Areas Of Study » Graduate Studies » Painting

Graduate Painting Studies

General Overview

The Painting program is an integral part of the Painting and Printmaking emphasis. The Painting area provides an environment that encourages students to develop as professional artists. The area attempts to offer a solid foundation in perceptual and technical skills, and an awareness of historical and contemporary precedent in the disciplines of painting and drawing. The emphasis encourages students to use these basic principles creatively to explore a broad range of concepts and to develop independent directions. The primary focus of the Painting program is two-dimensional imaging through the traditional mediums of painting and drawing. As the student advances, attention is paid to the integration of these two with the other 2-D disciplines of printmaking and photography, and further integration with three-dimensional concerns where appropriate.

Coursework Overview

The graduate program in Painting includes a 30 unit MA and a 60 unit MFA. Both programs demand complete dedication from the student, a high-level work ethic, and a willingness and ability to engage in discourse about contemporary culture, art, and theory. The graduate program, like the undergraduate, encourages broad experimentation and supports work in cross-disciplinary, collaborative, and new genres of artistic practice. The emphasis provides individual studios for graduate students. The student is expected to work independently with faculty and participate in periodic formal critiques with area faculty and invited guest faculty. There is a formal review of a student's work after the completion of 21 units for the MA candidate and 30 for the MFA candidate, for advancement to candidacy. A thesis exhibition, paper and oral defense are required of all students for completion of the MA and MFA degrees (please see graduate bulletin for complete program requirements). Qualified students are eligible to apply for out of state tuition waivers, and graduate teaching associate positions.

Please visit our graduate admission page specific to the Master of Fine Arts for additional degree process information.

Admissions and Financial Assistance

You can learn more detailed information about the admissions process on the Graduate Admissions page. For more information on financial assistance, please visit our Financial Aid page or our student scholarships page to find scholarships available through the School of Art, Design, and Art History.

Previous Visiting Artsits

For information on upcoming visiting artists, please visit our Upcoming Visiting Artsits page. Listed below are some of the visiting artists the School has hosted specific to the Painting discipline:

  • Dave Hickey
  • Nancy Chunn
  • John Baldessari
  • Terry and Jo Harvey Allan
  • Llyn Foulkes
  • Kim McConnel
  • Andrea Zittel
  • Robert Irwin
  • Karen Finley
  • Vito Acconci
  • Jean Lowe

Facilities

Read detailed information on our facilities on the Painting Facilities page, where you can also link to other interdisciplinary facilities within the School of Art, Design, and Art History.

You can also read more about local art material supplier resources on our Art Supplies page, as well as learn more about our library research facilities by visiting SDSU's Love Library website(external link).

The Faculty

To contact or learn more about individual faculty in this department, please refer to the Painting department directory listing.

This page was last updated at 3:43PM on October 15, 2008