Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Studio Art
Cultivate Your Skills and Perfect Your Art Form with an MFA in Studio Arts
By earning your MFA from Liberty, you are not only receiving a prestigious degree but also walking away with a professional résumé. Train under faculty with fine arts degrees and years of industry experience. We are a teaching university, which means your professors will be in the classroom with you every week and provide you with vital input on your projects throughout the program.
Partner with Liberty to join our community of award-winning art students and alumni, and get hands-on experience with state-of-the-art equipment and technology. We provide our studio art students with the entire Adobe Creative Suite so you can become experienced with industry software. You can go further with Liberty as we invest in your skills and champion your success.
Pursue Your Degree with Confidence
- Liberty University is accredited by SACSCOC, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
- Our faculty are all professionals in the industry with advanced degrees to match their field experience.
- Liberty’s studio arts students have won more graphic design awards as part of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) than all of the other schools in Virginia and North Carolina combined.
- You will get the chance to pursue an internship and complete practicum hours during your time as a student, which will further develop your professional portfolio.
- Our students have interned with major companies like ESPN and Disney.
- Our alumni have gone on to work for organizations like the Motion Picture Association of America, Hallmark, Lord & Taylor, and Capital One.
What Will You Learn?
- Art and design research methodologies
- Art history
- Graduate topics in drawing, painting, and printmaking
- Industry best practices through your practicum and internship
- Special topics in ceramics, crafts, or sculpture
Career Opportunities for Graduates of Liberty’s MFA in Studio Art
- Art director
- Exhibition designer
- Gallery owner or director
- Illustrator
- Museum services specialist
- Professor
Hands-on Experience and Resources Available to MFA Students
- Over $1 million in award-winning campus media opportunities and state-of-the-art equipment will be available to you.
- You will have opportunities for professional development by working with the Liberty Flames Sports Network (LFSN), our radio station, the Liberty Champion newspaper, live streaming, and television productions.
- Become a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America, our advertising team, and/or Innovations PR, Liberty’s student-run public relations firm to add real-world experience to your résumé.
- Learn how to manipulate designs using character creation, 3D modeling, and virtual reality. Our students are creating projects that they can show future employers to prove their skill level.
- Follow in the footsteps of some of our students such as Carla Miles, an alumna who has gone on to submit design work for Magnolia Hearth and Hand’s Target collection.
Admission Requirements for MFA Degrees
Every application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and all applicants must submit the following documents and meet the minimum requirements for admission:
- Admission application
- Self-certification form (for students who are in the final term of their bachelor’s degree)
- Current Liberty undergraduate students seeking preliminary acceptance into a graduate program must complete a degree completion application through their ASIST account
- A regionally or nationally accredited bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA for admission in good standing (2.5 to 2.99 may grant admission on caution)
- Artist Statement (typed) – must include your artistic background, area(s) of specialty, and the intended direction of your work that provides context for your art and design, must be submitted through SlideRoom in conjuncture with the portfolio
Personal portfolio must include:
- No fewer than 20 images that best depict your abilities and interests in either graphic design or studio art
- Submitted images must be professionally photographed/composed and client-ready
- Neat and professional presentation, layout, and image quality
- Submitted work samples must clearly demonstrate your strong technical skills, aesthetic style, fundamental knowledge, and potential for success in the program
- All submitted images must be original creative artifacts designed by you
- Credit must be given when collaborative works are included
- Portfolio must be submitted via SlideRoom, which has a $10 non-refundable fee
- Provide 20 items
- Images (up to 5MB each)
- Videos (up to 250MB each)
- PDFs (up to 10MB each)
- Models (Sketchfab)
These rates are reflective of academic year 2024-2025. Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.
Credit Hours
Available On Campus
Class Type
Residential
Transfer Credits
Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total
Next Start Date
Aug 18, 2025
Accreditation
Liberty University is accredited by SACSCOC
