Headed by an internationally distinguished faculty, the Department of Studio Art MFA Graduate Program offers a rigorous, interdisciplinary environment for professional training in the visual arts. The three-year MFA program comprises a series of core and elective classes in production, theory, and contemporary issues. In addition to a wide range of classes in Studio Art, students may also take advantage of the academic excellence UC Irvine provides as a leading research university by taking courses in other departments & programs. Through a combination of one-on-one faculty mentorship, seminars, & regular comprehensive peer critiques, the Department of Studio Art affords an optimal intellectual setting for fostering creative development and critical thinking. In addition to a core faculty dedicated to facilitating students' understanding of visual art and its cultural contexts, graduate students have access to visiting faculty through lectures, studio visits, and concentrated colloquia. Located forty-five miles south of Los Angeles, UCI is in close proximity to the multi-layered Los Angeles art community. Additionally, the Department has shared programming with the leading contemporary arts venue in the area, theOrange County Museum of Art.