Graduate Art Programs
at School of Visual Arts

SVA offers rigorous and practice-based graduate arts programs in fourteen different areas of study. All of our innovative graduate art school programs are taught by top professionals in their discipline with the aim of helping students further advance their careers as working artists. Click here to request information and learn more about graduate art school at SVA.

In 1983, the School of Visual Arts introduced its first graduate offering, a Master of Fine Arts program in painting, drawing and sculpture. Since that time, SVA has added twelve more graduate programs: MFA Art Criticism and Writing; MAT Art Education; MPS Art Therapy; MFA Computer Art; MFA Design; MFA Design Criticism; MPS Digital Photography; MPS Digital Photography Online/Summer Residency; MFA Illustration as Visual Essay; MFA Interaction Design; MFA Photography, Video and Related Media and MFA Social Documentary Film. In the fall of 2010, the College will offer two more Master of Professional Studies programs: MPS Branding and MPS Live Action Short Film. Each of these highly individual professional degree programs shares certain important characteristics that reflect the School of Visual Arts' unique approach to the education of artists.

While many universities offer graduate studies in the fine arts, most programs are oriented toward training students as teachers. Our program in Fine Arts focuses on training students whose primary interest is the making of art. The Master of Fine Arts in Art Criticism and Writing examines the visual arts within a philosophical and historical framework, and incorporates intensive study in the writing of art criticism. The MAT in Art Education offers rigorous academic study, coupled with requisite teaching experience, providing graduates with the essential knowledge and tools to teach art to children.

The MPS in Art Therapy curriculum examines a variety of approaches to the diagnosis and therapeutic treatment of challenged individuals, while supporting the artistic development and creative endeavors of the artist-as-therapist. The College's program in Computer Art was the first in the country to base graduate training in digital art primarily upon the aesthetic concerns of the field. SVA's program in Design perceives the designer not merely as form-giver but as a content creator, and design as more than the reorganization of existing elements. The program in Illustration as Visual Essay is predicated upon a radical departure from the accepted methods of making illustration and focuses on developing a strong personal vision.

The MFA in Design Criticism prepares graduates for careers as design critics, journalists, curators, educators and design managers, by offering intellectual tools for research, analysis and evaluation in all aspects of design. The MPS program in Digital Photography concentrates on current digital tools, techniques and strategies required to pursue a successful career as a commercial or fine arts photographer. Designed for the working professional and expanding on the success of this residential learning program, the MPS Digital Photography Online/Summer Residency program takes a unique approach by combining web-based education with a summer residency.

The MFA in Interaction Design engages in shaping the experiences between consumers and their products and services, while defining vocabulary, across media, which articulates user experience. SVA's program in Photography, Video and Related Media seeks to develop individual talent within traditional and digital areas of photography, while investigating the impact of computer, film and video technologies on our visual culture. Through intensive studio study, the MFA in Social Documentary Film guides students in the exploration of creative ways to examine and share the experiences and events that define us.

The MPS in Branding will examine the power of design thinking as a way to combine creative skills with problem-solving and decision-making processes. Led by industry professionals, the MPS in Live Action Short Film, will emphasize the creative, critical and technical skills essential to the working filmmaker in today’s marketplace.

The School of Visual Arts has long prided itself on the reputation and experience of its internationally renowned faculty. It is the extraordinary caliber of the faculty with whom the graduate student works that makes the realization of one's goals and creative vision possible. SVA's location in New York City and its extensive facilities, state-of-the-art equipment and unique program philosophies all offer the graduate student exceptional opportunities for advanced study in the arts.