The George Washington University - Columbian College of Arts & Sciences
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Contemporary Art Practices
Washington, USA
Master of Fine Arts
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Jan 2027
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
About: The Contemporary Art Practices MFA at GW’s Columbian College supports self-directed interdisciplinary studio art. The curriculum focuses on experimentation with hybrid media, critical inquiry into content and form, and engagement with art’s contexts. Students take seminars with faculty and visiting artists, receive studio spaces and access digital labs, photography, video, printmaking and sculpture. The degree is a rigorous, 60-credit terminal MFA, culminating in thesis exhibitions (e.g., the NEXT festival) and projects.
Career Outcomes: Graduates professionalize practice and pursue artistic careers; career opportunities include exhibiting artists, curators, cultural organizers, and civic practitioners, linking to galleries, museums, collectors and community engagement.
The Contemporary Art Practices MFA supports self-directed, interdisciplinary exploration and research-driven approaches to studio art. The curriculum emphasizes experimentation with hybrid processes across media, critical inquiry into the relationship between content and form, and engagement with art's social contexts. Students take seminars with faculty and visiting artists, curators, and critics; receive individual studio spaces; and have access to digital labs, photography and video studios, printmaking and sculpture shops. The program culminates in professionalizing opportunities such as thesis exhibitions (e.g., the NEXT festival) and public-facing projects. The degree is a rigorous, 60-credit terminal MFA intended to prepare artists to exhibit, publish, and operate as civic agents within diverse cultural contexts.
The program is a 60-credit terminal MFA typically completed in two years. The curriculum centers on studio practice combined with seminars, visiting-artist events, and research-driven inquiry. Students develop technical skills and experiment with hybrid processes; they receive individual studio spaces and are supported in producing culminating thesis work that is exhibited in public formats (e.g., NEXT festival). The program also offers opportunities to integrate interdisciplinary research from across GW.
• Research-driven, interdisciplinary MFA that supports experimentation across media and hybrid practices.
• Individual studio space and hands-on access to digital and analog facilities.
• Ongoing seminars and visits from artists, curators, and critics to expand conceptual frameworks.
• Strong connections to Washington, D.C.’s museums, galleries, and civic institutions, providing exhibition and professional opportunities.
• Merit-based assistantships and fellowships available; students are considered automatically during application.
The program awards assistantships and fellowships on a merit basis and automatically considers applicants for these support packages during the admission process. Additional funding resources and institutional fellowships are available through GW's Office of Fellowships & Assistantships, Student Accounts Office, and the Office of Student Financial Assistance.
Graduates are prepared to professionalize their artistic practice and pursue sustained creative careers as exhibiting artists, curators, cultural organizers, and civic-engaged practitioners. The program emphasizes exhibition-ready work and public-facing projects; students benefit from opportunities to exhibit thesis work (e.g., NEXT festival), connect with galleries, museums, curators, and collectors in Washington, D.C., and engage communities through socially engaged art.