Art & Art History (Graduate Program)

For information regarding the UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM, click here. 

Program Overview

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Studio Art

Areas of specialization include ceramics, digital art, graphic design, painting and drawing, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. Degree regulations include full-time residency, maximum of five years to complete, minimum of nine credit hours per semester, exhibition of specific thesis project, written thesis report, and oral defense of the work. Students admitted into the MFA program with an undergraduate studio art degree (BFA) must complete a minimum of 60 hours of graduate level credit over the course of three years. Although this is a rare occurrence, a student may petition their graduate review committee and the graduate coordinator for approval to complete the program one semester early, or in two and one half years, as long as 60 credit hours are completed.

Master of Arts (MA) in Art History

The Art History MA Program was founded in 1946 and is the largest public program of its kind in Louisiana. It provides students with a strong grounding in the field and its methodologies and offers courses covering a wide range of cultures and aesthetic viewpoints. LSU’s Art History MA program accommodates both students seeking a terminal graduate degree and those who plan to continue on to the PhD degree at another institution. As a terminal degree, it prepares students to teach art history at the college level and assume a variety of curatorial and educational positions within museums, galleries, and cultural organizations. The program offers a broad spectrum of courses and specializations in ancient, medieval, Renaissance, baroque, American, Asian, Latin American, modern, contemporary and media art, as well as design history and critical theories of art.

Administration

Admission

Applications and supporting materials for all graduate study must be submitted through the online application site for the LSU Graduate School. Official transcripts, official test scores, and other materials that come from third-party sources must be mailed to: Graduate Student Services, 114 West David Boyd Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. These paper documents are stored electronically and departments have access to all materials submitted by and/or on behalf of a student applying to graduate study.

Please note: Art History and Studio Art graduate students must assume full responsibility for the knowledge of rules and regulations of the Graduate School and the School of Art. Deadlines and due dates for various requirements can be found here in the General Catalog and Academic Calendar .

Admission to the Studio Art MFA Program

To apply to the graduate program in studio art, you must create an account and submit your work for the portfolio review at lsuart.slideroom.com/ in addition to the Graduate School application. Detailed instructions for submission can be found on the school’s website: design.lsu.edu/art. Admission is selective and your application is evaluated on the basis of grade point average, letters of recommendation, and your portfolio. You must hold a BA or BS degree to be considered for the graduate program.

Your submission will include: 1. Portfolio including 20 examples of recent work in still image or video format. Interactive, web-based and installation, and other types of work should be presented through documentation in still image or video format. Please limit submissions including video to no more than ten minutes total, including excerpts when necessary to meet this requirement. 2. Description of works, including: titles, dates completed, size, and media and/or url.

Students are encouraged to schedule a personal interview with faculty from art history or a prospective studio area; and enjoy LSU’s beautiful campus.

Deadlines

Applications must be received by February 1 for entrance in the fall semester and by October 1 for entrance in the spring. Please indicate in the letter of intent whether or not you would like to be considered for a graduate assistantship award. Enrollment in some specializations in studio art is limited; please check the School of Art website to ensure that your area of specialization is accepting applications for the semester in which you wish to enroll.

International students whose native language is not English must also submit an acceptable TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score.

Admission to the MA program in Art History:

Applications for admission are received and evaluated by the department beginning February 1 for the following fall semester, and October 1 for the following spring semester. Applicants must adhere to the application deadlines established by the Graduate School.

Students seeking admission must submit satisfactory credentials from previous study, acceptable GRE scores, and two letters of recommendation. International students whose native language is not English must also submit an acceptable TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score.

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance is available to selected students. Support may be available through the student’s home department or other units in the form of research or teaching assistantships. To ensure consideration for financial aid, all application materials should be submitted in accordance with deadlines established by the LSU Graduate School.

Graduate Faculty

(check current faculty listings by department here)

Programs

• Art History, M.A.

• Studio Art, M.F.A.