Sculpture, M.F.A.

TYLER SCHOOL OF ART

About the Program

The graduate program in Sculpture is a two-year, 60-credit program leading to the Master of Fine Arts degree. The program provides an intense and stimulating work environment for the extremely motivated student of Sculpture. It is intended to prepare the student for practice as a professional artist and can offer foundation experience for university teaching if the participant is so motivated.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 4 years

Campus Location: Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: Full-time status is required.

Interdisciplinary Study: The focus in Sculpture is augmented and balanced by specially designed graduate-level Art History courses and seminars; a required team-taught interdisciplinary seminar with students of Painting; studio electives that ensure cross-disciplinary contact among students; and access to specialized technical areas.

Study Abroad: Students can elect to spend a summer in Rome or with the Crafts Department program in Scotland.

Accreditation: This degree program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

Areas of Specialization: Courses provide a framework in which to develop individual creative practices and professional goals within a community of peers. The faculty to student ratio of three full-time Sculpture professors to eight graduate students provides a supportive learning environment, while encouraging a spirit of friendly competition. All of the professors are actively exhibiting artists with differing aesthetics. All are committed teachers. Our graduate students are selected to represent a diversity of sculptural approaches. Faculty are able to mentor research in a range of areas in sculptural practice.

Job Prospects: The M.F.A. program prepares graduates for careers as professional artists and educators.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: M.F.A. courses are restricted to matriculated students.

Financing Opportunities: The principal duties of a Teaching Assistant (TA) or Academic Intern (AI) include assisting faculty members in preparing and teaching undergraduate classes.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: January 6

Applications are evaluated together after the deadline date.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 3

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from college/university faculty members, gallery directors, and/or curators familiar with the applicant's academic competence and abilities in the professional visual arts. The letters should be submitted with the application at https://apply.temple.edu/Tyler/, along with the statement of goals and resume.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration: 40 undergraduate studio credits and 12 art history credits are required.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A baccalaureate degree and a documented portfolio of sculptural work are required. A wide range of media/disciplines may be appropriate, including IE-traditional and mixed sculptural media, performance, installation, and time/sound-based media. Official transcripts from all universities/colleges attended, whether or not a degree was awarded, must be sent to the Tyler School of Art, Graduate Admissions Office, 2001 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122-6016.

Statement of Goals: Approximately 500 to 1,000 words include your interest in Tyler's program, your research goals and philosophy of work, your future career goals, and your academic and artistic achievements.

Standardized Test Scores:
TOEFL: 79 iBT or 550 PBT minimum

IELTS: 6.5 minimum

Portfolio: As a Master of Fine Arts applicant, you must submit a portfolio that consists of 20 images representative of the immediate direction of your work. Portfolios are to be uploaded at https://temple.slideroom.com, as instructed at the website. SlideRoom requires an additional fee for this service. Original work, slides, CD-ROMs, catalogs, photographs, books, and/or binders are not acceptable substitutes for the SlideRoom portfolio and will not be reviewed or returned.

Resume: Current resume required.

Transfer Credit: Upon approval of the appropriate department chairperson and the Vice Dean, up to 9 credits of graduate work may be transferred into the M.F.A. program as Art History or Studio electives. Only credits received within five years of the transfer request are eligible. No decisions are made concerning transfer credits until students have successfully completed 15 matriculated credits at Tyler. The maximum number of credits a student may transfer is 9.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required to Earn the Degree: 60

Required Courses:

Culminating Events:
Thesis Exhibition:
An approved thesis exhibition, written statement of working philosophy, and slide and/or CD portfolio are required at the final review in order to meet the M.F.A. requirements. The thesis exhibition should be the fruit of the two years' studio research and practice in which the student engaged. The student defends her/his thesis exhibition to the review committee. The committee then evaluates the exhibition as pass with distinction, pass, or fail.

Contacts

Department Contacts: