Located 13 miles from NYC, the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Studio Art is a 60-credit program designed to prepare students for careers as practicing professional artists. Comprised of a diverse group of students who share in a vision to explore, synthesize, innovate and create, the rigorous MFA program is a full-time two-year in-residence program that fosters opportunities for critical discourse in an environment where individuals can collaborate or work independently and make meaningful contributions to contemporary culture.

The Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art addresses the needs of students preparing for careers as professional artists in the contemporary art world. Unlike traditional MFA programs that require students to choose a particular studio concentration such as painting or photography, the MFA at MSU recognizes that contemporary artists tend not to be bound by singular modes of art making but often work concurrently in multiple forms and media. Unique in its approach, our program allows students to work in any single or combination of studio areas provided they relate to the student's ongoing project. This gives the student access to a more diversified faculty as well as interdisciplinary/contemporary ideas. Studio areas include painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, papermaking, filmmaking, video art production, photography, ceramics, fiber forms, jewelry/metals, and multi-media. The program further includes specific interdisciplinary project-based courses such as Site Specific Work that allow students and faculty to explore concepts not rooted in a specific genre. Full-time students generally complete the MFA in two years, the period for which they are assigned private studios on campus. Additional program features include facilities (such as the MFA Gallery and spacious work areas), a visiting artists in residence program, an Art Forum lecture series, an Montclair Art Museum lecture Series and exhibition opportunities in New York. The MFA in Studio Art is a program offered by the College of the Arts. Further information on faculty, facilities and examples of student work may be found on web pages for the MFA in Studio and the Department of Art & Design.