The Yale School of the Fine Arts opened in 1869 as the first art school connected with an institution of higher learning in the United States. As the leading M.F.A. program in the country, the Yale School of Art remains situated within the larger research university. We offer our artists many opportunities to engage with faculty, students, and resources from all areas of the campus. Students work closely with a renowned faculty and visiting critics composed of internationally recognized artists, designers, curators, and scholars to further develop their professional practice. Providing a compassionate learning environment for creativity and experimentation is the school’s core mission. The school also prioritizes building a community of makers who support each other and their work.

This bulletin details the course requirements and policies of the M.F.A. program, taking into account that it extends beyond the school into a wider constellation of programming. The M.F.A. program strives to respond to the evolving interests of its students in areas and practices beyond those offered within the core curriculum. The School of Art recognizes that seeing and making are interrelational and transformative. To this end, Yale encourages cooperation across disciplines. We have relationships with the Schools of Architecture, Drama, and Music, as well as opportunities with the Schools of Environment, Law, Business and Engineering, the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, and the Yale Farm to name only a few. The school sits on the edge of campus among the other renowned arts institutions such as the Yale University Art Gallery, the Yale Center for British Art, the Center for Collaborative Arts and Media, and the Yale Repertory Theatre, making access to these resources just steps away. Student exhibitions and the annual Open Studios event enable our artists to also contribute to New Haven’s vibrant arts community. 

This campus ecosystem nurtures expansive studio practices while preserving the development of an engaged student community producing graduates who contribute to a global field of contemporary artists, designers, educators, and community leaders.

Kymberly Pinder

Stavros Niarchos Foundation Dean

Yale School of Art