Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art

In the 60-credit MFA program, there are 24 credit hours of in-studio time for creating art and exploring themes, motifs, symbols, subject matter, and references through your chosen medium. Additionally, there are courses in art history foundations and related areas of expertise like museum studies. Requirements across the program include:

• Art history courses
• Graduate seminars
• Required studio art hours
• Graduate thesis and portfolio development

The program is designed to develop critical writing, communication, and ethical skills based on Christian teachings that bind your artistic process with a higher source of creation. An optional study abroad offers rich opportunities to create art in a novel environment or create work innately tied to place.

Program Highlights

• 60 Credits
• Complete in Two Years
• Private Studio Space Available
• Faculty Mentorship
• Portfolio and Artist Statement Required
• Bachelor’s Degree Required

Courses and Degree Plan

Refine your artistic practice and forge new visual languages supported by seminar courses and inspiration from historical and contemporary artists. Apart from courses in your chosen track (Painting, Ceramics, Sculpture, Printmaking, Drawing), you may take courses including:

• Gallery & Museum Practices I-IV
• Postmodern to Present
• Turning Points of the 19th Century
• Writing in the Arts

Review the MFA in Studio Art degree plan.

Admissions Requirements

Admissions requirements to the intimate Studio Art master’s program at Houston Christian University include:

• Completed bachelor’s degree (requires submission of official transcripts from the school that awarded your degree)
• Current résumé/CV
• 300-500 word personal artist statement covering your desire to attend the Graduate School and how our MFA in
• Studio Art degree will assist you academically, personally, and professionally

Review graduate admissions information and email any additional required materials to verification@HC.edu.

Digital Application Portfolio

• The preferred format for the MFA admission portfolio is through a flash drive, CD, or DVD, mailed to the Graduate School (The Graduate School, Houston Christian University, 7502 Fondren Road, Houston, TX 77074-3298).
• 20-30 samples should be included in the portfolio.
• Ensure samples are high-resolution JPEGs.

Our master’s program in fine arts prepares you for a variety of career paths in art and design. You can create and showcase art professionally or work behind the scenes in museums or galleries with two years of practical experience gained in the program. You can also pursue advanced careers in creative marketing, advertising, media, and entertainment, leveraging visual communication for brands and businesses. Career paths our graduates excel in include:

• Arts program management
• Digital or 2D illustration
• Fashion or interior design
• Graphic and web design
• Photography
• Teaching and art education
• Videography and filmmaking

Aspiring professional artists, curators, and teachers all benefit from an MFA curriculum emphasizing technical proficiency and rooted in creative exploration. Our courses cover a wide range of media and techniques, comprehensive training in museum operations, and research related to art, artists, and art movements.

Deepen Your Artistic Calling

In our intimate, small-class environment, develop graduate-level technical proficiency in your chosen studio disciplines while creating art that reflects profound social and spiritual enlightenment. Our campus features working studios where faculty members actively create, allowing you to fully engage with your instructors, renowned artists like Michael Collins, MFA; Carlos Canul, MFA; Joel Stanulonis, MFA; Rachel Gardner, MFA, and Tiffany Bergeron, MFA.

Meet the Department of Visual Arts faculty.

Resources for Artists

As a candidate in the studio art master’s program, you will have access to studio facilities in the 44,000-square-foot University Academic Center complex and fully equipped labs to hone your craft. The 1,100-square-foot Contemporary Art Gallery offers space to showcase your work and engage with the broader art community. Additionally, we regularly invite outside artists to conduct specialized Studio Art (MFA) Workshops, exposing you to diverse perspectives and cutting-edge techniques in various artistic disciplines.

Explore our gallery facilities and the Fine Art Museum.