MFA in Studio Art - Painting and Drawing in Austin United States | University of Texas at Austin

The Studio Art graduate program embraces diverse artistic explorations, including spatial, lens-based, two-dimensional, interactive, sound, and performance-based practices. Our multidisciplinary approach is structured around the broad domains of Painting & Drawing, Photography & Media, Print, Sculpture & Extended Media, and Transmedia.
MFA candidates collaborate with engaged, practicing faculty to refine existing abilities and cultivate fresh conceptual and technical methodologies. We foster a nurturing yet challenging community where students engage in continuous discovery, examining the depths of their chosen discipline while being inspired to venture into new territories and uncover innovative connections.
When fully utilized, our flexible curriculum adapts to each student's focus while leveraging the department's resources and UT Austin's academic strengths. The program offers increasing studio time as students' research intensifies, enabling them to refine their artistic vision—both in visual creation and critical engagement with their peers' work. Ongoing exchanges with faculty, fellow students, and visiting experts create a deeply informed artistic practice.
The Painting & Drawing concentration promotes experimental approaches and technical excellence. By investigating new materials, emphasizing cross-disciplinary methods, and maintaining conceptual depth, students develop material mastery as a foundation for contemporary art creation. Our diverse faculty brings together creative excellence, professional expertise, and broad cultural perspectives.