Fine Arts Degree Programs in Memphis TN

Memphis College of Art:
Founded in 1936, Memphis College of Art (MCA) is a professional center of art and design education in Shelby County, Tennessee, dedicated to preparing individuals for lives of creating, problem solving and critical thinking. We offer Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree programs in photography, digital media, design arts, fine arts with concentrations in painting, photography, sculpture and drawing among others. Memphis College of Art also offers Master of Fine Arts (MFA) and Masters of Art in Teaching and Education.

Undergraduate Degree Programs:
As a professional school of art and design, MCA offers BFA degrees in visual arts at the undergraduate level. Within these degrees, students choose from an array of majors and concentrations that provide a variety of avenues to suit individual interests and needs. At the heart of the curriculum is a vigorous Foundations and Core Program of studio practice and intellectual rigor driven by the Liberal Arts program.

Degree programs include:

BFA in Photography

BFA in Digital Media - with concentrations in:
- Animation
- Digital Cinema

BFA in Fine Arts - with concentrations in:
- Painting
- Drawing
- Printmaking
- Sculpture
- Photography

BFA in Design Arts - with concentrations in:
- Graphic Design
- Digital Media
- Illustration
- Sequential Narrative

Graduate Degree Programs:

Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art:
The Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art is a terminal degree that prepares students to become professional artists, work in any number of art related fields, and teach at the college level. To achieve these goals the program uses to complimentary educational traditions: the professional artist’s tradition, which requires mastery of the skills, tools and technologies of the visual arts; and the liberal arts tradition, which requires education in the truest sense, not only imparting facts and ideas, but also fostering critical appraisal of them.

Program Description:
The MFA is a 60-credit program normally completed in two years. It combines 48 credits of studio experience with 12 credits of seminar and discussion based coursework. The program culminates in a graduate thesis exhibition, an oral defense of the exhibition, and a written thesis document that supports and gives cultural and theoretical context to the exhibition.

Graduate Students are encouraged to work in any medium which best expresses their concepts, including but not limited to the traditional studio and new media practices of drawing, painting, sculpture, small metals, book arts, photography, printmaking, surface design, installation, animation, performance, and video. As the concepts and intention of the work changes, the medium can be expected to change as well.

Graduate Programs in Art Education:
Memphis College of Art offers 2 graduate level programs in art education. These programs will explore opportunities for artists to work as educators in schools, museums, and community organizations. These fields of study combine studio practices with the intellectual and professional experiences necessary for furthering or starting a career as an art educator. Courses can be applied to the following:

Masters of Art in Teaching (MAT)
This degree program is for those candidates with a BFA, BS or BA that has a strong studio concentration who wish to become licensed to teach and earn a masters degree at the same time.

Masters of Art in Education (MAArtEd)
This degree program is for those candidates who are currently licensed to teach and wish to further their professional development (30 hours). For further information on any of the programs listed above, please contact us quickly via our Contact Page.