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Program Details

The MFA student’s primary experience at APU centers on studio activity and the integration of faith and art. Supporting this is a schedule of courses that includes critical issues in art and four semesters of in-depth study of the relationship of students’ Christian faith and their lives as contemporary artists. Each student gains regular exposure to aesthetic or stylistic positions through faculty members and visiting artists and speakers. The program focuses not only on the refinement of visual skills, but also on the articulation of one’s work and the cultivation of one’s spirit and mind. Students bring creative force and imagination to their own development – qualities that can be stimulated and encouraged.

Low-Residency Program

APU’s 37-month, low-residency MFA Program accommodates the working artist/educator by offering a program that requires students to be on campus for only four consecutive Julys and one weekend in January for three years.

About the Department

The Azusa Pacific University Department of Art prepares art students for a lifetime of artistic expression, reflecting the creative nature of God who shaped the universe. The APU art faculty believe God to be the ultimate Creator. As both Christ followers and artists, we should act as transformers in the world by producing the highest quality work possible and serving others in the art community through relational ministry. The Department of Art, comprised of 10 full-time faculty members, offers the Master of Fine Arts: Visual Art degree, a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art, which includess six concentrations, and a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design.

Location and Culture

Azusa Pacific University's main campus, located 26 miles northeast of Los Angeles, provides art students with an exceptional opportunity to study and engage the art world through various venues. APU's main campus exists within a cultural intersection of art communities and world-class galleries and museums. Exposure to an art scene this rich in diversity enhances the on-campus experience, acquainting students with art that spans the gamut and can challenge student beliefs about the creative process.

Numerous cultural attractions exist within an hour's drive from the APU campus:

Located minutes from Los Angeles, APU's Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Visual Arts affords students the opportunity to experience the rich cultural diversity of Southern California.

Within 15 minutes

  • The Huntington, Pasadena
  • Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena

Within 40 minutes

  • Bergamot Station, Santa Monica
  • The Getty Center, L.A.
  • Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), L.A.
  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), L.A.
  • The Brewery of Los Angeles (largest artists colony in U.S.)

 

Note: This information is current for the 2009-10 academic year; however, all stated academic information is subject to change. Please refer to the current Academic Catalog for the most current and controlling information. For additional information, please contact the appropriate office.