Glass MFA

A glass degree that enables you to dive deeper into your examination of glass as you develop your artistic expression through research, experimentation, and in-depth critiques.

Co-op/Internship Encouraged

100^%

Outcome Rate of RIT Graduates from this degree

Overview

Develop your personal creative voice through intensive research, discussion, critique, and experimentation in glass. In this glassblowing master’s degree you are given full access to a complete glass facility and individual studio space. Graduate studio courses, seminar courses, and in-depth critiques give you a deeper understanding of the craft of glass as you design pieces that flourish your personal expression.

Glassblowing Classes and More

The MFA in glass is a two-year program of study. An individual studio space serves to strengthen your technique and practice in designing glass artwork that reflects your personal expression of the medium. Graduate studio courses, seminar courses, and in-depth critiques are offered in conjunction with thesis planning and implementation to provide you with a deep understanding of glass. In addition to course work and creative production, you are exposed to a broad range of critical issues related to the conception and production of art, to inspire and provoke critical reflection and facilitate the development of a thesis exhibition and supporting documentation.

World-Class Glass Hot Shop and Facilities

You'll spend time creating in a range of top facilities designed for you to explore, learn, and develop your glass blowing and flameworking techniques. Many glassblowing classes take place in the Glass Hot Shop, where you will physically work with glass in its molten state in solid working, glass-blowing, and hot casting. In the Glass Flameworking Studio you'll work intimately with glass rod and tubing at the torch. The Glass Cold Shop is a studio designated for processes that alter glass after it has been annealed. Each student is also assigned a Glass Workspace, designated areas for our advanced-level glass majors to have their own personal studio space to support the development of their individual research interests and creative work.

Studio Residency Program

The School of Art and the School for American Crafts are seeking candidates interested in pursuing glass-related research while contributing to the creative community of the glass program and the College of Art and Design. Learn more about the Glass Studio Residency Program, including details on how to apply.

Students are also interested in: Fine Arts Studio MFA, Ceramics MFA

Text that reads: 45-50% tuition scholarship for graduate study.

RIT undergraduates qualify for a tuition scholarship when they choose an RIT Master’s program.

Learn more about The RIT Master Plan

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Apply early for priority consideration for admission and financial aid.

Applications are accepted after the deadline, but are only considered on a space-available basis.

View application deadlines

Learn what you need to apply

Careers and Experiential Learning

Typical Job Titles

Glass Artist	Freelance Designer
Professional Fabricator

Salary and Career Information for Glass 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. Your a rt and design co-ops will provide 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 strongly encouraged for graduate students in the MFA in glass.

Featured Work

A set of three glass vessels with crystal growing inside.

'To Be Decayed I'

Rinoi Imada

"Glassblowing is the one of essential parts of my art practice. It is labor intensive, and I need to have good communications with people who help me. However, I have a trauma to create works ...

Cover of the New Glass Review publication.

Faculty featured in 'New Glass Review'

David Schnuckel, Suzanne Peck

RIT glass faculty Suzanne Peck and David Schnuckel were both selected for the 42nd issue of New Glass Review, the Corning Museum of Glass’ flagship publication showcasing 100 timely, innovative glass...

Side by side posters about glass art language.

Rewriting the language of glass art

Suzanne Peck

Suzanne Peck, lecturer of glass, was featured in "New Glass Now," a group exhibition organized by the Corning Museum of Glass that features innovative works by artists and collectives around...

Featured Profiles

Artist Interview: Madeline Rile Smith '20

RIT City Art Space's Artist Short Sesh features conversations with artists in the College of Art and Design about their work. The artist interview series, started by Gallery Director John Aäsp,...

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...

Glass students put on an art performance incorporating elements of glass and color.

Glass-Color Science Collaboration

A hallmark of RIT's Glass BFA option and MFA program is forming enriching multidisciplinary partnerships — including with the Munsell Color Science Lab on campus.

Curriculum for Glass MFA

View Printable Curriculum

Glass, MFA degree, typical course sequence

Course		Sem. Cr. Hrs.
First Year
CGLS-601	Glass Graduate Studio: Concepts This course is designed to deepen the individual’s understanding and connection to concepts in contemporary glass and art. Course content will include a chosen thematic focus relevant to issues in the contemporary art conversation that will influence student development and the course’s conversation through various assignments and group activities. Readings, group discussion, written responses, and material research will culminate in self-directed projects based on a proposed topic of student investigation. Students will explore research themes through conversation, presentation, and workshops. Additionally, this course will host visiting artists who will contribute through lectures, studio visits and activities pertinent to their practices. This course may be retaken for credit. Fee: There is a materials fee required for this course and an additional course fee applied via student account. Studio 6 (Fall, Spring).	6
CGLS-602	Glass Graduate Studio: Practice This course is designed to challenge the individual student’s interests, background and capabilities to support a reinvigorated approach to their thinking and making in relation to glass. Course content will include exploration of technique and experimentation through student designed and implemented skill exchanges. Glass studios will be investigated in four-week blocks. Each block will tackle a different studio/technique/material question and will be supported by studio visits, discussions, and punctuated by critique. This course will be retaken for credit and leads to the master’s thesis, proposed by the student and approved by the faculty. Fee: There is a materials fee required for this course and an additional course fee applied via student account. Studio 6 (Fall, Spring).	6
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
CGLS-601	Glass Graduate Studio: Concepts This course is designed to deepen the individual’s understanding and connection to concepts in contemporary glass and art. Course content will include a chosen thematic focus relevant to issues in the contemporary art conversation that will influence student development and the course’s conversation through various assignments and group activities. Readings, group discussion, written responses, and material research will culminate in self-directed projects based on a proposed topic of student investigation. Students will explore research themes through conversation, presentation, and workshops. Additionally, this course will host visiting artists who will contribute through lectures, studio visits and activities pertinent to their practices. This course may be retaken for credit. Fee: There is a materials fee required for this course and an additional course fee applied via student account. Studio 6 (Fall, Spring).	6
CGLS-602	Glass Graduate Studio: Practice This course is designed to challenge the individual student’s interests, background and capabilities to support a reinvigorated approach to their thinking and making in relation to glass. Course content will include exploration of technique and experimentation through student designed and implemented skill exchanges. Glass studios will be investigated in four-week blocks. Each block will tackle a different studio/technique/material question and will be supported by studio visits, discussions, and punctuated by critique. This course will be retaken for credit and leads to the master’s thesis, proposed by the student and approved by the faculty. Fee: There is a materials fee required for this course and an additional course fee applied via student account. Studio 6 (Fall, Spring).	6
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).
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).
IDEA-776	College Teaching 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).

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

Full-time study is 9+ 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 Glass 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 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

Faculty

David Schnuckel

Assistant Professor