Why study this program?
The Department of Art and Design offers graduate programs leading to the Doctor of Philosophy in the History of Art, Design and Visual Culture and Master of Fine Arts and Master of Design degrees in a wide range of studio disciplines. The Department also offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Arts degree in History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture.
Programs leading to the MDes degree provide advanced studies in Visual Communication Design or Industrial Design. Programs leading to the MFA degree are designed to provide advanced studies in Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking, or Drawing/Intermedia.
Programs leading to the MA and PhD degrees in the History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture provide for advanced study and research. The MA can be either course-based or thesis-based.
Graduate students in studio are provided with adequate independent working spaces and with access to all the equipment necessary to develop their studies and explorations. A well-endowed University library and a departmental visual resources centre featuring access to digital images and over 300,000 slides provide reference material. Eighteen full-time members in the academic staff are available for supervision and discussion.
Inquiries should be addressed to the Coordinator of Graduate Studies, Department of Art and Design.
Entrance Requirements
The Department’s minimum admission requirements for all master’s programs are a general undergraduate degree with a grade point average of 3.0 in the last two years of undergraduate work (or graduate work) at the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification from a recognized institution, and a minimum TOEFL score of 95 (internet-based, with at least 21 per section) or equivalent, or a minimum score of 65 on the Pearson Test of English where applicable (refer to English Language Requirement). A student with a MA in the History of Art (or a related field) may be admitted as a candidate for the PhD degree.
Entrance Requirements
An applicant must normally hold a bachelor’s degree in fine arts or design (or its equivalent) from a recognized institution. Candidates who, in the view of the Department, need to make up prerequisite courses will normally spend one additional year in preparation.
Applicants will be required to submit visual records or a portfolio of work and documentation of their previous experience to the Department by January 15 of the year of application.
In the first year of the program students will normally be required to take 18 units approved. All candidates require credit in ART 630 or DES 630.
Candidates in fine arts programs require credit in two studio courses at the 600-level and one history of art, design, and visual culture courses chosen from 500-level courses with consent of the Department.
Candidates in design programs require credit in
Additional Information
Course work must be completed before commencement of the thesis. First term studio courses may not be repeated; however, second term studio courses may be repeated with consent of the Department.
After all other program requirements have been satisfactorily met, candidates must make a major presentation of their creative work. Such a presentation will be considered the equivalent of a master’s thesis. The Department of Art and Design reserves the right to select and retain up to two works from the final thesis presentation.
There is no language requirement for the degrees.
The minimum period of residence is two four-month terms of full-time attendance at the University of Alberta.
Courses
Graduate courses can be found in Course Listings, under the following subject headings:
Art (ART)
Design (DES)
History of Art, Design and Visual Culture (HADVC)
Graduate teaching and research assistantships and a number of scholarships are available to qualified students.
For general information, please visit the Tuition and Fees page on the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research site.The Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research administers over $29 million each year in scholarships, awards, and financial support for graduate students, as well as financial and loan advising. Additional scholarships are also available for specific faculties and programs.
Please refer to the detailed program information or email artdesgs@ualberta.ca.
General inquiriesPlease check out some of our most frequently asked questions (FAQS) to see if your question has been answered, or contact the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) during our office hours.
Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR)
Killam Centre for Advanced Studies
2-29 Triffo Hall
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E1