Glass Master of Fine Arts Degree
Glass
Master of Fine Arts Degree
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.
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 MFA program is 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.
Visiting Artist Lecture Series
Each year, RIT's glass program hosts eminent artists, designers, thinkers, and educators from around the world as part of its Visiting Artist Lecture Series. Through workshops, lectures, and discussions the series contributes to the artistic and personal growth of students.
Learn more
Join us this fall on campus or virtually
Discover how graduate study at RIT can help further your career objectives.
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 with real, relevant career experience that sets you apart. In the College of Art and Design experiential learning includes cooperative education and internships, international experiences, multidisciplinary projects, industry partnerships, and more. Participating in these opportunities is not only possible at RIT, but passionately encouraged.
Cooperative education, internships, and other experiential learning opportunities are optional but strongly encouraged for graduate students in the MFA in glass.
Featured Work
'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 ...
'Eat the Words'
Ying Chiun Lee
In this artwork, Glass MFA student Ying Chiun Lee played around with the “air quotes” gesture, the marking of a type of phrase that usually contains multiple meanings. For people with...
Distinction in Contemporary Glass
RIT’s Glass programs were well represented in New Glass Review 41, Corning Museum of Glass’ annual publication highlighting innovative works from around the world. In 2020, six BFA and MFA alumni of...
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,...
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.
Merging Glass and Video
Ying Chiun Lee ’21 MFA (Glass) combines photography, video and glass in her work. From Taiwan, Lee embraces the idea of “glass-based thinking” — using glass to guide her creative process, but not...
Curriculum for Glass MFA
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.** (This class is restricted to degree-seeking graduate students or those with permission from instructor.) 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.** (This class is restricted to students in the GLASS-MFA program.) 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.** (This class is restricted to degree-seeking graduate students or those with permission from instructor.) 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.** (This class is restricted to students in the GLASS-MFA program.) 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 anaylsis 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). |
Admission Requirements
To be considered for admission to the MFA program in glass, candidates must fulfill the following requirements:
- Complete an online graduate application. Refer to Graduate Admission Deadlines and Requirements for information on application deadlines, entry terms, and more.
- 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 in a field of arts, sciences, or education.
- Recommended minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (or equivalent).
- Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae.
- Two letters of recommendation are required. Refer to Application Instructions and Requirements for additional information.
- Not all programs require the submission of scores from entrance exams (GMAT or GRE). Please refer to the Graduate Admission Deadlines and Requirements page for more information.
- Submit a portfolio. Refer to Graduate Portfolio Requirements for more information.
- Submit a personal statement of educational objectives. Refer to Application Instructions and Requirements for additional information.
- International applicants whose native language is not English must submit official test scores from the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE. Students below the minimum requirement may be considered for conditional admission. Refer to Graduate Admission Deadlines and Requirements for additional information on English requirements. International applicants may be considered for an English test requirement waiver. Refer to Additional Requirements for International Applicants to review waiver eligibility.
Learn about admissions, cost, and financial aid
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