At the University of Arkansas School of Art, housed in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Studio Art offers artists something increasingly rare: Three tuition-waived years they can dedicate to developing their practice in state-of-the-art facilities, surrounded by a community that prioritizes experimentation, critical inquiry, and collaboration.
Every student accepted into the program receives a full tuition waiver for fall and spring semesters through a graduate assistantship, along with an annual stipend and additional funding to offset fees. Assistantships provide professional experience in teaching, gallery management, curatorial work, and program coordination, preparing students for the multifaceted realities of the art world.
MFA candidates receive private studios and access to innovative facilities in the Windgate Art and Design District, including wood and metal shops, darkrooms, print and ceramics studios, fabrication labs, and on-campus galleries. Students work in a core area — ceramics, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, or sculpture and experimental media — and are encouraged to explore across disciplines.
The graduate faculty embraces an interdisciplinary approach to artmaking in the 21st century. “Students enter the program with a focus on a specific medium and, because of how collaborative our program is, many find themselves working across disciplines in compelling ways by the time they reach their thesis exhibition,” said graduate program director Jody Travis Thompson.
While some institutions have begun to phase out traditional processes like wet photography, analog printmaking, and metal casting, the School of Art has made a deliberate goal to maintain and invest in both historic and technologically advanced techniques. This dual emphasis reflects Northwest Arkansas’s history of artisanal skill and self-reliance, as well as the rapidly growing creative and tech industries in the region.
The MFA program also maintains partnerships and opportunities with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, The Momentary, and Art Bridges, along with local galleries and artist-run spaces, connecting students directly to the art ecosystem.
“Northwest Arkansas is rapidly growing and primed for creative exploration, experimentation, and collaboration,” said Adam Hogan, studio art program co-director. “Our students are an important part of this thriving ecosystem, one where the lines between world-class institutions, artists-run spaces, ad hoc experimental projects, laboratories, startups, and studios are wonderfully blurred. The partnerships we’ve built give graduate students real opportunities both inside and outside of our walls.”
These opportunities are bolstered by transformational support from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation and the Windgate Foundation, which help fund travel grants, summer assistantships, and research fellowships.
“Our program is about giving artists the time, resources, and critical dialogue they need to push their work,” said Rebecca Drolen, studio art program co-director. “With robust support and resources, we want our students to feel the freedom to take risks in their practice, which in turn prepares them to shape the field in innovative ways.”
Applications to the MFA in Studio Art require a portfolio of 20 recent works, artist and personal statements, a CV, transcripts, and three letters of recommendation submitted via SlideRoom. The application deadline is January 15, 2026.
To learn more, visit art.uark.edu or contact graduate program director Jody Travis Thompson at jtt005@uark.edu.
