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.