Art

The three­-year Master of Fine Arts (MFA) is studio­-based and research­-focused with an emphasis on interdisciplinarity, community engagement, and professional development. Each MFA student is provided with individual studio space. Graduate Assistantships in teaching, research, and professional development professionally advance students who have rare opportunities to engage in cutting ­edge research, contribute to the development of curriculum, manage studios and shops, and work alongside community members, local organizations, and other departments on campus.

Through academic and public programming, the Department of Art collaborates with UNLV’s Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, a network of campus galleries, and The College of Fine Arts which boldly launches visionaries not only in art and design, but also in dance, film, theater, set design, entertainment design, music, architecture, and related disciplines. Graduate students have the opportunity to work with a diverse art/art history faculty whose work engages a variety of media, including site­ based installation, sculpture, ceramics, photography, painting, drawing, printmaking, performance, intermedia, graphic design, and digital art. The department regularly presents visiting speakers and hosts artists­in­residence. Engagement with faculty, peers and the Las Vegas cultural community creates an experience­ rich environment that guides MFA candidates in their exploration of creative research activities.

The program plan encourages the development of research and practice through investigation, experimentation, risk ­taking and collaboration, and students regularly present work in group critiques for in­ depth analysis and dialogue with faculty and peers. In their second year, each student produces a midway project for evaluation and advancement of candidacy. In their third year and final semester, as the culmination of the program, each MFA candidate produces a public graduation thesis project. The exhibition or project must be created, curated, installed/de-installed and publicized by the candidate. The MFA in Art thesis requires five components: (1) Written Thesis Paper (2) Thesis Exhibition or Project, (3) Public Artist Lecture, (4) Oral Defense and (5) A Digital Thesis Packet. These components are considered “non-thesis” by the Graduate School and are fulfilled entirely in the Department of Art.

In addition to these milestone public exhibition projects, MFA Art candidates have opportunities to present new work in annual MFA Open Studios events and to seek out and participate in projects, workshops, and conferences on and off campus and outside of Nevada.

Department of Art MFA program alumni exhibit and publish their work regionally, nationally and internationally, and contribute to their communities and the field of contemporary art as artists, designers, writers, educators, art directors, arts administrators, advocates and cultural producers.

The MFA Program, which is a part of the UNLV Graduate College, is jointly administered by the
Department of Art’s graduate coordinator and the Graduate College.

For accreditation information, see the Graduate Student Handbook .

David Rowe, Chair
Wendy Kveck, Graduate Coordinator

Program Information 

Art Faculty  

Art Courses  

Department Website

Plan 

Master of Fine Arts - Art