The Graduate Fine Arts Programs

Master of Fine Arts
Master of Arts

The rewards for developing one's artistic talents are personal. professional and community based. The expression of emotions and concepts through an artistic medium stimulates and challenges society and contributes to the growth of the culture. Professional careers in the arts are challenging, demanding, and at times, frustrating, but for the persevering artist the rewards are deeply gratifying and personally enriching.

The opportunities for professional development in the Bradley program are great with an intentionally small student-faculty ratio of 1:2. The relationships among students and faculty are warm and collegial. Studio spaces are closely maintained for each graduate student. There is a balanced relationship between an individual commitment to one's work and responsibility to the community of the college and the artist's community and the world.

The programs recognize a dynamic relationship among the media disciplines such as ceramics, painting, drawing/illustration, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and interdisciplinay art studies and provide the artist-student with depth and breadth of technical knowledge, critical awareness, and communication skills to sustain and encourage innovation.

• Assistantships, Scholarships, Fellowships
• Excellent faculty-student ratio
• 10-12 graduate program artist community
• Excellent modern facilities and studios
• Close to major U.S. art centers
• International Study Abroad Program
• Smith Career Resource Center

Employment for the graduate with an MFA is found through a number of opportunities in art and design institutions: primary, secondary and higher education; post-graduate research and degree exploration; a wide array of private and public design art organizations and businesses; as well as positions in government agencies and affiliated national societies in the arts. Although the monetary rewards vary among individuals, employment opportunities for trained artists are found in cultural and artistic life in the country.

Professional development opportunities for graduate students have been found in museums throughout the country; teaching positions in nationally recognized institutions of higher education; government agencies in the mid-west and throughout the country; as well as post-graduate research and degree opportunities in well-known universities throughout the nation. Bradley University is non-discriminatory with regard to race, color, age, sex, creed, handicap or place of national origin in its admission policy.

 For further information contact:

Fisher Stolz, program coordinator
Graduate Fine Arts Programs
Department of Art
Bradley University
1501 West Bradley Ave.
Peoria, Illinois 61625
Tel: (309) 677-2969
Fax: (309) 677-3642
E-mail: fisher@bradley.edu

Courses Offered

Art 500  Advanced Studio     3-6 hrs
Intermediate or advanced work in printmaking, drawing, photography, ceramics, or sculpture. Prerequisites: graduate standing or completion of corresponding senior level course.

ART 600 Photography Studio          3-30 hrs.
Development of advanced technical, aesthetic and conceptual concerns through experimentation within the photographic media relating to appropriate histori-cal and contemporary references. 3-6 hours per semester. Prerequisite: graduate standing.

ART 610 Drawing/Illustration          3-6 hrs.
Analytical and conceptual evaluation of individual style and content emphasizing technical, creative, and digital competencies on a professional level. 3-6 hours per semester. Repeatable to a maximum of 30 hours.

ART 620 Printmaking Studio           3-30 hrs.
Technical and conceptual development with intaglio, relief, and planographic printing. Etching, engraving, wood, paper, and plastic relief printing, serigraphy and lithography. 3-6 hours per semester.

ART 630 Ceramics Studio                 3-30 hrs.
Techniques and materials used in stoneware, earth-enware, and porcelain. Emphasis on creative devel-opment and technical competence. 3-6 hours per semester.

ART 640 Sculpture Studio                  3-30 hrs.
Technical and conceptual information about wood and stone carving and construction, welding and metals fabrication, non-ferrous foundry practice, and plastics lamination, emphasizing individual development. 3-6 hours per semester.

 ART 660 Interdisciplinary Art Studio           3-6 hrs.
Advanced work in more than one area of concentration. May include two- or three-dimensional media; may incorporate installation work, performance, construction, and creative expression with interrelated forms of fine arts and design. 3-6 hours per semester. Repeatable to a maximum of 30 hours.

ART 670 Painting Studio            3-30 hrs.
Advanced painting in the medium and direction of the student’s choice. Emphasis on creative development and technical competence. 3-6 hours per semester.

ART 680 Special Problems             3-18 hrs.
Problems in area of student’s special interest, as advised by instructor. 3 hours per semester.

ART 690 Seminar                     3-18 hrs.
Research and presentation of art topics ranging from history to contemporary concerns of the artist, to inter-disciplinary courses or courses consisting of an orga-nized sequence of guest speakers. May be repeated under various topics for a maximum of 18 hours or 3 hours per semester.

ART 694 Visual Communications and Design Studio      3-6 hrs.         
Working within hypothetical environments and data, focuses on design development, problem-solving skills, visualization, and invention. Concept exploration empha-sized while developing a personal creative vision and understanding of current graphic design practices and technology. Repeatable up to a maximum of 30 hours.

ART 695 Theory and Criticism       3-6 hrs.
Research, discussion, and presentations on topics in fine arts and design, including contemporary trends, philosophies, literature, and history.

ART 696 Advanced Digital Design        3 hrs.
Advanced work in applied software for web design, animation, rapid prototyping, interactive design, and experience design. Repeatable up to a total of 6 semester hours.

ART 697 Design Management         3 hrs.
Development phases of real-world project execution, including research, problem definition, planning, cost and budget analysis, organization, and presentation of information for business, public institutions, government, and the entertainment industry.

ART 698 Design Research and Collaboration         3 hrs.
A design problem that responds to social, economic, and environmental concerns created in consultation and collaboration with a corporation, institution, or government agency under the supervision of the faculty. Repeatable up to a maximum of 6 semester hours.

ART 699 Thesis Exhibition        3-6 hrs.
At the beginning of the third semester, graduate students submit a proposal that defines their evolving thesis work. During the last semester of their final year, all graduate students present thesis exhibitions for review by the graduate faculty and other invited participants. A written thesis may supplement the exhibition at the discretion and interest of the student. Repeatable to a maximum of 6 semester hours.