and the submission of a thesis statement and portfolio.

Each semester the requirement for Graduate Studio includes individual critiques with visiting artists, faculty and critics, attending visiting artist lectures and workshops, public lectures, as well as the mid-term and final reviews. Students participate in exhibitions throughout the year.

This course is designed to introduce students to different pedagogical methodologies relating to the critical examination of works of art as well as to assist students in terms of speaking about their own work. Graduate Critique provides a democratic and interactive forum for the voicing of opinion in an informed context.

The Graduate Seminars are intensive topical or single discipline-based courses. We encourage the MFA students to use these courses to advance their thinking in their disciplines, or to take a course in an unfamiliar or new topic in order to augment their approach.

The Fine-Arts elective courses play a critical role in allowing MFA students to expand their thinking and approach to studio techniques.

A selection of interdisciplinary courses in the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design extend the focus of the MFA program to the disciplines of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, City and Regional planning, and Historic Preservation.

MFA students are encouraged to take courses outside of the Weitzman School.