Master of Fine Arts in Studio Arts - Ceramics

The Wonsook Kim School of Art at Illinois State University offers graduate assistantships to candidates for the Master of Fine Arts program. The MFA is a 60-hour program that emphasizes both theory and practice in the production, history, and teaching of the visual arts. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate artistic proficiency in at least one of the following disciplines: painting and drawing, sculpture and expanded media, printmaking, video, ceramics, photography, or glass. The Wonsook Kim School of Art offers students an excellent faculty, extensive facilities, and individual graduate studio spaces. Just two hours south of Chicago, the Wonsook Kim School of Art offers easy access to the vibrant museum and gallery environment of the city. In addition, the on-campus University Galleries' active exhibition schedule and a full schedule of visiting artist residencies and lectures provide students with a vital critical survey of contemporary art. Each MFA student mounts a solo exhibition in the student gallery, Transpace, in partial fulfillment of their MFA requirement and can participate in multiple group exhibitions in the University Galleries during their time in the program. The school provides a supportive atmosphere fostering an active studio practice, rigorous intellectual inquiry, and the development of a mature body of work.

The ceramics program offers a diverse approach to the materials and processes involved in the production of ceramic art. Emphasis ranges from functional to sculptural and installation based work. Students in the program will gain an understanding of the technical concerns involved in ceramic production such as clay/glaze formulation and mold making, while simultaneously developing the critical thought and historical understanding necessary to apply those processes to finished works. The curriculum and facilities allow for a range of approaches to making and thinking whether one desires the intimacy and immediacy of the hand or the rapidly advancing possibilities of digital design and output with ceramic material. With two full-time faculty, a three year MFA program and an active ceramics student organization, the ceramics area is a supportive and vibrant environment where we all learn and develop as artists together.

have earned a four-year bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a college or university that is accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting association, or do so within one academic year
have a minimum 2.8 GPA (on a scale in which an A is a 4.0) for the last 60 hours of undergraduate work.

IELTS overall band score: 6.5, TOEFL internet-based (iBT): 79, Duolingo: 105