Department of Interdisciplinary Arts

Our focus on inquiry. We believe that questions central to your life are also questions that are core to and can inform your art—and, if you probe them on your own and in a community of artists, you can advance your life and art. Also, what separates us from other MFA programs is that in our workshop classes, you’ll meet with and share your work with artists working across many mediums, forms, and disciplines.  We believe in these conversations “across the arts.” You’ll be asked to better articulate your work—and that process of becoming more aware of and articulate about your work will help you become clearer about the directions of your work and more accomplished.

Since 2009, the MFA interdisciplinary academic journal, Mission at Tenth, has presented and promoted new inter-arts and cross-genre work that reflects the diverse and culturally complex history of the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Mission at Tenth reflects the inter-arts perspectives of our program through multiple platforms, including our podcast series Artifact and Meaning Making and our inter-arts journal.

Visit the Mission at Tenth website for past issues and other MFA-related projects.

Artifact is the MFA-hosted podcast series that asks you to step inside the artistic process. Learn more about the Artifact Podcast series.

Follow us on Instagram to find out when the most recent episode will be released.

We have a strong interdisciplinary program, and we also want for you to have the chance to work directly with artists that expertise in your form, medium, or discussion. Our art mentorship provides you the chance to work with a mentor throughout your degree. You can work with a mentor in your local community or draw from our diverse list of mentors.

Our intensives, which have customarily been offered in person (though we have switched to virtual since 2020) occur each fall and spring. They include structured time that includes class meetings (each class usually meets at least 3 times during the intensives), field trips to a museum or other arts event, visits with guest arts, readings, talks, panel discussions, and a work-in-progress event in which all MFA students present their work. Intensives also include informal time in the mornings, at lunch, in the late afternoon or evening for students to relax, get to know each other, and talk informally. Lunch is provided each day.

Read this medium post about a student’s experience in the intensive.

MFA online coursework is mostly asynchronous so students can integrate coursework into their lives. Online work includes posting original artwork, completing art-driven projects, readings, discussion, and review and response to other students’ work. Faculty will also engage with students online. Some classes will meet virtually on occasion during the semester to give students the chance to engage in person outside the intensives. These meetings are included in the course syllabus or arranged during the intensive to make sure students can attend.

Check out the MFA podcast Making Meaning to hear our interviews with artists about art-making and the process of creating.

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To read more about student experiences in the program, alumni, and projects offered by the MFA department on our Medium page.