The Master of Arts degree (MA) is a 30-unit graduate program offered in the following Options:
- Art Education
- Art History
- Design (Graphic Design/Visual Communication, Animation)
- Fashion, Fiber and Materials
- Studio Arts (Drawing, Painting, Photography, Ceramics, Sculpture, New Genres)
The MA degree is advanced study and practice in a specific discipline of Art. The degree provides students with an opportunity to gain stronger educational and experiential basis for a professional career and may be an interim step to pursue further graduate work in the field. It is considered to be a general degree, and is well suited for individuals that are seeking an advanced degree for teaching purposes.
1) The applicant will use the CalStateApply site for a one stop online submission of all materials for the university and program.
2) Within CalStateApply there is a quadrant of the page where the applicant will apply to the Art Department Program Option. The Art Department admits students only in the Fall semester. Applications open October 1st and the deadline is February 15th.
3) The applicant will select an area of interest on the department application form and will then be prompted to submit. Instructions for submitting BA/BFA transcripts are included.
4) Within the program submissions process there are instructions for uploading images of sample works if you are applying to the Studio Arts or Design Options. If you are applying for an MA in Art History or Art Education, there will be unique instructions for submission materials. Physical submissions (CDs, DVDs, flash drives, printed materials, etc.) are no longer accepted.
Applicants will be asked to upload a single .PDF file with the designated amount of images required for your Option:
10-15 images for Studio Arts and Design, a list of works, a department application, and an artist statement should be contained within the upload.
5) Two separate letters of recommendation are required and will be prompted to upload. It is the applicant’s responsibility for coordinating with their recommenders and there is an embedded process within the website for submitting letters of recommendation.
If any part of the above is incomplete after the February 15th deadline, the application will not be reviewed. Once the application is completed and submitted, the Department’s Graduate Option Committees will deliver a decision by the end of March.