Masters

Art - Master of Fine Arts

Overview

The Wonsook Kim School of Art at Illinois State University offers graduate assistantships to candidates for the Master of Fine Arts program. The MFA is a 60-hour program that emphasizes both theory and practice in the production, history, and teaching of the visual arts. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate artistic proficiency in at least one of the following disciplines: painting and drawing, sculpture and expanded media, printmaking, video, ceramics, photography, or glass.

The Wonsook Kim School of Art offers students an excellent faculty, extensive facilities, and individual graduate studio spaces. Just two hours south of Chicago, the Wonsook Kim School of Art offers easy access to the vibrant museum and gallery environment of the city. In addition, the on-campus University Galleries' active exhibition schedule and a full schedule of visiting artist residencies and lectures provide students with a vital critical survey of contemporary art.

Each MFA student mounts a solo exhibition in the student gallery, Transpace, in partial fulfillment of their MFA requirement and can participate in multiple group exhibitions in the University Galleries during their time in the program. The school provides a supportive atmosphere fostering an active studio practice, rigorous intellectual inquiry, and the development of a mature body of work.

Point of Pride

The Wonsook Kim School of Art's extensive visiting artists program exposes students to a wide range of contemporary artists in all disciplines.

Melissa Oresky
(309) 438-7634
Center for Visual Arts - CVA 212D

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Discover what life as an Illinois State graduate student is like.

How to Apply

University Admission Requirements

A student applying to a master's program must:

have earned a four-year bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a college or university that is accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting association, or do so within one academic year
have a minimum 2.8 GPA (on a scale in which an A is a 4.0) for the last 60 hours of undergraduate work
present unofficial transcripts from each college or university other than Illinois State at which graduate, undergraduate, or non-degree credit was earned. The unofficial transcript should be easily readable and clearly indicate degree(s) awarded, courses and course grades for each term. If accepted, official transcripts can be emailed from the university to GraduateAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed in a sealed envelope to: Illinois State University, Graduate School, 209 Hovey Hall, Campus Box 4040, Normal, IL 61790-4040.

International students can learn more about specific application requirements by visiting the Office of Admissions.

Additional Program Admission Requirements

To apply for the Master of Fine Art program, you must meet the following requirements.

Resume

Upload your current resume that includes a list of exhibitions and contact information of references. (PDF file)

Statement

Submit a statement that addresses ideas central to your current studio work and intentions for graduate study.

Writing Sample

Submit a sample of academic writing. (5-page minimum; PDF file)

Reference Contact Information

Submit names and email addresses of three references for letters of recommendation within the online application.

Digital Portfolio and Image List

After submission of your application and application fee, you will upload your digital portfolio and image list in the application portal.

Image List

Upload an image list of artworks in your digital portfolio. (PDF file)

For each art work in your digital portfolio, include the following information in a list:

File name corresponding to your digital portfolio (see File name above)
Title
Medium
Size
Date

Thumbnail images of the artworks are helpful but not required.

Digital Portfolio

Upload a digital portfolio of 15-20 images of recent artworks.

Images must conform to the following specifications:

Image format: JPEG file format only (other image formats, Powerpoint or other presentation formats are not accepted)
Image Resolution: 1024 wide x 768 high at 72dpi
File Size: 5mb maximum for each JPEG
File Name: Name each image file with your last name and a number (e.g., Jones-001.jpg; Jones-002.jpg, etc.)

Application Deadlines

Fall Term — February 1

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Graduate Assistantships

The University provides graduate assistantships as a means of financial support. They are intended as a way to facilitate a student's progress to degree while providing important professional development.

Eligibility

To be eligible for an assistantship a student must, generally,

be admitted unconditionally as a degree-seeking student into a graduate academic program, or have a minimum of 120 undergraduate hours if in an integrated degree program
be in good-standing
be enrolled full-time (typically at least 9 credit hours during the fall or spring semesters, or at least 6 hours during the summer session).

Benefits

Graduate assistants receive

monthly wages paid in the form of either a stipend or an hourly wage
a waiver for 100% of tuition during a semester of appointment
a waiver for up to 12 credit hours of tuition for the summer term immediately following a fall or spring appointment

Costs & Funding

See Student Accounts for information on tuition and fees. Funding for graduate students is available from several different sources. Students who have been admitted from contiguous states including Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin will receive in-state tuition.

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