Artist works in their studio in the new Portland MFA Studio
Explore our graduate programs
Choose your path: research or studio. Our MA prepares you for scholarship, curation, and institutional roles. Our MFA develops you as a practicing artist with exhibition experience and professional studio practices.
Two woman discuss artwork at the Open Walls Exhibit
Funding & Assistantships
We're committed to supporting our graduate students. All admitted MFA students receive guaranteed funding, including stipends and tuition remission. MA students may be eligible for scholarships and awards to support their studies.

Why Our Graduate Program 

You won't just make work. You'll build a sustainable practice alongside artists, curators, and scholars who are actively shaping the field. Every MFA student receives full funding. Studio space is guaranteed. And your work will be exhibited.

Faculty Mentorship

Your mentors aren't just teaching — they're working. Our faculty exhibit nationally, publish scholarship and maintain active studios. They're looking for students who bring intellectual rigor, technical commitment and the courage to take risks. If you're serious about your practice, so are they.

Thesis & Exhibition

You graduate with a show, not just a degree. MFA candidates exhibit in professional gallery spaces — building their CV, testing their practice in public, and walking away with portfolio pieces. MA students produce publishable scholarship.

Explore past exhibitions

Alumni Outcomes

Our alumni work across the art world and beyond — as independent artists, curators and educators, but also as designers, creative directors and consultants for brands and institutions. They shape culture from inside studios, galleries and creative industries.

Joyce Chen, Hite Institute of Art + Design Alumna
Alumni Spotlight
From UofL to global brands. Joyce Chen '19 runs her own 3D design studio, partnering with Apple, Estée Lauder and Microsoft — and co-created the iconic Windows 11 wallpapers with Six N. Five.