Department of Art Division of Graduate Studies Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Graduate Programs at Brooklyn College

Since 1935, the Division of Graduate Studies at Brooklyn College has provided an excellent graduate education at reasonable cost. The division offers more than 60 full-time and part-time programs leading to master's degrees and advanced certificates. Its proximity to New York City provides opportunities for internships and field study in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and throughout New York.

Graduate Art Studies in America's Art Mecca

Located in one of New York City's 5 boroughs, Brooklyn College is ideally placed for graduate studies in art. Artists escaping German fascism founded the college's art department on the eve of World War II. The art faculty developed the world's first comprehensive Bauhaus program in a liberal arts setting, and grew to include distinguished artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Lois Dodd, Philip Pearlstein, and Mark Rothko.

Graduate instructors are local and international artists, renowned art historians, critics, and curators. Art history M.A. students study with experts who bring to their courses the latest in art historical research.

M.F.A. students benefit from proximity to some of the world's finest museums and galleries, not only in Manhattan but throughout Greater New York.

The college's Meier Bernstein Art Library -- with its vast collection of print and digital materials and its sky-lit gallery -- sponsors frequent guest lectures and exhibitions.

Graduate Programs in Art at Brooklyn College

Brooklyn College offers 7 master's degrees in art. Two are Master of Arts degrees: the M.A. in Art History and the M.A. in Art Education. The rest are Master of Fine Arts degrees in studio art. The college offers M.F.A. degrees in digital art, drawing and painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture.

Preparing Students for an Array of Successful Careers

A large percentage of Brooklyn College M.F.A. graduates are successful artists who sell their work in commercial galleries. Others have become architects, art directors, art restorers, cartoonists, computer graphics designers, fashion designers, and illustrators.

Many M.A. graduates pursue art teaching careers in K-12 schools, colleges, and universities. Others become art archivists, critics, gallery managers, or museum curators. Some work in art publishing as editors, publishers, or writers.

A number of Brooklyn College art graduates have won major honors such as Guggenheim fellowships, Fulbright and Pollock-Krasner Foundation grants, and the Prix de Rome.

The M.A. Program in Art History

M.A. students in art history study with a distinguished faculty whose publications have earned international recognition and numerous prizes. Areas of study include ancient and medieval art, Byzantine and Islamic art, renaissance and baroque art, 19th-century European art, and modern and contemporary art and theory. Instructors teach architecture throughout the curriculum.

Most of the faculty is active in the doctoral program at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and bring the latest in art historical research and methodologies to their M.A. classes at Brooklyn College.

The program prepares students for positions in museums and cultural organizations and also provides a gateway for those interested in pursuing doctoral degrees. Teaching internships are available in the art department for advanced students.

Through its guest lecture program, the Meier Bernstein Art Library facilitates and enriches the art history curriculum. Brooklyn College's main library also houses a large collection of art and art history books, periodicals, and digital materials. The art history M.A. program takes full advantage of New York City's great museums, galleries, and numerous art-related lectures, symposia, and other cultural opportunities.

To graduate, students must pass a comprehensive art history examination and a reading examination in French or German. They must also submit a thesis of publishable quality.

The M.A. Program in Art Education

The art education M.A. program at Brooklyn College is committed to preparing excellent art teachers who are skilled artists, insightful observers of visual culture, and articulate advocates for art education in public and independent schools.

The curriculum consists of courses at the college's School of Education, advanced courses in art studio and art history, and field experiences that are scheduled to accommodate students with families and professional responsibilities. Most students complete the program in two years; however, students may set their own paces for progressing through the program. For students who already hold master's degrees in art or related disciplines, the college offers a non-degree art teaching certificate.

M.F.A. Programs in Studio Art

Brooklyn College offers M.F.A. studio art concentrations in digital art, drawing and painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. Most M.F.A. students also take courses in art history, and in studio art concentrations outside their own focus.

Periodically, each student's work receives a formal review from the full faculty. Instructors also individually visit students' studios for informal critiques. Graduating students participate in a large M.F.A. thesis exhibition at a Manhattan gallery.

The M.F.A. program has a fine arts rather than a commercial orientation. Program directors seek a mix of students, faculty, and course content that achieves a balance between traditional and innovative styles.

The M.F.A. faculty includes internationally recognized artists who have garnered numerous prizes, awards, grants, fellowships, and other honors. Their work appears in world-class museums such as the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art. Located in the heart of the art world, the program draws on New York's vast community of distinguished artists for its faculty and for the many visiting artists, art historians, critics, and curators who regularly lecture and give individual critiques of student work.

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Art History Master of Arts (MA)
  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Sculpture Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
• Photography Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
• Printmaking Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
• Digital Art Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
• Drawing And Painting Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees 9
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? Yes
• Evening/weekend programs available? No
• Distance learning programs available? No
• Terminal master's degree available? Not reported

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Required
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied119
• Accepted54
• Acceptance Rate45%
• Enrolled17
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $125
• Application Fee - International $125
• Electronic applications accepted? Yes
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Yes
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline February 1st February 1st Yes
• Winter deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's Degreesbachelor's degree in art, portfolio, 2 letters of recommendation
• Doctoral's DegreesNot Reported
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesTOEFL required, 500 paper based, TOEFL iBT

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *$7,360
• Out-of-state tuition *$13,800
• International student tuitionNot Reported
• * Tuition for full-time graduate student per academic year
• Fees
• Per-academic year feesNot Reported
• Per-term feesNot Reported
• One-time feeNot Reported
• * Fees for full-time graduate students
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitFAFSA
• Application deadlines for financial awardsMay 1
• Types of financial support availableCareer or Field-Related Internships, Federal Work-Study, Financial Support for Part-time Students, Institutionally-sponsored Loans, Scholarship and/or loans, painting awards

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students49
• Female Percentage73%
• Male Percentage27%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students49
• Part-time Percentage53%
• Full-time Percentage47%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic / Latino11%
• Black / African American11%
• White / Caucasian72%
• American Indian / Alaskan Native0%
• Asian6%
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander0%
• Two or more races0%
• Unknown0%