Graduate Ceramics
The M.F.A. degree is an intensive, 60-credit professional studio degree designed to prepare students to become professional artists and/or to teach at the university level. Graduate students are typically awarded a technical assistantship in the first year and a teaching assistantship in the second year. M.F.A. students take courses full-time for two years, culminating in their M.F.A. thesis exhibition. A personal studio is provided. Graduate students usually receive teaching and technical assistantships that include a tuition waiver and stipend.
Graduate students can earn an M.F.A. in Ceramics. M.F.A. students take courses full-time for two years, culminating their experiences in their M.F.A. thesis exhibition. A personal studio is provided for each student to work on projects.
Ceramics has a fully-equipped studio with equipment for throwing and hand-building. The kiln yard includes soda, salt, and wood kilns constructed by students. The Glaze Lab is fully stocked with a complete inventory of raw materials.
Studio Equipment
6 Soldner kick wheels
2 Lockerbie kick wheels
1 Klopfenstein treadle wheel
10 Brent electric wheels
Bailey extruder
Bailey electric slab roller
Soldner clay mixer
Fluke pyrometer
Chain saws, angle grinders, stick welder, rolling carts, scales, drill, etc.
Students also have access to the School of Arts well-equipped woodshop.
Kilns
18-cubic-foot Bailey downdraft kiln
90-cubic-foot downdraft gas kiln
5 Top-loading electric kilns
1 Fredrickson front-loading electric kiln
175-cubic-foot downdraft salt kiln
12-foot-long anagama-type wood kiln
85-cubic-foot crossdraft soda kiln
21-cubic-foot downdraft soda kiln
The selection of atmospheric kilns (salt, soda, and anagama) affords students a special experience that can be found in very few Universities nationwide.
Clay Club The Clay Club holds three sales of student work each year to support our Visiting Artist program and to supplement the funding needs of the Ceramics area. Students learn to market their work while improving the quality of their educational experience.
Since 1997, Ceramics and the Clay Club have hosted workshops by Dan Anderson, Bob Archambeau, Rudy Autio, Peter Beasecker, Pipo Brockmann, Linda Christianson, Sam Chung, Josh DeWeese, Julia Galloway, Andrea Gill, John Gill, Shannon Goff, Shao Junya, Jun Kaneko, Jim Leedy, Ron Myers, Brandon Reese, Don Reitz, Paul Soldner, Beth Cavener Stichter, Peter Voulkos, Robby Wood, Luo Xiaoping, Jane Shellenbarger, Brad Schweiger, Tara Wilson, Deborah Schwartzkopf, and Steve Zaworski.
Graduate Art Student Organization (GASO) is an interdisciplinary organization open to all graduate students, full or part-time, in the School of Art. Students invite visiting artists and organize trips of specific interest to graduate students.
Students who graduate with a MFA degree are qualified to teach at institutions of higher education such as universities and community colleges. Galleries and regional arts councils often require MFA degree for various positions. The MFA in Ceramics also prepares students to be fully functioning artists upon graduation. They will be prepared to exhibit their work in galleries and museums and ready to open their own studio.
Graduates of the M.F.A. program have exhibited their work internationally and have earned teaching positions at a variety of institutions such as Oklahoma State University, Chapman University, Antioch College, Longwood University, and Ohio Northern University.
Student Work
Updated: 04/14/2022 03:21PM