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, BA, BS) 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 graduate program in Art History is designed to prepare students for positions in teaching, research, museums and other careers in the art world. Graduate study in art history involves the acquisition of specialized skills, foreign languages and in-depth training in a specific area. The program’s strengths are in the arts of East Asia, the Mediterranean, Europe, Africa and North America. Of primary importance is the development of the student’s ability to undertake creative research. Over the course of their enrollment (usually 4 semesters), graduate students will take a total of 8 courses plus thesis seminars. To qualify for the MA degree, students are required to take classes for a total of 30-credit hours, pass a reading proficiency exam in French or German and a comprehensive exam in their major field of study, submit an acceptable thesis and pass the final oral defense.

Administration

Admission

Applications and supporting materials for all graduate study must be submitted through the online application site for the LSU Graduate School. For detailed information how to submit official transcripts, test scores, and other materials, please refer to the information provided by the Graduate School. These 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 and in the General Catalog.

Admission to the Studio Art MFA Program

To apply to the graduate program in Studio Art, you must create an account and submit a Graduate School Application. Detailed additional instructions for submission and for the upload of portfolio images for review by Studio Art faculty 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 an official undergraduate 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. 3. Artist Statement addressed to Studio Art faculty.

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.

An applicant whose native language is not English and/or who has been educated outside of the U.S. in a country or province where English is not the only official language must demonstrate proof of English proficiency by submitting a TOEFL iBT, an IELTS, a  PTE, a Duolingo, or a Michigan English Language score before the application is evaluated for admission. Please refer to the Graduate School’s Admission site for a list of the required scores. Regardless of test scores submitted, official scores are those reported directly to LSU by the respective testing service at the request of the student.

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. An applicant whose native language is not English and/or who has been educated outside of the U.S. in a country or province where English is not the only official language must demonstrate proof of English proficiency by submitting a TOEFL iBT, an IELTS, a  PTE, a Duolingo, or a Michigan English Language score before the application is evaluated for admission. Please refer to the Graduate School’s Admission site for a list of the required scores. Regardless of test scores submitted, official scores are those reported directly to LSU by the respective testing service at the request of the student.

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)

Andresen, Scott (M) • Foundations in Art
Ariaz, Jeremiah A (M) • Photography
Arp, Kimberly P (EM) • Printmaking
Aubanel, Marc (3P) • Digital Media
Baggett, Lynne (M) • Graphic Design
Barr, Courtney A (M) • Graphic Design
Bower, Gerald J (M) • Graphic Design
Celentano, Denyce (M) • Painting and Drawing
Dean, Paul R (M) • Graphic Design
Doubleday, Richard (M) • Graphic Design
Friedman, Leslie Anne (6A)
Geymonat, Ludovico (6A) • Art History
Hentz, Christopher A (EM) • Jewelry/Metalsmithing
Kelley, Kelli Scott (M) • Painting and Drawing
Koptcho, Leslie (M) • Printmaking
Ma, William (6A) • Art History
Malveto, John A (7M) • Painting and Drawing
McClay, Malcolm James (M) • Sculpture
Nam, Hye Yeon (6A) • Digital Art
Neff, Thomas M (EM) • Photography
Ortner, Frederick G (M) • Painting and Drawing
Ostrenko, Frederick W (7M) • Digital Art
Parker, Roderick A (M) • Graphic Design
Ryan, Susan E (M) • Art History
Schwerd, Loren G (M) • Sculpture
Shaw, Andy (M) • Ceramics
Smith, Edward C (M) • Painting and Drawing
Spieth, Darius A (M) • Art History
Thompson, Kristine (7M) • Photography/Digital Art
Walsh, Michaelene (7M) • Ceramics
Warwick, Johanna (7M)
Wesley, Kenneth Martin (3P) • Digital Media
Young, Allison (6A) • Art History

Programs

• Art History, M.A.

• Studio Art, M.F.A.