Art Department

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Department Chairperson and Graduate Program Director: Cory Knedler, M.F.A.

Department of Art
Warren M. Lee Center for Fine Arts, Room 179
414 East Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069
Phone: 605-658-3456
art@usd.edu
https://www.usd.edu/Academics/Graduate-Programs/Art

FACULTY

Professors:

John Banasiak, M.F.A., Art Institute of Chicago. Specialization: Photography.
Philip Michael Hook, M.F.A., University of Missouri - Columbia. Specialization: Foundations Coordinator/Painting/Drawing.
Young Ae Kim, Ph.D., University of South Dakota. Specialization: Graphic Design
Cory Knedler, Chair and Graduate Program Director, M.F.A., University of South Dakota. Specialization: Printmaking and Art Education.

Associate Professors:

Lauren Freese, PhD., University of Iowa. Specialization: Art History.
Amber Hansen, M.F.A., University of Kansas. Specialization: Painting.
Christopher Meyer, M.F.A., University of Montana. Specialization: Sculpture.

Assistant Professors:

James Quigley, M.F.A., Savannah College of Art and Design. Specialization: Graphic Design.
Erin Wohletz, M.F.A., University of Tennessee. Specialization: Printmaking

Senior Lecturer:

Carol Geu, M.F.A., University of South Dakota. Specialization: Art History

DEGREE
Master of Fine Arts   

CERTIFICATE
Arts in Health    

Program Description

Areas of specialization available to students in the Master of Fine Arts program include Graphic Design, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, or Sculpture. The Master of Fine Arts degree is a professional, practice-oriented terminal degree program representing the highest level of achievement in visual arts studio disciplines. The degree represents significant creative and intellectual attainment and indicates advancement to professional status. The M.F.A. is designed for mature graduate students who desire to teach at the college/university level and/or for those individuals who wish to pursue a career as a professional artist.

The purpose of the degree program is to prepare students for professional practice directed toward two-dimensional, three-dimensional and mixed media works of art. The application and transmission of knowledge about works of art and their interrelationships with each other and with other aspects of culture is also stressed.

The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) accredits the M.F.A. degree program. In addition to courses in support of the major areas of study, graduate-level courses are offered to any qualifying student of the University in the areas of arts administration, art education, art history, book arts, ceramics, design, drawing, gallery management, graphic design, papermaking, photography, and in specialized seminars.

WICHE Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) eligible program. 

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. Completed Graduate Application form found at: https://www.usd.edu/grad/how-to-apply and a non-refundable application fee of $35.
2. Official transcript(s) verifying receipt of an undergraduate degree and previous graduate credit (in English or with translation). Transcripts must be complete (e.g., if currently enrolled, work-in-progress coursework must be included, foreign transcripts must include a grading scale, and for countries that issue, copy of degree certificate/diploma i.e., India, Nepal, etc.). The USD Graduate School and/or academic units retain the right to require credential evaluations from organizations, such as Educational Credential Evaluators/World Education Services (ECE/WES), for a student if such an evaluation is deemed necessary.
3. An undergraduate degree in Art or other related discipline from an institutionally accredited institution with an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.7 on conferred degree and/or graduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, based on a 4.0 scale, on all graduate coursework is required for full admission. Each graduate program may admit students on provisional status per university policy.
4. Applicants with degrees from countries other than the United States who have obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree from an institutionally accredited American college or university or from an accredited institution in the following English-speaking countries: United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Canada (Excluding Quebec), Australia, and New Zealand are not required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score. For all other applicants, a minimum score of 71 on the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT), 550 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT), 8 on the TOEFL Essentials, 6.0 on the IELTS Academic, 53 on the PTE, or 105 on Duolingo is required for graduate admission.  
5. Applicants are required to submit a statement of purpose in which the applicant expresses interests, intentions, and expectations for wanting to attend graduate school generally, and more specifically, in the MFA program at the University of South Dakota.

Additional Program Admission Requirements:

6. Three (3) professional letters of recommendation are required from professionals associated with the applicant’s work and abilities.
7. Current Professional Resume.
8. Artist statement supporting the applicant’s work.
9. Art Portfolio: twenty digital images of original artwork by the applicant (five of the 20 slides must be of original drawings).

Subject to faculty approval, those who do not meet all of the criteria above may be admitted on a provisional basis.

Application Deadline

• Fall start 
  • Priority Deadline: February 1st 
  • Final Deadline: April 15th

Note: Admission is dependent upon openings for additional students (program capacity: 10-15 students).

Additional Requirements

The Master of Fine Arts degree program is a 60-credit terminal degree that involves 3 years of intensive study. In addition to meeting all graduation requirements of the Graduate School, M.F.A. candidates must satisfy all degree-program requirements, including the passing of a preliminary oral examination, presentation of a comprehensive thesis exhibition, completion of a final oral examination, and the passing of the written Art Theory and History Exit Exam. M.F.A. degree candidates must meet all requirements set forth in the M.F.A. Degree Program Guide.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS (GRADUATE CERTIFICATE)

1. Completed Graduate Application form found at: https://www.usd.edu/graduate-school/apply-now and a non-refundable application fee of $35.
2. Official transcript(s) verifying receipt of an undergraduate degree and previous graduate credit (in English or with translation). Transcripts must be complete (e.g., if currently enrolled, work-in-progress coursework must be included, foreign transcripts must include a grading scale, and for countries that issue, copy of degree certificate/diploma i.e., India, Nepal, etc.). The USD Graduate School and/or academic units retain the right to require credential evaluations from organizations, such as Educational Credential Evaluators/World Education Services (ECE/WES), for a student if such an evaluation is deemed necessary.
3. Baccalaureate degree must be from an institution with institutional accreditation for that degree. A minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.7 on conferred degree and/or graduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, based on a 4.0 scale, on all graduate coursework is required for full admission. Each graduate program may admit students on provisional status per university policy.
4. Applicants with degrees from countries other than the United States who have obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree from an institutionally accredited American college or university or from an accredited institution in the following English-speaking countries: United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Canada (Excluding Quebec), Australia, and New Zealand are not required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score. For all other applicants, a minimum score of 71 on the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT), 550 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT), 8 on the TOEFL Essentials, 6.0 on the IELTS Academic, 53 on the PTE, or 105 on Duolingo is required for graduate admission.  
5. Applicants are required to submit a statement of purpose or goal statement.

Application Deadline

• Two weeks before the start of the semester
  • Summer 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025 starts
• Three weeks before the start of the semester
  • Summer 2025, Fall 2025, and Spring 2026 starts 

Graduate Assistantships

Teaching or research assistantships, including reduced tuition are awarded on a competitive basis and are available to the majority of M.F.A. students. For additional information and a copy of the M.F.A. Degree Program Guide, contact the Department of Art at 605-658-3456.

Student Learning Outcomes for Art (M.F.A.)

1. The student will demonstrate an increased knowledge and skill in their major area of concentration.  (65% of total degree credits shall be in the major area according to the National Associations of Schools of Art and Design accreditation agency) 
2. The student will identify representative cultures, styles and eras of art history and appreciate them as a continuity of human expression. 
3. The student will utilize knowledge of art, art materials, techniques and human experiences to create, interpret, critique and evaluate their own and others art products. 
4. The student will learn and apply methods and techniques of the professional field of study.  

Programs

• Art (M.F.A.)
• Arts in Health Graduate Certificate

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