Metals and Jewelry Design Master of Fine Arts Degree
Metals and Jewelry Design
Master of Fine Arts Degree
In this dynamic jewelry master’s degree, you’ll challenge traditional ways of thinking as you design and craft stunning works of art in jewelry and metalsmithing.
Overview for Metals and Jewelry Design MFA
The MFA in metals and jewelry design is a professional degree for practicing artists, craftspeople, or designers who desire to leave a lasting impression on their fields through devotion to their work and the high standards of discipline and artistic ideals. By immersing yourself in soldering, fabrication, stone setting, silversmithing, forging, and casting, this jewelry design degree will develop your knowledge and deepen your experience working with different theories and materials while you are challenged to think unconventionally in order to redefine industry standards.
RIT's Jewelry Master's Degree
The MFA in metals and jewelry design is generally a two-year, full-time degree that involves the presentation of a thesis. You will spend ample time creating work as you strengthen your metals techniques, design fundamentals, and personal expression while also exploring the process of critical analysis of your studio work. You will also gain deep knowledge in gallery administration and operations, and you'll participate in gallery and museum visitations and research.
Jewelry Design Courses
The jewelry design degree provides you with broad exposure to metalworking techniques, expands your knowledge of applied design, strengthens perceptual and philosophical concepts, and develops your individual modes of expression. This sequence leads to a master’s thesis, where you will work with RIT's gallery coordinators and curators to install and exhibit a final body of work you created over the course of the program. You will also learn the business side of art, including portfolio management, pricing, marketing strategies, and public relations–all skills needed by artists who embark on a professional career as a studio artist.
Studio Residency Program
The School for American Crafts offers a Studio Residency program for students in ceramics, furniture design, glass and metals and jewelry design. Residence positions are limited and are awarded after the review of all applicants’ portfolios, transcripts, and references. An interview is required. Accepted residents are required to register for one independent study credit during each semester of residence.
Accepted residents are expected to be present in their assigned studio during class hours and to contribute up to 10 hours of work per week in the main studio. These work hours are coordinated and overseen by the faculty in the resident's discipline. In exchange, the school will provide workspace, access to facilities, and supportive instruction. The resident is invited to participate in the full range of studio activities.
Participants may be those seeking additional studio experience prior to undergraduate or graduate study, early career professionals, or teachers on leave who wish to work again in an academic studio environment. The faculty in each discipline will make decisions concerning appropriate candidates.
Inquiries should be made to the Studio Residency Program, School for American Crafts, College of Art and Design, Rochester Institute of Technology, 73 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623-5603.
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Careers and Experiential Learning
Typical Job Titles
| Bench Jeweler | Curatorial Intern |
| Designer | Silversmith |
| Teaching Assistant |
Salary and Career Information for Metals and Jewelry Design MFA
Cooperative Education and Internships
What makes an RIT education exceptional? It’s the ability to complete relevant, hands-on career experience. At the graduate level, and paired with an advanced degree, cooperative education and internships give you the unparalleled credentials that truly set you apart. Learn more about graduate co-op and how it provides you with the career experience employers look for in their next top hires.
Co-ops and internships take your knowledge and turn it into know-how. An art and design co-op provides hands-on experience that enables you to apply your artistic capabilities in dynamic professional settings while you make valuable connections between classwork and real-world applications.
Cooperative education, internships, and other experiential learning opportunities are encouraged for graduate students in the MFA in metals and jewelry design.
Featured Work
History-inspired Jewelry
Hairuo Ding
"Shan-hai Ching is a Chinese classic text and a compilation of mythic geography and beasts. Versions of the text may have existed since as early as the fourth century BC, but the present form was...
Exploring Plastic Through Art
Yajing Yan
The thesis work of Yajing Yan ’20 MFA (Metals and Jewelry Design) explores plastic and the way it interacts with the body.
Storytelling Through Art
Drishti Bhandari
“Lost in Transit” is the thesis work of Drishti Bhandari ’20 MFA (Metals and Jewelry Design). It focuses on the sense of loss we experience when our heritage and stories are passed down.
Featured Profiles
Public Sculpture
Juan Carlos Caballero-Perez, professor of Metals and Jewelry Design, created a near-12-foot sculpture for the Village of Fairport, N.Y.’s Kennelly Park, outside the public library. It was the...
Alumni Spotlight: Claudia Fava '14
Claudia (Owusu-Sampah) Fava has enjoyed an enriching career rising through the ranks at Tiffany & Co.
Embracing creativity and exploration
Alex Lobos, Gregory Halpern, Elizabeth Kronfield, Todd Jokl
The College of Art and Design at RIT offers distinctive graduate degrees that combine the best of art, design, creativity and technology. Our diverse portfolio of graduate program offerings includes...
Curriculum for 2023-2024 for Metals and Jewelry Design MFA
Current Students: See Curriculum Requirements
Metals and Jewelry Design, MFA degree, typical course sequence
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| CMTJ-601 | Metals and Jewelry Design Graduate Studio This course covers the advanced aesthetics and techniques in metals and culminating in the Master’s of Fine Arts Thesis. The course is structured on the individual student’s needs, interests and background preparation as they may be determined through faculty counseling. There will be a strengthening of metals techniques, design fundamentals and encouragement of personal expression. The student will be encouraged to evaluate new techniques, materials and concepts. This course is repeatable and leads to the master’s thesis, proposed by the student and approved by the faculty. Lab fee is required. (This class is restricted to students in the METAL-MFA program.) Studio 12 (Fall, Spring). |
12 |
| STAR-701 | Technology in the Studio This course will introduce a contemporary technology used by the course instructor in their studio practice. Students will be encouraged to investigate how this technology may be applied in their making process. The subjects offered in the course will vary according to the faculty teaching the class. The course can be taken multiple times with faculty permission. Studio 6 (Fall or Spring). |
3 |
| STAR-702 | Studio Art Research This course will prepare graduate students for the written component of the thesis. Course content will cover defining research in the arts, arts based research, research through practice, critical judgment, writing strategically and critically for reflective thinking and scholarly dissemination. At the completion of this course students will be able to write a thesis proposal addressing a research question or direction along with objectives, context, and methods. (Prerequisites: STAR-701 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
3 |
| STAR-714 | Ideation and Series Creative flow, having an endless stream of ideas, alternatives, and choices for solutions, helps creative work evolve and reach more advanced levels. In this course students develop appropriate skills and strategies to generate ideas and develop them effectively into a cohesive body of work. (Prerequisites: This course is restricted to students in the FNAS-MFA or GLASS-MFA
or METAL-MFA or CCER-MFA or WOOD-MFA programs.) Studio 6 (Fall). |
3 |
Open Electives |
6 | |
Professional Elective |
3 | |
| Second Year | ||
| CMTJ-601 | Metals and Jewelry Design Graduate Studio This course covers the advanced aesthetics and techniques in metals and culminating in the Master’s of Fine Arts Thesis. The course is structured on the individual student’s needs, interests and background preparation as they may be determined through faculty counseling. There will be a strengthening of metals techniques, design fundamentals and encouragement of personal expression. The student will be encouraged to evaluate new techniques, materials and concepts. This course is repeatable and leads to the master’s thesis, proposed by the student and approved by the faculty. Lab fee is required. (This class is restricted to students in the METAL-MFA program.) Studio 12 (Fall, Spring). |
12 |
| STAR-706 | Business Practices for Studio Artists This class is devoted to business issues that artists must address including portfolio management, pricing and marketing strategies, and public relations for pursuit of a professional career as studio artists. Financial and communication skills are highlighted as are networking skills for the advancement of an artist’s work. (Prerequisites: This course is restricted to students in the FNAS-MFA or GLASS-MFA
or METAL-MFA or CCER-MFA or WOOD-MFA programs.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
3 |
| STAR-718 | Research Methods and Publication Students will conduct research appropriate for individual thesis directions, incorporate that research into writing, analyze and review their thesis body of work then produce and publish their written thesis document. (Prerequisites: STAR-702 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
3 |
| STAR-790 | Research and Thesis This is the first of two courses designed to advance a student towards completion of their thesis. Students will work independently on their approved proposal while meeting on a regular basis with their committee chair. Students are required to meet at least twice with their full committee during the semester. (Prerequisites: STAR-702 or equivalent course.) Thesis (Fall). |
3 |
| STAR-890 | Thesis For this final thesis course students continue working with their committee to evaluate work produced, and select the work to be exhibited. In addition, students will work with gallery coordinators and curators to install and exhibit their final body of work. Students are expected to defend their work to the committee through an oral defense and a written document. (Prerequisite: STAR-790 or equivalent course.) Thesis (Spring). |
6 |
Open Elective |
3 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 60 |
|
Professional Electives
| Course | |
|---|---|
| ARTH-600+ | Any ARTH-600 level course or above |
| IDEA-705 | Thinking About Making: The Practice of Art in a Global Society The course seeks to bridge the gap between studio practice and contemporary art history. Course content will explore current work and ask questions about what is art, who is the audience, what is “our” art making practice, and how does that fit within the larger context of the current state of the global art world. How do we measure success and artistic failure? The course emphasizes observation, critical analysis, and written interpretation. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring). |
| IDEA-776 | College Teaching and Learning This course will provide students with an introduction to the scholarship of teaching and learning in the university environment. Students will explore a range of perspectives on pedagogical practice, curriculum development and the assessment of learning in a studio, lab and seminar based classroom. Additionally, students will focus on ways that students learn, how learning can be improved, and different methods of conducting research into teaching and learning. Students are expected to write critical papers and essays, develop curriculum resources, and to participate in weekly small and large format discussion groups. Online technology is utilized in addition to lectures, videos, and other forms of media. Lecture 3 (Fall). |
| STAR-635 | Curating and Managing Art Spaces This course explores the roles of contemporary, traditional, and alternative art spaces through curatorial studies, exhibition evaluation and criticism. Student will consider gallery administration roles and supporting operations, and undertake site visitations and gallery research. Students will organize and install a final exhibition project in an approved exhibition venue. (This class is restricted to degree-seeking graduate students or those with permission from instructor.) Lecture 3 (Fall). |
| STAR-645 | Art Exhibition Critique This course will explore the role of the art exhibition and its effect on the discourse and practice of art. Course content will focus on: contemporary and historical exhibition studies, individual and group projects. Student will also conduct site visitations and evaluation, and critique work in the context of exhibition. (This class is restricted to degree-seeking graduate students or those with permission from instructor.) Lecture 3 (Fall). |
| STAR-758 | Studio Art Critique Students will explore the process of critical analysis of studio work. Content will focus on the structure and form of the critique process. They will discuss, defend, and interpret existing studio work as they work towards their thesis. Faculty led critiques will include studio visits for in depth analysis of works in progress. (Prerequisites: This course is restricted to students in the FNAS-MFA or GLASS-MFA
or METAL-MFA or CCER-MFA or WOOD-MFA programs.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring). |
Admissions and Financial Aid
This program is available on-campus only.
| Offered | Admit Term(s) | Application Deadline | STEM Designated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full‑time | Fall | February 1 priority deadline, rolling thereafter | No |
| Part‑time | Fall | Rolling | No |
Full-time study is 9+ semester credit hours. Part-time study is 1‑8 semester credit hours. International students requiring a visa to study at the RIT Rochester campus must study full‑time.
Application Details
To be considered for admission to the Metals and Jewelry Design MFA program, candidates must fulfill the following requirements:
- Complete an online graduate application.
- Submit copies of official transcript(s) (in English) of all previously completed undergraduate and graduate course work, including any transfer credit earned.
- Hold a baccalaureate degree (or US equivalent) from an accredited university or college.
- A recommended minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (or equivalent).
- Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae.
- Submit a personal statement of educational objectives.
- Submit two letters of recommendation.
- Entrance exam requirements: None
- Submit a portfolio. View portfolio requirements.
- Writing samples are optional.
- Submit English language test scores (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic), if required. Details are below.
English Language Test Scores
International applicants whose native language is not English must submit one of the following official English language test scores. Some international applicants may be considered for an English test requirement waiver.
| TOEFL | IELTS | PTE Academic |
|---|---|---|
| 79 | 6.5 | 56 |
International students below the minimum requirement may be considered for conditional admission. Each program requires balanced sub-scores when determining an applicant’s need for additional English language courses.
How to Apply Start or Manage Your Application
Cost and Financial Aid
An RIT graduate degree is an investment with lifelong returns. Graduate tuition varies by degree, the number of credits taken per semester, and delivery method. View the general cost of attendance or estimate the cost of your graduate degree.
A combination of sources can help fund your graduate degree. Learn how to fund your degree
Latest News
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August 30, 2023
![Wall signage with College of Art and Design in big, silver letters.]()
New School of Design director, faculty hires ready for 2023-24 academic year
The College of Art and Design welcomes new hires to its faculty roster while longtime faculty Alex Lobos assumes a role as director of the School of Design.
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July 11, 2023
![Gallery visitors observe the LOEWE FOUNDATION's Craft Prize exhibition, which included alumnus Jaiik Lee's Transition VII metal vessel design.]()
Metals alumnus featured in acclaimed Craft Prize exhibition
Jaiik Lee ’11 MFA (metals and jewelry design) was among the Craft Prize’s 30 shortlisted artists from all over the globe chosen by an expert panel out of thousands of submissions reviewed for their technical accomplishment, innovation and artistic vision.
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April 28, 2023
![Portrait of a person outside wearing a cowboy hat.]()
Metals graduate leads by example
When people ask what he does for a living, Lance Neirby ’05 MFA (metals and jewelry) just says he leads an incredible team of people. Maintaining a strong, positive team environment has been a priority for him as the new president and CEO of Montana Silversmiths.
