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Tyler School of Art & Architecture

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MFA Programs in the Art Department

Tyler’s MFA programs in the Art Department—Ceramics, Fibers and Material Studies, Glass, Metals / Jewelry / CAD-CAM, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture—honor the rich material and critical histories of individual disciplines while embracing the essential role of interdisciplinarity in contemporary art practice.

Shape the Present—and Future—of Art and Culture

Whether your exploration is grounded in institutional critique, material histories, or experimental forms, the MFA experience at Tyler is rigorous, hands-on, and attuned to the complexities of 21st-century art-making.

Nationally recognized for their excellence, Tyler’s MFA programs are immersive, research-driven, and deeply engaged with the evolving landscape of contemporary art and culture.

Our distinguished faculty foster critical practices that range from the poetic to the political, the ephemeral to the permanent, the community to the gallery—supporting artists as they develop work that resonates across contexts and audiences.

Interdisciplinary. Immersive. Impactful.

Bridging writing, research, and making, Tyler’s MFA programs offer an immersive and rigorous experience within a supportive environment that fosters criticality, experimentation, and a deep connection with community and care.

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Through sustained inquiry into images, objects, and media—across temporal, spatial, and disciplinary boundaries—you will explore how art is a means of both personal expression and understanding the self in relation to broader social, cultural, and political contexts. Working across diverse mediums, Tyler MFA students regularly exchange skills and resources, developing collaborative methods that meet the evolving needs of their practices. Tyler’s MFA programs are designed for artists who seek to challenge conventions, expand possibilities, and shape the future of contemporary art and cultural practice in all its forms.

Get Answers and Help

The Tyler School of Art and Architecture features its own admissions team, who can provide you with the information you need to make the best decision for your educational and career goals. 

MFA Curriculum Highlights

Tyler’s MFA curriculum is designed to engage, respond to, and critically question the evolving landscape of contemporary art practice.

Our two-year course of study is grounded in the importance of both disciplinary specificity and interdisciplinary crossover, all in the context of critical thinking and practice. Each MFA candidate builds a Thesis Advisory Committee made up of four graduate faculty from within and outside of their home program. This committee supports the candidate through all four semesters of the program with formal reviews. This process culminates with a solo exhibition in Tyler’s professional gallery.

Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics

Master of Fine Arts in Fibers and Material Studies

Master of Fine Arts in Glass

Master of Fine Arts in Metals / Jewelry / CAD-CAM

Master of Fine Arts in Painting

Master of Fine Arts in Photography

Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking

Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture

Core Courses

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Critical Thinking and Practice

Tyler’s MFA students come from across the globe, bringing with them diverse life experiences and  educational and professional backgrounds. Designed for first-semester students across our eight disciplines, this course meets students where they are, introducing key concepts that shape visual arts practice at this moment in history. Team-taught by faculty across studio art, art history, and criticism, this course models interdisciplinary research, critical inquiry, and theoretical engagement as integral components of contemporary art-making. 

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Critique and Critical Discourse

Taken each semester for two years, this course brings together MFA students from across our disciplines to engage with one another’s studio work and creative research for in-depth conversation and critique. Team-taught by five graduate faculty, students are organized into small groups led by a faculty member outside of their home program. This course facilitates rigorous, multi-perspective and generous feedback—insight that emerges only when artists engage with peers and faculty beyond their immediate field. The exchange of concepts, materials and processes is a rich and deeply meaningful experience. In addition, the structure of the course nurtures a supportive and reflective learning community—one that not only participates in critique, but also questions and reimagines the inherited traditions and assumptions that shape how critique is practiced in the visual arts today.

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Graduate Projects

Also taken each semester for two years, this course brings together MFA students within a single discipline for immersive critiques and conversations about one another’s studio work and research. This course provides the opportunity for more in-depth discussions about the complex histories of materials, processes, and works within a given discipline.

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Electives

MFA students take electives at Tyler and across Temple University. At Tyler, we offer lots of options including “crash courses” in several disciplines (including Ceramics, Fiber and Material Studies, and Sculpture) that allow graduate students to immerse themselves in materials, processes and histories outside of their own to grow their studio practices, skill sets, and conceptual range. 

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Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education

For MFA students interested in pursuing a career teaching in higher education, Temple offers a graduate certificate in Teaching in Higher Education Certificate.

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What Can You Do with an MFA from Tyler?

Graduates of Tyler’s MFA programs pursue a wide spectrum of careers across the arts and creative fields.

Many establish successful practices as exhibiting artists, gaining recognition in galleries, museums, and biennials. Others become educators, teaching in colleges and universities across the country (see Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education). We have alumni who are leaders in arts institutions, and many find sustainable enriching careers in the broader creative economies, from working as cultural producers to running their own businesses.

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Studio Space and Facilities

Tyler MFA candidates benefit from generous studios and outstanding facilities. Each MFA candidate is assigned a private studio space with 24-hour access.

Learn more about studio spaces in each program area

Alumni Voices

“The most important thing I learned during my MFA at Tyler is how to care for and reinvent my relationship with my practice, as a lifelong pact.”

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Charlotte G. Chin Greene

MFA ’21, Adjunct instructor in Sculpture and Visual Studies

“My time at Tyler was important not only in providing the time and resources to focus on my artistic practice, but also for developing lasting relationships and ongoing conversations with a community of artists, intellectuals, and creative thinkers.”

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Philip Crawford

MFA ’23

“At Tyler, there’s a real sense of community among practitioners—regardless of whether you're a student or faculty member. It’s a uniquely supportive environment for receiving critical feedback and encouragement, with interdisciplinary opportunities that push your practice forward. Even after graduation, that network remains strong and active in the Philadelphia region. The Tyler community continues to show up for each other in very meaningful ways from exhibitions, job recommendations and art opportunities.”

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Sean Starowitz

MFA ’23

Learn from Leaders in the Field 

Tyler’s nationally and internationally recognized faculty are practicing artists, critics, historians, and educators who bring deep expertise, ongoing research, and active engagement with the contemporary art world into the studio.

Their mentorship is rigorous and responsive—designed to challenge and support students as they refine their vision, expand their thinking, and push the boundaries of their practice.

Philadelphia Art Scene 

While we are less than two hours away from the much-lauded art scene in New York City, Philadelphia offers a dynamically rich and varied cultural landscape of its own—one that spans from internationally renowned institutions to grassroots artist-run initiatives.

Home to world-class collecting institutions like the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as well as influential contemporary spaces such as the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) and the Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philly is home to a broad spectrum of artistic practices. A host of smaller museums, specialized archives, and university collections—including some rivaling the holdings of the Library of Congress—contribute to a deep and accessible cultural infrastructure.

The commercial gallery scene includes established spaces like Locks Gallery and Fleisher/Ollman, which regularly present exhibitions by both regionally and internationally recognized artists. At the same time, there is a thriving ecology of artist-run spaces that reflect a diverse range of curatorial models. From the long-standing, mission-driven Vox Populi to the experimental, punk-rock DIY ethos of Space 1026, these venues form an active, participatory constellation of opportunities. Tyler MFA students are immersed in this environment, exhibiting, collaborating, and often taking leadership roles in shaping the city’s cultural future. 

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