MA Art at Arizona State University

Programme overview

The Master of Arts program in art enables you to professionalize and advance your studio art practice. You develop an expert understanding of how a medium of your choosing can be used in the field of contemporary art, while also leveraging the creativity and problem-solving inherent in art practice to inform the rest of your professional life. This self-paced program consists of 30 credit hours of coursework and culminates in a practice-based thesis project.

What you will study

30 credit hours and a portfolio Required Core (3 credit hours) ARA 589 Writing Art and Design Criticism (3) ARS 586 Theories of Contemporary Art (3) Electives (21 credit hours) Research (6 credit hours) ART 592 Research (6) Culminating Experience (0 credit hours) portfolio (0) Additional Curriculum Information Students complete a total of six credit hours of ART 592.

Career pathways

Graduates with an MA in art have employment opportunities with charter schools, art museums, nonprofit organizations and recreational or community-oriented service groups that offer art instruction. A master's degree may lead to increased earnings for art educators in some school districts and enable advancement to administrative positions.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program. All applicants must submit: graduate admission application and application fee official transcripts current resume or CV portfolio statement of intent one letter of recommendation proof of English proficiency Additional Admission Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency. Admission is a two-step process. Although applicants fill out one online graduate application, they must be admitted to both the MA program and the Graduate College.

Domestic applicants: USD 13,327 a year (2026-27). Arizona resident tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads Source

International applicants: USD 24,780 a year (2026-27). International tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads ar Source

Entry terms: Fall, Spring and Summer; the terms available for each programme are listed in Degree Search.

Graduate application deadlines are set by each programme office and listed in Degree Search; the application opens almost a year before the start term. The nonrefundable application fee is $75 for U.S. citizens, permanent residents, DACA and international online students outside the U.S., and $120 for international students on a nonimmigrant visa studying in the U.S. Apply with ASU's graduate application (Law applicants use the law college's site); GRE/GMAT requirements vary by programme.

Apply through the official page: https://admission.asu.edu/apply/graduate/admission

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