Graduate Study
Woodworking and Furniture Design
Program Overview
This program leads to the terminal degree in the studio arts. Men and women come to the program from diverse backgrounds such as architecture, interior design, industrial design, art history, law, and teaching, as well as undergraduate wood programs. The MFA is generally a two-year, full-time program. In the first year, students identify issues in their technical and aesthetic background and, along with faculty, create a program of study to address these areas. Simultaneously, they discover directions in their work that are promising for further exploration. Based upon this experience, they develop a thesis proposal and, in the second year, create a comprehensive body of work. This work culminates in the end-of-the-year graduate thesis exhibition in the college gallery and a written thesis in support of the work.
Curriculum Review
Courses include
Major 42 credit hours
Humanities 10 credit hours
Graduate Forum 3 credit hours
Electives (optional minor) 15-18 credit hours
Thesis 18 credit hours
Total 90 credit hours
Career Outcomes
Job TitlesSelf-employed furniture makers; cabinetmakers; limited edition, production & architectural woodworkers; shop employers; freelance designers for industry; sculptors; modelmakers; teacher/instructor at every level; boatbuilders; reproduction furniture makers and restoration workers; specialty woodworkers including airplane & boat interiors; musical instrument makers
Functions
Assistant master craftsperson; create craft pieces; operate craft studio; teach in school systems privately; design one-of-a-kind and industry produced wood pieces
Recent Employers
Gunlocke, Hardwood House, Atlantic International
Admission Requirements
Applicants should hold a baccalaureate degree in a field of arts, sciences, or education from a regionally accredited college in the United States or Canada, and demonstrate, through the quality of the undergraduate record and creative production, a genuine, professional potential. The undergraduate degree should include 75 quarter credit hours (50 semester hours) in studio courses.
International students need a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based). Those coming from countries where the baccalaureate degree is not given for programs in the practice of art may be admitted to graduate study if the diploma or certificate received approximates the standards of the BFA, BA, or BS degrees and if their academic records and portfolios indicate an ability to meet graduate standards.