M.F.A. in Visual Art, Furniture Design Track

Earn an M.F.A. in Visual Art—Furniture Design

Herron’s Master of Fine Arts degree in Visual Arts with an emphasis in Furniture Design offers a creative and supportive environment where students learn how collaborate with other artists, craftsmen, and creative thinkers, pursue professional commissions, and develop a successful professional career in the 21st century. The program’s exceptionally well-equipped spaces and individual studios support the mastery of research and construction techniques, innovative technologies, and project planning through the creation of a body of work that emphasizes the artist’s personal aesthetic.

Graduate students in the program work with Herron’s outstanding faculty, facilities, and equipment to gain an in-depth understanding of expert studio practices. They explore a range of professional opportunities such as university teaching, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community-based, site-specific initiatives. Graduate students at Herron learn practical strategies for making as well as an understanding of the theoretical issues, historical influences, and cultural forces involved in pursuing Furniture Design in a contemporary urban context.

For more information on Visual Art Theses, visit the ScholarWorks Repository.

Accreditation

This program meets the educational requirements as mandated by the National Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

Plan of study

  • Year 1, Fall semester (15 credits)

    Studio Emphasis I: Materials and Methods in Furniture Design (6 credits)
    Graduate Studio Elective in Furniture Design (3 credits)
    Interdisciplinary Collaboration in the Visual Arts (3 credits)
    Art of the Past Two Decades or Visual Culture: A Visual Studies Approach (3 credits)

  • Year 1, Spring semester (15 credits)
    • Studio Emphasis II: Theory into Practice in Furniture Design (6-9 credits)
    • Graduate Studio Elective (0-3 credits)
    • Project Management/Public Art (3 credits)
    • University Visual Art Teaching Practicum or Art History Elective (3 credits)
  • Year 2, Fall semester (15 credits)
    • Studio Emphasis III: Advanced Practices in Furniture Design (6-9 credits)
    • Interdisciplinary Critique (3 credits)
    • Graduate Studio Elective or Academic Elective (0-3 credits)
    • Art Theory and Criticism (3 credits)
  • Year 2, Spring semester (15 credits)

    Studio Emphasis IV: Thesis (6-9 credits)
    Graduate Studio Elective (3-9 credits)
    Art History or Academic Elective (0-3 credits)