Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art
Maximize your potential in a course of study carefully designed for in-depth investigations of your chosen artistic ideas, themes and/or media. Develop and refine techniques that best communicate the content of your artistic pursuits.
Program Overview
The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree at the University of South Florida’s School of Art & Art History is an idea-centered program that encourages broad media exploration, interdisciplinary projects, and engagement with current theoretical and cultural issues.
Nationally ranked, our program provides a dynamic atmosphere with ongoing opportunities for dialogue with the faculty, other graduate students and a world-class program of visiting artists, critics and scholars.
Our MFA students enjoy individual studios that provide both privacy and access to learn from one another, with twenty-four24 hour- access to facilities.
We provide generous financial assistance packages, including graduate assistantships with stipends, tuition waivers and the opportunity to teach courses, assist professors — or work alongside some of the most notable artists today at USF's Graphicstudio and Contemporary Art Museum. We also offer fellowships, full scholarships and annual research and travel awards specifically for our graduate students.
Located in Tampa, Florida, students pursue their MFA amidst a cosmopolitan, multi-ethnic city in an urban area with a population of more than three million. Rich with experiential raw material for art-making, outstanding museums and alternative exhibition and performance spaces, Tampa also beckons you to the lively nightlife of historic Ybor City and the relaxation of nearby beaches. Students also have the opportunity to participate in the school’s field trips to New York, plus study abroad in Paris through our Summer Art Program or join any of USF’s international exchange programs.
Areas of Study
MFA students have the option of focusing their studies in one particular discipline or learning in any combination of areas of study available at USF.
- Animation & Digital Modeling
- Ceramics
- Drawing
- Painting
- Photography
- Printmaking
- Sculpture & Extended Media
- Video
Opportunities for MFA Students
Exhibition opportunities are plentiful at USF for all students, as is exposure to
national and international practicing artists. Visiting artists lecture several times
per semester and meet with students. The Kennedy Family Artist in Residence brings new artists and art historians to teach and add to the opportunities for USF
students. Graphicstudio and the Contemporary Art Museum host internationally acclaimed
artists as well as top quality exhibitions. Students travel regularly to the Miami
art fairs, as well as to New York, Paris, London, and Venice. Tampa has a lively art
scene, including a number of museums and impressive alternative spaces.
Our students frequently participate in and are awarded scholarships to prestigious
residency programs including Vermont Studio School, Skowhegan, Atlantic Center for
the Arts, Yale-Norfolk, and others.
MFA Studio Art Curriculum
Explore the details of the curriculum and course offerings for the MFA in Studio Art, including the requirements to complete the degree.
Apply for Admission
Get information and a list of requirements to apply for graduate admission into the MFA program at the University of South Florida.
Request Information
Students and families can also request more information about the School of Art & Art History’s programs by filling out the USF College of Design, Art & Performance’ online form.