Master of Fine Arts in Art and Social Practice

This is an archived copy of the 2023-2024 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.shsu.edu.

The Master of Fine Arts in Art and Social Practice is a 60-hour terminal degree. The program consists of graduate courses in the Department of Art that provide strong theoretical framework as well as courses that develop the students’ creative work.  The program is designed to provide support for the development of a professional creative practice of art making that engages audiences in community-based projects. 

Students wishing to pursue an MFA in Art and Social Practice must meet the following requirements and submit all documents to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

  1. Graduate Admissions Application (submitted online through ApplyTexas
  2. Application Fee
  3. A bachelor's degree in art with a 3.0 GPA* in undergraduate art coursework
  4. An official transcript from your baccalaureate degree-granting institution
  5. A digital portfolio of the applicant's artwork
  6. A statement of intent
  7. Three letters of reference
  8. A resume

*Note: Exceptions to the 3.0 GPA requirement may be made in instances of outstanding portfolios and letters of recommendation that provide evidence that the student can be successful in a graduate program.

Requirements include public exhibitions and community-engaged art projects.  An exhibition is required at the conclusion of the first year, and a review of the student's work by the graduate faculty occurs at the conclusion of the second year. The thesis/exhibition project includes a publication collaboratively designed and written by students in their third year. 

Master of Fine Arts in Art and Social Practice
Required Courses
ARTS 5311Studio Critique 19
ARTS 5312Studio Seminar 19
ARTS 5313Teaching Seminar in Art3
ARTS 5315Professional & Social Practice3
ARTS 5381Socially Engaged Art3
ARTS 5385Contemporary Art and Theory3
ARTS 6311Collaborative Studio 19
ARTS 6312Community Seminar 26
ARTS 6381Research Methods in Art3
ARTS 6398Thesis Project I3
ARTS 6399Thesis Project II3
Prescribed Electives 36
Independent Study
Special Topic
Seminar in Art History
Total Hours60
1

Taken three times. 

2

Taken two times. 

3

Or any other 5000 or 6000 level course with the approval of the Department Chair and the Graduate Coordinator. 

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) marketable skills initiative is part of the state’s 60x30TX plan and was designed to help students articulate their skills to employers. Marketable skills are those skills valued by employers and/or graduate programs that can be applied in a variety of work or education settings and may include interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skill areas.

The MFA in Art and Social Practice is designed to provide graduates with the following marketable skills:

1. Advanced oral and written communication.

2. Critical thinking.

3. Teamwork and collaboration.

4. Communicating visually.

5. Developing and managing budgets.

6. Organizing and motivating others​.