General Information

This selective program emphasizing studio art is intended to include several phases of professional competence in the Department with the possible inclusion of other disciplines outside the Department when necessary. The Master's degree requires a minimum of thirty semester hours of which eighteen are in the student's studio areas of interest (major) while the other twelve hours are distributed between art history, theory and practice, and museum studies. Each student, with a faculty mentor, will develop an individual program of study. The student and faculty will meet on a regular basis to evaluate the student's work.

The Program

The graduate level Studio program is tutorial in character. The admission of the student is contingent on the willingness of a faculty member to serve as a primary mentor. This is a major factor in assuring that the students in the program will be of high quality and will deeply committed to their discipline. While graduate Studio students typically work with a single mentor, students in Graphic Design are typically mentored by all three of the fulltime Graphic Design faculty members.

The tutorial nature of the graduate Studio program insures that there is an appropriate amount of flexibility built into the system. Each faculty member has the ability to develop the student’s program in consultation with the student. As a result we feel that our students have been able to produce work of high quality and that this work represents a wide variety of aesthetic and technical approaches.

The Culmination Model

Because the Program is individually structured, the Graduate Program Coordinator will consult with candidates to recommend a culminating evaluation. Such an evaluation may include an exhibition, an electronic presentation and/or a thesis. All evaluations will include an oral examination to a five-person committee chaired by the Graduate Coordinator with your advisor in attendance. You and your advisor will together create an evaluation procedure that satisfies the department requirements and meets your needs. This evaluation will be scheduled during the final month of your course of study or a time agreeable to you, your advisor, and (if there is an exhibition in the gallery) the Gallery Director of the Art Department.

Study Options

Studio Art Emphasis

The Department offers opportunity to study in a variety of media including Ceramics, Drawing, Design, Illustration, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture. Program studies also include specific attention to the latest developments in Art Theory, Criticism and History. Students are expected to work intensively in hands-on experiences conducted in well-equipped studio facilities. Through discussions and critiques, students advance through to their final exhibition. Graduates of the program often go on to become community-college professors, museum professionals, gallery workers and self-employed artists. Graduates have also been accepted in well-known M. F. A. programs.

Graphic Design Emphasis

Students in the BFA Graphic Design program concentrate on the study and practice of contemporary graphic design theory, techniques and application. The Graphic Design program prepares graduates for positions in the visual communications industry. Students use state-of-the-art computer workstations and peripheral devices in a hands-on studio environment to create a wide range of graphic design projects. The program can include focused study in Print, Web, or Multimedia Design as well as study of Photography and Illustration. Electives ensure ample opportunity for study in a wide range of media as well as focus in a specific discipline. Graduates of the program have been accepted in well-known M. F. A. programs, while others have found employment in a number of graphic communication fields in large and small companies, and institutions throughout the country.

Department Facilities

The Art Department is located in Tyler Hall and Lanigan Hall. Both buildings are on the west side of campus and are relatively close to one another.

A portion of the Art Department is located in Tyler Hall, which also houses the Departments of Music and Theatre. Inside Tyler Hall are the studios for Foundation Design, Drawing, Sculpture, Ceramics, Painting, Printmaking, and Photography. Also found in the building is the Digital Imaging lab and the Woodshop. Two art galleries, where a variety of exhibitions are held throughout the academic year, are also located in the building, as are collections of slides, digital images and VCR tapes, which supplement teaching in both the Studio Art and Art History areas.

The spacious Graphic Arts facility is situated in Lanigan Hall, which also houses programs in Broadcasting and Journalism as well as the large lecture halls used for a number of General Education offerings. The Graphic Design wing is located on the first floor close to the Center for Communication and Information Technology. These facilities include two lecture/critique rooms and two large digital media labs. Additional facilities include a preparation room for preparing portfolio work and framing for exhibition, a student lounge, a digital photography studio, an audio/video projects studio, and a conference room.

Contact Information

For more information about the MA program, please contact:

Juan Perdiguero
Program Coordinator
(315) 312-3240
perdigue@oswego.edu

Cynthia Clabough
Graphic Design Program Coordinator
(315) 312-5624
clabough@oswego.edu

Mailing Address for All Contacts:
Art Department
Tyler Hall
State University of New
York at Oswego Oswego, NY 13126