Degrees Offered
Master of Arts
- Art Education
- Game Design - online
- Studio Art
Master of Fine Arts
- Art and Design
Graduate Certificate Offered
- Therapeutic Art
Accreditation
WVU is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the School of Art & Design's degree programs are regularly evaluated to ensure they are meeting these national standards. Applicants for graduate studies must comply with the standards for admission set by West Virginia University, the College of Creative Arts and Media, and the School of Art & Design.
Faculty
Director
- Kristina Olson - M.A. (Stony Brook University)
Art History-Modern and Contemporary
Associate Director and Graduate Advisor
- Joseph Lupo - M.F.A. (University of Georgia)
Printmaking
Professors
- Jason Lee - M.F.A. (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Sculpture, Foundations - Joseph Lupo - M.F.A. (University of Georgia)
Printmaking - Kristina Olson - M.A. (Stony Brook University)
Art History-Modern and Contemporary - Michael Sherwin - M.F.A. (University of Oregon)
Photography, Digital Imaging - Naijun Zhang - M.F.A. (West Virginia University)
Painting
Associate Professors
- Dylan Collins - M.F.A. (Kent State University)
Sculpture, Drawing, Public Art - Debanjan Das - Ph.D. (University of Missouri)
Fashion Design & Merchandising - Joseph Galbreath - M.F.A. (Maryland Institute College of Art)
Graphic Design - Terese Giobbia - Ph.D. (Northern Illinois University)
Art Education - Gerald Habarth - M.F.A. (University of South Florida)
Digital Art, Animation - J. Chris Haddox - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Design Studies, Sustainable Design - Katie Baker Jones - Ph.D. (University of Missouri)
Fashion Design & Merchandising - Robert Moore - M.F.A. (Utah State University)
Ceramics, Public Art - Colleen Moretz - M.F.A. (Marywood University)
Fashion Design & Merchandising - Jeffrey Moser - M.F.A. (University of Delaware)
Game Design, Interactive Media - Kofi Opoku - M.F.A. (West Virginia University)
Graphic Design - Rhonda Reymond - Ph.D. (University of Georgia)
Art History-American, African American, 17th-19th century European art
Teaching Associate Professors
- Heather Cole - M.F.A. (Goddard College)
Game Design
Assistant Professors
- Kent Kerr - M.F.A. (Radford University)
Graphic Design - Nicole Kreidler - Ph.D. (Auburn University)
Interior Architecture - Angela Uriyo - Ph.D. (University of Missouri)
Fashion Design & Merchandising
Teaching Assistant Professor
- Rachel Beach - B.A. (University of Charleston)
Interior Architecture - Megan Leight - Ph.D. candidate (City University of New York)
Art History-Ancient, Anthropology, Archaeology, Mesoamerican - Anne McFarland - Ph.D. (Florida State University)
Art Therapy, Therapeutic Art - Elizabeth Shorrock - M.S. (Rhode Island School of Design)
Fashion Design & Merchandising - Lianne (Lulu) Williamson - Ph.D. (University of Alaska, Fairbanks)
Design Studies, Design Thinking
Service Assistant Professors
- Heather Harris - Ph.D. (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Museum Professions - Jason Zeh - M.F.A. (University of Kansas)
Digital Art, Film
Visiting Assistant Professors
- Nichole van Beek - M.F.A. (University of California, Santa Barbara)
Painting, Foundations
Professors Emeriti
- Eve Faulkes
Graphic Design - William H. Hagerty
Interior Design - Alison Helm
Sculpture - Nora MacDonald
Fashion Design & Merchandising - J. Bernard Schultz
Art History - Janet Snyder
Art History
Associate Professors Emeriti
- Victoria Fergus
Art Education - Lee Mullett
Interior Architecture - Janice Yeager
Fashion Design & Merchandising
Admissions
The application priority deadline occurs annually on January 15. There is a two-step process for graduate applications.
Step 1: Apply to West Virginia University Graduate School online. This application will require you to upload your transcripts, resume, letter of intent, three letters of recommendation, and pay an application fee.
Step 2: Submit your portfolio to the WVU School of Art & Design.
Submit the following material for the degree you are interested in:
MFA Studio Art concentration and MA Studio Art: Portfolio: 20 images or video documentation of recent work
MA Art Education: PDF writing sample; applicants with teaching experience may include images of student work. Students pursuing certification for the Pre K-adult art classroom must successfully pass the PRAXIS ART CONTENT exam prior to admission to the MA Art Education program.
MA Game Design - online: The Program accepts applications for both the spring and fall semesters. Submit a portfolio of creative work including up to 5 representative samples with a total viewing duration of no longer than 60 minutes, including interactive projects, game prototypes, game components, graphic imagery, virtual environments, virtual character studies, photographs, or video documentation of the same.
Applicants may be required to take additional course work after careful review of undergraduate transcripts.
In addition to the application materials listed, transfer students must officially submit graduate credits completed elsewhere. Transcripts must accompany the written request. The acceptance of transfer credit is not automatic. The graduate faculty, the graduate advisor, and the School Director will determine how much, if any, previous graduate-level work may be transferred. All transfer credits must be in place by the end of the first semester.
Financial Aid
Financial aid information is available through the Student Financial Aid Office, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 6004, Morgantown WV 26506-6004.
Graduate Assistantships
Graduate assistantships and other forms of financial aid are awarded to students of exceptional promise by the faculty of the School of Art and Design.
MA Art Education
- Must complete a minimum of 30 hours of credit in residence with a recommended total of 36 hours, normally completed in two years. At least 50% of coursework must be at the 600-level or higher.
- MA Art Education students have the option to complete coursework that can lead to teacher certification and may require an additional semester for student teaching. Students seeking teacher certification must complete requirements mandated by the State of WV Department of Education including completing 125 clinical observation hours.
- Students pursuing certification for the Pre K-adult art classroom must successfully pass the PRAXIS ART CONTENT exam prior to admission to the MA Art Education program.
- Graduate committees are assigned to incoming students under the direction of the Graduate Coordinator in consultation with the Art Education Coordinator. Changes to the committee membership must be approved following university policy as stated in the Graduate Catalog.
- Must pass committee evaluation at the end of each semester.
- Must produce a written thesis or, with approval of the graduate committee, the student may complete a research project in lieu of a written thesis.
- Successful oral defense of the thesis or project. If the defense is failed, it is at the committee's discretion to request approval from the dean or the dean's designee to hold a second defense. If granted, it is the student's responsibility to schedule the second defense. No further attempts beyond two will be allowed.
- Maintain an overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
MA Game Design
- Must complete 30 credit hours with all courses available online, typically completed within two years.
- Candidates must complete a capstone project by designing a functional and playable game prototype.
- Maintain an overall grade point average of 2.75 or higher.
MA Studio Art
- Must complete 36 credit hours in residence, normally within two years; approved study abroad semesters may count toward the residency requirement. At least 50% of credits must be at the 600-level or above.
- Graduate committees are assigned to incoming students under direction of the Graduate Coordinator. Normally, changes in committee membership will not be considered until the student has advanced to degree candidacy. Changes must be approved following university policy as stated in the Graduate Catalog.
- Must pass committee evaluation at the end of each semester.
- Students in the M.A. Studio Art program are reviewed for advancement to degree candidate at the end of their first year of study or upon the completion of a minimum of fifteen credit hours. If a student fails to advance to candidacy at this point, they must be reviewed by the committee at the beginning of the next semester to meet approval. In cases where a student fails to advance to candidacy twice, the committee can recommend to the School Director or College Dean that they be dismissed from the program.
- Must produce a written thesis.
- In consultation with the graduate committee, the MA Studio Art student may or may not produce a graduate exhibition or project. Use of the Mesaros Galleries for a graduate exhibition is neither required nor guaranteed.
- Oral defense of the written thesis and optional exhibition/project. If the defense is failed, it is at the committee's discretion to request approval from the dean or dean's designee to hold a second defense. If granted, it is the student's responsibility to locate a suitable space to install the exhibition (if they are producing an optional exhibit) and to schedule the second defense. No further attempts beyond two will be allowed.
- Maintain an overall grade point average of 2.75 or higher.
MFA Art and Design
- Must complete three years of graduate courses totaling at least 60 credit hours in residence; approved study abroad semesters may count toward the residency requirement. At least 50% of credits must be at the 600-level or above.
- Maintain an overall grade point average of 2.75 or higher.
- Graduate committees are assigned to incoming students under direction of the Graduate Coordinator. Normally, changes in committee membership will not be considered until the full faculty review has been passed. Changes must be approved following university policy as stated in the Graduate Catalog.
- Successful committee evaluation at the end of each semester.
- Students must pass a full-faculty review at the end of the third semester to advance to degree candidate status. Use of the Mesaros Galleries for the review is not guaranteed. If a student fails to advance to candidacy at this point, they are on probation and must be reviewed by the graduate committee at the beginning of the next semester to address deficiencies and meet approval to candidacy. In cases where a student fails to advance to candidacy twice, the committee can recommend to the School Director or College Dean that the student be dismissed from the program.
- Production of a graduate exhibition and written thesis. Use of the Mesaros Galleries for the graduate exhibition is neither required nor guaranteed.
- Oral defense of the exhibition and thesis. If the defense is failed, it is at the committee's discretion to request approval from the dean or dean's designee to hold a second defense. If granted, it is the student's responsibility to find a suitable space to install the exhibition and to schedule the second defense. No further attempts beyond two will be allowed.
The School of Art & Design has high expectations for its graduate students. Because of this, certain standards of achievement exceed the minimum standards set by the university for all graduate students. The School of Art & Design reserves the right to impose stricter limitations on all graduate students. Credit hours in courses with an earned grade of C do not automatically count toward graduate degree requirements. The graduate committee and the School Director have the right to declare such credit hours unacceptable.
Transfer Credits
Students seeking to apply transfer credits to a School graduate program should make their intention known to the Graduate Coordinator. They must submit transcripts to the Registrar and provide syllabi and a portfolio of work for review by the graduate faculty. The acceptance of transfer credit is not automatic. The graduate faculty, the Graduate Coordinator, and the School Director will determine how much, if any, previous graduate-level work may be transferred. All transfer credits must be in place by the end of the first semester.
Program Transfer
A preliminary candidate in a graduate art program is not guaranteed acceptance into another graduate art program. A student wishing to change from the MFA program to the MA program, for example, must first make their intentions known to the Graduate Coordinator. The decision about whether or not to allow the transfer will be made by the Graduate Coordinator in consultation with the School Director and faculty in affected programs. Under normal conditions, such a change is not considered until the student has established credibility by successfully completing a minimum of nine approved credit hours of study at WVU. Transfer to a program outside the School of Art and Design must be approved by the receiving unit.
Thesis
All candidates for a graduate degree in art must prepare a written thesis (or graduate project) related to their work and activity as a graduate student (see specific requirements for each major). The chair of the student’s graduate committee supervises the preparation of the thesis. The thesis must be prepared according to the form prescribed in the WVU regulations governing the preparation and electronic submission of dissertations and theses as well as School guidelines, unless an exception is authorized in advance by the student’s graduate committee and the School Director. Students must follow the schedule of thesis draft review established by the committee and they are responsible for meeting deadlines and requirements for submission of the electronic thesis.