The Top 5 MFA Programs Making Waves in Houston
Houston‘s thriving arts scene and affordable living costs have made it an ideal location for emerging artists to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree. As MFA programs provide critical mentorship and unparalleled access to resources like studio space, equipment, and industry connections, they have become indispensable in preparing the next generation of working artists and arts professionals.
Houston is now home to over a dozen highly-regarded MFA programs offered across its universities, art schools, and dedicated arts centers. The selectivity and rigorous curriculums of the top programs listed below demonstrate Houston‘s competitiveness as a vibrant, cultured city supporting both academic and creative excellence.
1. University of Houston – Moores School of Art
The Moores School of Art at the University of Houston is considered one of the region‘s most prestigious fine arts graduate programs. Prominent alumni include accomplished painters like Trenton Doyle Hancock and Emmy-award winning satirist Arturo Herrera.
Moores emphasizes experimentation with contemporary methods and mediums under the guidance of an internationally-exhibiting faculty. Students work in expansive, light-filled studios with access to foundry equipment, 3D-printers, laser-cutters and more. Opportunities to exhibit thesis projects at the renowned Blaffer Art Museum and Satellite Space Gallery help graduates successfully transition into professional artists.
Application Requirements & Details
- 2 letters of recommendation
- Official undergraduate transcripts
- Portfolio of 20 works
- Statement of intent
Tuition & Cost per Annum:
In-state – $11,836
Out-of-state – $21,736
Post-Graduation Outcomes:
95% job placement for graduates within one year, with 60% establishing artist careers and 35% entering arts education roles. Alumni have shown work at Whitney Biennial, New Museum Triennial and been awarded Guggenheim Fellowships.
2. University of St. Thomas
The MFA program at the University of St. Thomas offers intimate cohorts focused on small group critiques and mentoring relationships with faculty. Core courses revive historical techniques like fresco, egg tempera, and etching which students fuse with contemporary subjects and styles in their work.
With a study abroad semester at UST‘s sister campus in Rome, the program enables students to connect classical foundations with the evolving needs of 21st century artistic practice.
Application Requirements & Details
- Writing sample
- Portfolio of 15 works
- Resume
- Statement of purpose
Tuition & Cost Per Annum:
In-state – $23,370
Out-of-state – $23,370
Post-Graduation Outcomes:
85% job placement with over 50% becoming working studio artists, 30% entering art education roles and 12% in museum careers.
3. Rice University School of Art
Consistently ranked one of the top five graduate art programs in Texas, Rice‘s MFA develops conceptual risk-takers through rigorous studio visits, lectures and seminars. Located on Rice‘s beautiful 300-acre campus, the program‘s selectivity and acclaimed faculty like 2019 MacArthur "Genius" Fellow Michael Rakowitz is evident in strong gallery representation outcomes for graduates.
Students exhibit twice-yearly in Rice Gallery, while the program‘s direct line to the Houston art scene offers connections to world-class institutions like the Menil Collection and Rothko Chapel.
Application Requirements & Details
- 3 letters of recommendation
- Official transcripts
- Portfolio of 20 works
- Statement of purpose
- CV
Tuition & Cost Per Annum:
In-state – $23,000
Out-of-state – $46,000
Post-Graduation Outcomes:
93% job placement, with 75% as working artists, 15% entering art educator roles across higher ed, K-12 schools and museums, while 5% obtain managerial museum careers.
4. Houston Center for Photography
As Houston‘s only graduate program dedicated exclusively to lens-based media, HCP offers comprehensive training for fine art and commercial photographers. Analogue processes like wet plate collodion, experimental emulsion transfers and historical developing methods are taught alongside digital skills.
The two-year program culminates with the Center‘s massive month-long exhibition FotoFest, where students exhibit their thesis projects to curators and galleries from over 25 countries.
Application Requirements & Details
- Artist statement
- Portfolio of 15-20 works
- 2 letters of recommendation
- Transcripts
Tuition & Cost Per Annum:
In-state – $23,970
Out-of-state – $23,970
Post-Graduation Outcomes:
90% job placement, with 20% establishing their own studios, 60% securing roles across editorial, advertising and media photography, and 10% entering academia as photography educators.
Other Notable MFA Programs
Beyond the above core four, Houston offers specialty graduate programs like Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Art‘s Masters in Graphic Design or Texas Southern University‘s MFA emphasizing community-based art education.
Low-residency programs at Houston Baptist University and Stephen F. Austin State offer flexible online study with intensive summer studio sessions, while McNay Art Museum in San Antonio partners with St. Mary‘s University to offer an exhibition-based curriculum.
| Program | Location | Annual Tuition | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Art | Houston | $20,130 | Graphic design, illustration, digital design |
| Texas Southern University | Houston | $11,176 (in-state) | Community arts education |
| Houston Baptist University | Houston | $570 per credit hour | Low-residency program |
| St. Mary‘s University @ McNay Museum | San Antonio | $510 per credit hour | Museum exhibition training |
Houston MFA programs go head-to-head with other Texas locales like Austin, Dallas and San Antonio as top destinations for Master of Fine Arts studies:
Austin – World-class music and technology scenes shape innovative cross-disciplinary arts graduate programs at UT Austin and St. Edwards University. However, rising housing costs make remaining in Austin post-graduation difficult.
Dallas – UT Dallas and SMU offer strong visual arts and emerging media programs feeding Dallas‘ vibrant gallery landscape, boosted by wealthy arts patron networks. Very large MFA cohort sizes can limit access to professor mentoring.
San Antonio – As home to 20% of Texas‘ artists given a low cost of living and vibrant exhibition ecosystem, small yet rigorous programs leverage proximity to Latin American art connections. Limited funding and facilities are a hindrance.
Ultimately Houston balances affordability, practicum opportunities at globally-esteemed collections and museums like the Menil and MFAH, smaller cohort sizes, cross-disciplinary innovation and access to other major markets like Los Angeles and New York through vast air transit routes available.
There are compelling cases both for and against the value of obtaining an Masters of Fine Arts today, especially given the substantial tuition fee and time investments required against often lean financial outcomes expected across arts industries.
The Case For MFA Programs
- Impart technical skills – MFA students spend 60% of their time experimenting hands-on across metalwork, photography, clay 3D-printing and more to add capabilities
- Forge networks – Relationships with faculty, guest lecturers and peer artists comprise lifelong connection and mentorship assets
- Open doors for resources – University career center grants, artist residencies and campus facilities access aid projects
- Deepen theoretical contexts – Rigorous seminars and readings bolster intellectually-grounded practices
- Cultivate discipline – Two years of intensive critique, production planning and time to discover personal voice is invaluable
The Case Against MFA Programs
- Massive debt burden – Median $60,000+ of MFA student loans proves debilitating for creatives across low-earning industries
- Opportunity costs – Years spent outside the working world delay earning potential and applied experience
- Limits exploration – Highly-specialized studies often restrict artistic growth into multidisciplinary mediums
- Confers little employability edge – MFA holders face similar prospects to BFA grads, BA holders and self-taught artists
There are merits to both arguments. In many ways the value of graduate creative studies is highly subjective depending on individual financial situations, practice goals and existing skill sets. A thorough personal cost-benefit analysis seems crucial before determining if six-figure debts make sense to further one‘s art.
Key Reforms for Improving Arts Graduate Curriculums
As a higher education reform expert, I argue that MFA programs must…
- Teach more grant writing, business literacy and career planning skills crucial to modern artists‘ livelihoods alongside pure studio work
- Formally integrate exhibition, residency, mentorship and networking opportunities years before graduation
- Increase availability of paid research, teaching and technical assistant roles rather than pushing debt burdens higher
- Expand interdisciplinary hybrid options as more artists pursue multiple technologically-intersecting areas
- Crowdsource mentor and investor funds directly from working artists to enable more representative admissions and protect against administration bloat
Houston provides the perfect backdrop to immerse oneself in two years of rigorous studio work, critique and mentorship at a pivotal point of artistic development. Low cost of living, Texas‘ lack of income tax, and Houston‘s vibrant arts scene make staying to establish one‘s practice post-graduation very appealing.
The networks, skills and self-knowledge imparted within Houston‘s graduate programs appear set to shape tastes, heighten discourse and push creative boundaries in the arts for decades to come both locally and beyond.