MFA in Art

Six full scholarships available. Fall 2026 application deadline: February 1, 2026. Apply here: MFA Art admission instructions / Meadows Graduate application. For more information contact: Meadows Graduate Admissions, meadowsgrad@smu.edu / T +1 214 768 3217.

The MFA in Art offered by SMU Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas, Texas, is a highly selective two-year program preparing artists for professional careers in art. Students who earn the MFA develop a substantial body of artwork and understand the relevant contexts within which artists and their works function. The program is intended as an intensive period of focused study that culminates in the MFA qualifying exhibition at SMU’s Pollock Gallery.

As a part of the larger urban research university, MFA students are supported in the exploration of a wide range of materials, media, processes and histories across disciplines. SMU provides graduate students with studio spaces, access to facilities, and faculty expertise in ceramics, drawing, installation, new media, painting, performance, photography, printmaking, sculpture, sound and time-based media. The Division of Art embraces and celebrates human diversity in all its forms, including race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.

In addition to faculty actively engaged in exhibition and research at the highest levels, the Division of Art hosts an ongoing series of lectures, exhibitions, and studio visits by artists, critics, and curators, a crucial part of the graduate and undergraduate curricula. See profiles of current MFA graduate students, Art faculty and Art History faculty. See happenings in the Division of Art on Instagram.

Scholarships
SMU offers up to six full scholarships, covering full tuition and all related fees each year, supplemented by teaching assistantships. Additional funds are available for materials and travel related to students’ creative research.

Recent Visiting Artists 
Ifeanyi Anene, David Challier, Stefan Chinov, Jovencio De La Paz, Surabhi Ghosh, Hiroyuki Hamada, Tamiko Kawata, Aitor Lajarin-Encina, An Te Liu, David MacDonald, Jemila MacEwan, Billie Mandle, Yuko Nishikawa, Anh-Thuy Nguyen, Signé Pierce, Jock Reynolds, Nyugen Smith, Raychael Stine, Maiko Sugano, Marc Trujillo, Holly Walker, Akira Yamaguchi.

Dallas Arts District
Dallas continues to invest in the largest arts district in the country, located a few minutes from campus, in which the Meadows School plays a growing role. The Division of Art seeks artists for graduate studies who wish to participate in the diverse arts opportunities of Dallas-Fort Worth and the North Texas region. See a list of DFW art spaces, organizations and institutions here.

Upcoming Virtual Events
Thursday, November 13: Graduate Art Close-Up, 6:30–7:30pm (CST)—register here. Sunday, November 16: National Portfolio Day, 11am–3pm (CST)—register here.