The University of Michigan’s Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design, ranked #11 nationally among graduate art and design schools by U.S. News and World Report, is now accepting MFA in Art applications for Fall 2027.Â
The Stamps MFA brings students a uniquely supportive, critically engaged environment for interdisciplinary and research-based creative practice. Led by MFA Program Director Angela Washko, students develop materially sophisticated, conceptually rigorous work informed by funded travel and engagement with diverse communities, institutions, and creative contexts. Graduates emerge prepared to exhibit internationally, secure tenure-track positions at leading institutions, create public art, and shape cultural organizations worldwide.
Throughout the two-year program, students engage with faculty from Stamps and tap into the boundless resources and collaborative opportunities that can only be found at the University of Michigan, TIME’s top public research university. Students also connect with nationally and internationally recognized visiting artists and critics through studio visits, critiques, and other events, gaining personalized feedback, fresh perspectives, and valuable professional connections.
“I’ve been to a lot of MFA thesis shows around the country and I can say with confidence this is one of the best I’ve encountered — not only because of the strength and complexity and pleasures offered by the individual projects, but also because of the sense that the artists were talking and thinking together, learning and being inspired by each other. That such a strong sense of conversation could result in really unique and individual artistic voices is truly remarkable.”
— Aruna D’Souza, Writer and Art Critic
Visit the Stamps website to explore the Stamps MFA program through work from our most recent thesis exhibition, and to learn more about our graduate program in our upcoming events, including our Virtual Open House on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
For more information, visit stamps.umich.edu/mfa.
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