The School of Visual Studies Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program focuses on the creative goals of the individual. Faculty guide all MFA students to find and develop a direction and language as they create a coherent and conceptually unified body of artwork. <br>Through an intense studio-based practice, our MFA program prepares students for advanced professional art careers and provides teaching experience to those interested in teaching at the college level. Our graduates successfully contribute to the culture on a local, national and global scale through many different fields in the visual arts. The structure of our MFA curriculum allows students direct access to faculty whose engagement of traditional studio production blends with contemporary approaches. The program supports student movement between media areas as needed to tailor a student's experience to the goals of their creative research. Additionally, the department supports consistent integration of contemporary and historical theories of art as appropriate to each student's individual studio practice. The University of Missouri has been a leader in the visual arts since 1877 when the renowned painter George Caleb Bingham began teaching the first studio courses at Mizzou. Current faculty members follow in that tradition as leaders in the visual arts through their creative work that is nationally and internationally recognized. Their artwork encompasses: abstract and figurative painting and drawing, illustration, ceramics, sculpture, traditional and digital photography, all media of printmaking, fibers and surface design, papermaking and book arts, mixed-media, video, installation and performance art plus intermedia and intradmedia approaches. Faculty are all are eager to mentor young artists who share the passion for creativity, critical thinking and the arts.