Students earning the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Integrative Design degree with a concentration must satisfy all general University requirements and meet all financial obligations before a degree is awarded.
Admission Requirements
(See also the General University requirements for admission.)
Requirements for Degree-Seeking Students
For unconditional admission, a prospective student must:
- Have earned a bachelor’s degree in the Arts (approved by the Fine Arts Department) from an institution accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, with a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 (3.0 scale); AND;
- Submit for review as part of the application process:
- Three professional references preferably from faculty member, recent employers, or clients..
- An artist’s statement (one page in length) that describes your current body of artwork your current studio practice, and the reason you are pursuing a Master of Fine Arts.
- Resume
- Submit a professional portfolio (student seeking admission using portfolio may be admitted unconditionally only after departmental review and approval). Portfolios must be major-specific and follow the individual portfolio guidelines required by the major of interest. Refer here for portfolio details; AND
- Meet all other program-specific requirements.
For conditional admission, a prospective student must:
- Have earned a bachelor’s degree (approved by the Fine Arts Department) from an institution accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, with a minimum overall GPA of 2.75 (4.0 scale), AND;
- Submit for review as part of the application process:
- Three professional references preferably from faculty member, recent employers, or clients..
- An artist’s statement (one page in length) that describes your current body of artwork your current studio practice, and the reason you are pursuing a Master of Fine Arts.
- Resume
- Submit a professional portfolio (student seeking admission using portfolio may be admitted unconditionally only after departmental review and approval). Portfolios must be major-specific and follow the individual portfolio guidelines required by the major of interest. Refer here for portfolio details; AND
- Meet all other program-specific requirements.
A student admitted on conditional status will be admitted on academic probation and the maximum number of hours to be taken during the first semester is six. Conditional status will be removed only upon successful completion of a minimum of 9 semester hours of graduate coursework at Athens State with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Please Note: A student who has met the above requirements may be required to complete specific undergraduate prerequisite courses or their equivalents as determined by departmental review.
A student may be admitted provisionally if all required application documents have been submitted. Provisional admission allows the student to register for graduate fine arts courses in an upcoming term; however, registration for these courses is subject to change pending departmental review of the application materials and final determination of conditional or unconditional admission.
Requirements for Non-Degree Seeking Students
A student who does not meet the requirements for one of the above admission categories as a degree-seeking graduate student may be admitted as a non-degree seeking graduate student. Records are kept of the work completed and credits are transferable. Non-degree seeking graduate students are ineligible for federal aid funding under Title IV.
Students seeking admission as non-degree seeking students must:
- Submit a completed graduate non-degree seeking admissions application and pay any required application fees.
- Submit official transcripts form the last institution attended, and from at least one institution accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education documenting conferral of a bachelor’s or higher degree. Official transcripts must indicate that the student is in good standing at the last institution attended.
Students admitted as non-degree seeking students will only be allowed to register for graduate courses in a given term subject to space availability and/or cohort restrictions. Non-degree seeking students may complete no more than one-half of the total program hours; in order to register for additional courses, students must submit a degree-seeking application and all required materials, and be approved for degree-seeking status. Non-degree seeking students will not be awarded a graduate degree from Athens State University.
For additional information regarding the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Integrative Design, please visit our Master of Fine Arts webpage at Integrative Design - Athens State University.
Core Course Requirements
Professional Development Courses
Concentration Specific Courses
Choose one concentration from (See breakdown of concentrations below):
| Media and Design | 21 |
| Or | |
| Ceramics | 21 |
| Or | |
| Painting and Drawing | 21 |
Art History Course
| AR 526 | Critical Theories in Visual Culture | 3 |
Thesis Courses
| AR 616 | Thesis Design | 3 |
| AR 700 | Thesis Research and Writing | 3 |
| AR 701 | Exhibition and Thesis Defense Residency | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 60
AR 543 and AR 701: All students participate in a 2-week residency at the Alabama Center for the Arts.
Additional Program Requirements
Students must complete all courses for one of the following:
- The Concentration in Ceramics, OR
- The Concentration in Painting and Drawing, OR
- The Concentration in Media and Design
Concentration in Ceramics
Advanced Courses in Ceramics
| AR 516 | Research in Glaze Chemistry and Kiln Design II | 3 |
| AR 518 | Senior Studio: Refining a Cohesive Body of Work | 3 |
| AR 522 | New Media: Alternative Firing Process | 3 |
| AR 555 | Projects in New Media | 3 |
| AR 560 | Special Workshop Arts & Crafts | 3 |
| AR 561 | Multimedia Installation | 3 |
| AR 568 | Topics in History of Ceramics | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 21
Concentration in Painting and Drawing
Advanced Courses in Painting and Drawing
| AR 501 | Advanced Figure Studies | 3 |
| AR 502 | Integrative Painting Materials and Techniques | 3 |
| AR 511 | Topics in Narrative Painting | 3 |
| AR 513 | Portrait Painting and Drawing | 3 |
| AR 518 | Senior Studio: Refining a Cohesive Body of Work | 3 |
| AR 521 | Seminar: Sacred Art in History | 3 |
| AR 555 | Projects in New Media | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 21
Concentration in Media and Design
Advanced Courses in Media and Design
| AR 506 | Multimedia Production Workshop | 3 |
| AR 505 | UX/UI Design-Graphic Design for the Web | 3 |
| AR 510 | Digital Recording and Editing | 3 |
| AR 520 | Advanced Principles of Scenic and Lighting Design | 3 |
| AR 540 | Digital Animation and Graphic Design | 3 |
| AR 546 | Virtual Environments | 3 |
| AR 570 | Modernism and Post-Modernism in Design | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 21