At the School of Art + Design at the University of Illinois, a thriving community of artists, designers, educators, and historians is committed to excellence and innovation when it comes to the practice, study, and teaching of visual arts. Students at the school, which is situated in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, have access to all the interdisciplinary resources of a research one university.

The University of Illinois’s Studio and Design programs offer MFA degrees with concentrations in Studio Art (Painting, Sculpture, New Media, Printmaking, and Photography), Design for Responsible Innovation, and Industrial Design. Students in the Art Education program can earn EdM, MA, and PhD degrees, while the Art History program offers an MA and a PhD as well as a Minor.

View work by the MFA Class of 2021 and meet some of our current students.

Graduate Funding

Significant financial support packages are available to most graduate students in the form of fellowships and graduate appointments, which include a full tuition waiver and stipend.

In addition to accessible financial support, students also enjoy the institutions, resources, and events the university has to offer. Of particular interest to many graduates are the School of Art and Design Visitor Series, the Krannert Art Museum, the Siebel Center for Design, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, the Center for Advanced Study, and the Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities.

We invite prospective students to visit campus, meet with faculty and current students, attend an event or two, and experience our community. Due to the pandemic, we’re currently offering virtual events, which include tours, open houses, and live-chat opportunities.

For information on application details, including deadlines and funding, explore the website for the Graduate College.

To learn more, visit art.illinois.edu.

Please direct questions regarding the graduate admissions process to Ellen de Waard, our Coordinator in Graduate Academic Affairs, at [email protected] or (217) 333-0642.

MAX (Media Art Xploration) presents MAXlive 2021: The Neuroverse, a festival of art and technology in New York City, from November 5 through 7.

As long as museums make representational rather than structural changes, they cannot shake off their white supremacist origins.

The shirtless, sweating men splayed across and against car hoods and dashboards in Derby convey a sense of bonded brotherhood and physical intimacy.

With the shift to thematic residencies, the arts organization aims to address urgent issues such as climate change, immigration, technology, social justice, and more.

Jenna Cato Bass’s film is a reckoning both for her and all the clueless white children who never thought about the Black women who served them.

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