Applications are now open for the MFA in Visual Art program at Washington University in St. Louis’ Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. The two-year, fully residential program chaired by artist Tiffany Calvert offers programs and funding to support diverse creativity—from historical techniques and emerging media to scholarly research and social practice.
Part of a tier-one research university, the MFA-VA program at WashU is an inclusive, close-knit community of artists and researchers. Expansive, state-of-the-art facilities and studios—including a digital fabrication lab, printmaking and book studio, wood and metal shops, textile studios, and a time-based media art studio—serve as a think tank for intellectual and material experimentation across disciplines.
Curriculum and programs
The MFA in Visual Art curriculum at WashU is designed to professionally prepare students for a diversified approach to the field of contemporary art that nurtures sustained, lifelong engagement while recognizing multiple pathways and definitions for a career in the arts and culture. There are numerous options to expand studies through the Office for Socially Engaged Practice and opportunities like the Counterpublic triennial fellowship and Berlin Sommerakadamie —which begins on-campus in the spring semester and extends into the summer for travel abroad, providing an understanding of how artists address history, communities, and social contexts in relation to the conceptual and practical dimensions of their work.
Throughout the course of the MFA-VA program, students prepare work for several exhibitions, including a thesis exhibition at WashU's prominent Kemper Art Museum.
Faculty and visiting lecturers
Core faculty in the MFA-VA program are Tiffany Calvert (chair), Jamie Adams, Heather Bennett, Lisa Bulawsky, Joe deVera, Amy Hauft, Meghan Kirkwood, Arny Nadler, Patricia Olynyk, Jack Risley, Cheryl Wassenaar, and Monika Weiss.
Additionally, the Sam Fox School engages with nationally and internationally recognized artists, designers, architects, historians, and critics to interact with students during workshops and informal gatherings, conduct one-on-one studio visits, and deliver public lectures. Recent visitors include Mark Dion, Jess T. Dugan, Mariam Ghani, Katharina Grosse, Blas Isasi Gutiérrez, Dana Levy, Catherine Opie, Sarah Oppenheimer, and Gregory Volk, among others.
Alumni and opportunities
The Sam Fox School provides a number of grants, residencies, and other opportunities exclusively for alumni, including residencies at the Cité internationale des arts in Paris, the 25,000 USD annual Stone & DeGuire Contemporary Art Award, as well as residencies and fellowships for recent graduates in St. Louis.
Notable alumni include Layla Ali, Jill Downen, Addoley Dzegede, Kahlil Robert Irving, Lavar Munroe, Yvonne Osei, Ebony G. Patterson, Carlie Trosclair, and Cayce Zavaglia, among others.
Scholarships and financial aid
Ninety-four percent of Sam Fox School graduate students receive scholarships and financial aid. There are a variety of funding options available for students, including the full-tuition Sam Fox Ambassadors Fellowship program.
Upcoming virtual events
Learn more about the MFA-VA program, as well as scholarships and financial aid opportunities, at an event this fall. Register at samfoxschool.washu.edu.
Open house: September 17, 12–1pm CT
Online Graduate National Portfolio Day: September 27, 12–4pm CT
Graduate info session: MFA-VA application and portfolio workshop: October 23, 12–1pm CT
Open house: November 19, 12–1pm CT
Portfolio reviews: December 5, 12–1pm CT
Learn more: Applications are due January 10, 2026. Apply for free by December 14, 2025. Learn more here.
