Art and Design

(Including Art Education, Art History, Ceramics, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Metals, Painting, Photography, Narrative Media, and Sculpture)

Director: David Weightman
Coordinators of Graduate Studies:
Oscar Vazquez - MA; Doctor of Philosophy in Art History, oscarv@uiuc.edu
Paul Duncum - MA; Doctor of Education in Art Education, pduncum@uiuc.edu
Joseph Squier - MFA in Art and Design, squier@uiuc.edu

143 Art and Design Building
408 East Peabody Drive, Champaign, IL 61820
For general graduate information, contact: Marsha Biddle
217-333-0642
mbiddle@uiuc.edu

Graduate Degree Programs

The School of Art and Design offers the Master of Arts in Art Education and in Art History, the Master of Fine Arts in Art and Design, the Doctor of Education in Art Education, and the Doctor of Philosophy in Art History.

Admission

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required but is recommended for applicants to the art history and art education programs. International applicants to all programs must present scores of at least 550 on the paper-based version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), which is the equivalent of 213 or higher on the computer-based version. A score of 50 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) is also required for international teaching assistants. Admission is for fall semester only.

Graduate Teaching Experience

Although teaching is not a general Graduate College requirement, experience in teaching is considered an important part of the graduate experience for master and doctoral students.

Master of Arts in Art Education

The program of study leading to the degree of Master of Arts in Art Education is designed to provide advanced professional preparation for art teachers and supervisors. A minimum of 32 graduate hours of study is required for the degree, including at least 12 devoted to graduate seminars in art education. In addition to professional courses in art education, students may elect coursework in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, metalsmithing, and art history. Specific course selection is determined in consultation with the student’s adviser. While many of applicants to this program hold valid teaching certificates, applicants with certification-related deficiencies may be admitted to the program, although graduate credit is not granted for courses taken to make up such deficiencies. Candidates must spend at least two semesters or the equivalent in residence. Applicants currently employed as teachers may apply for residence credit for summers-only enrollment.

Master of Arts in Art History

This program provides basic preparation for teaching at the college level, background in the history of art for museum work, and preliminary study for the doctoral degree. In addition to the general requirements, the prerequisite for admission is ordinarily an undergraduate degree in art history or a strong preparation in related humanistic studies. Applicants with little background in art history but who have done exceptionally well as undergraduates in other disciplines will be seriously considered. A minimum of 32 graduate hours is required for the degree. At least 24 graduate hours must be in the history of art and architecture, of which at least 16 graduate hours must be in art history graduate seminars. Proficiency in a language outside of English and appropriate to the student's field of study must be demonstrated by the end of the first year of residence. Before the degree is conferred, candidates are required to pass an examination on the general field of art history. A thesis or scholarly essay is required for completion of the degree.

Master of Fine Arts in Art and Design

The degree of Master of Fine Arts in Art and Design is designed to prepare qualified individuals for distinctive achievement in the professional area of their choice. Fields of specialization include ceramics, graphic design, industrial design, metals, narrative media, painting, photography, and sculpture. Applicants should clearly indicate the intended specialization on the application for admission. A minimum of 64 hours of graduate credit is required for the M.F.A. degree, normally requiring three years of full-time residence. Individual studio space and specialized resources essential to the acquisition of a high-quality professional education are available to students in all areas of study. The ceramics, graphic design, metals, narrative media, painting, photography, and sculpture programs require a graduation exhibition of creative work, a written thesis statement approved by a thesis committee and a thesis deposit in the school's graduate office. The Industrial Design Program requires a graduation exhibition, a written thesis approved by a thesis committee and a thesis deposit in the Graduate College Thesis Office. Admission is determined by a faculty review of a portfolio of the applicant’s creative work, records of previous education and experience, letters of recommendation, and other significant achievements that may be viewed as predictors for success in the program.

Doctor of Education in Art Education

The program leading to the degree of Doctor of Education in Art Education is designed to prepare qualified art educators for careers in college-level teaching and research. Applicants for admission must hold a master’s degree in art education or the equivalent from an accredited institution. A minimum of three years of acceptable teaching experience is required for admission. Admission is determined by personal interviews, records of previous education and experience, and letters of recommendation. Applicants should present credentials well in advance of their first registration. A minimum of 64 graduate hours of coursework in residency at UIUC campus is required beyond the master’s degree. Dissertation credit is required beyond coursework.

Doctor of Philosophy in Art History

The program leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Art History is designed to prepare students for scholarship and for teaching at the college level. Applicants must have the Master of Arts in Art History or the equivalent. Students earning the master’s degree must pass the qualifying examination with a high score and write a thesis or research paper of superior quality in order to be admitted to the doctoral program. Students taking the master’s degree elsewhere must satisfy the Graduate Committee on the History of Art and Architecture as to their preparation to undertake work on a doctoral level. An effective reading knowledge two languages chosen with the approval of the student's academic adviser and the program chair is required for all doctoral candidates. Language requirements must be met before the student has earned 32 hours of graduate credit beyond the requirements for the master’s degree. Students usually elect to major and write a dissertation in one of various fields: Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Modern, Contemporary, American, African, and Asian, or Latin American. Students also elect a minor in another field of art history in consultation with their major adviser and appropriate faculty.

Resources

Resources for graduate students in art and design include the Krannert Art Museum’s excellent permanent collections and changing exhibitions; the Ricker Library of Art and Architecture, one of the largest art and architecture libraries in the nation; the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts; School of Art and Design facilities, which include extensive computer laboratories, digital photography and video editing equipment, wireless networking, ink-printing facilities, ceramic, woodworking, and metal shops, rapid prototyping and laser cutting, black/white and color darkrooms, shooting studios, and a wide selection of production and presentation equipment via reservation and checkout facility. A variety of lectures, symposia, musical programs, dramatic productions, and other cultural events associated with a large and progressive university complement the Art and Design Facilities.

Financial Aid

Fellowships, assistantships, and tuition and service fee waivers are awarded each year on a competitive basis, with consideration given to the applicant’s grade point average and, in the case of applicants for the M.F.A. programs, quality of creative work.