Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts has announced that beginning next fall, all incoming visual arts graduate students will receive scholarships equivalent to full out-of-state tuition in the first year and full in-state tuition for the second year of the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program.
The scholarships reflect the school’s belief that graduate study in art should be accessible to students from a diverse range of backgrounds. Combined with private studios and the resources of a major public research university, these scholarships give students the opportunity to fully focus on their work within a stimulating and supportive community of equals.
“As a public university, we feel that critical art practice should be the focus of our graduate program and that access should be as democratic as possible,” said Gerry Beegan, chair of the Visual Arts Department. “We encourage artists to engage in a dialogue with each other, faculty, visiting artists and critics. They can also connect with our undergraduates through teaching and mentorship opportunities.”
The full-time 60-credit MFA degree program offers seminars in painting, sculpture, photography, media and printmaking. Each graduate student at Mason Gross receives private studio space that is available year-round, 24 hours a day, for the duration of their study.
Graduate students mount exhibitions in the school’s 4,000-square-foot gallery space, dedicated to showcasing student work, and follow up their final thesis show with an exhibition in New York City.
Applications for fall 2016 admission are being accepted through Feb. 1. For more information, visit www.masongross.rutgers.edu/visual-arts.