Please apply for admission to the Lamar Dodd School of Art via UGA’s Graduate School. Apply here.

The graduate programs at the Lamar Dodd School of Art only accept applications for fall enrollment. Application deadlines can be found here: https://art.uga.edu/apply-graduate/#graduate-application-deadlines

The Educational Specialist (EdS) in Art Education is offered jointly with the Mary Frances Early College of Education and accepts applicants for fall, spring, and summer enrollment. Deadlines can be found here: https://coe.uga.edu/academics/degrees/eds-education-art-education/

GRE test scores are not required for admission to any of the graduate programs in the Lamar Dodd School of Art.

You will be asked to list names and contact information for recommenders on the application for admission. An email request with a secure link will be sent to each recommender. Once the recommender completes the recommendation form, it will attach to your application for admission. Our department will be able to view the submitted letters of recommendation in the application portal. You can re-send notification emails to your recommenders via your Status Portal.

Letters of recommendation should be received by the application deadline, but applicants will not be screened out of the review process if a letter of recommendation is a couple of days late.

Applicants should submit unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended as part of the online application. Unofficial transcripts not submitted as part of the online application can be emailed to gradadm@uga.edu.

Official transcripts are not required during the review process and will only be required for applicants who are offered admission. Do not mail official transcripts until offered admission. For information about international credentials and what is considered by us to be official, please visit our Country-Specific Academic Credentials and Requirements page. Applicants must submit the following materials to Graduate Admissions in the Graduate School:

• Unofficial transcripts from each institution attended. (If UGA, you do not need to submit).

You can check the status of your application directly in the Slate portal. When you begin your application, you will receive an email from gradadm@uga.edu with a link to the Check Application Status portal. You will login with the email and password you used to create the application.

If you have questions about the status of your application, please contact gradarts@uga.edu.

Each program follows a different procedure for reviewing applications. Typically, applicants can expect to hear back within 6 to 8 weeks after the application deadline. Please keep an eye on your email for communications from the department during this time.

Final admissions decisions are made by the Graduate School, and an email will be sent to you when a decision has been made.

Information and resources are available on our Supplemental Information for International Applicants page. This page will help you determine appropriate credentials to submit and steps to follow. You will find specific requirements for academic records, proof of degree, US degree equivalencies and English language proficiency.

Applicants whose primary language is not English must submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores that are not more than two years old. Applicants who have received degrees from accredited institutions in the U.S. or from institutions in countries where English is the primary language (e.g., the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand) usually are not required to submit the TOEFL (or IELTS) scores. If such an applicant received the degree more than two years prior to application to UGA and has been residing/working in a country where the primary language is not English, he or she must submit current scores. Students who are currently enrolled and have been enrolled at least one year at a regionally accredited U.S. institution, may have the English language proficiency requirement waived, if their work shows a strong quality of performance.

The University of Georgia will accept satisfactory scores on either the TOEFL or IELTS language proficiency examinations for admission to graduate programs. Test scores must be submitted directly from the testing agency and must be received before the academic department makes a recommendation for admission.

We accept TOEFL iBT (including Computer Based, Home Edition, My Best and Paper Edition, and IELTS (including IELTS Online and One Skill Retake)).

• Minimum TOEFL score requirement: overall score of 80 with at least 20 on speaking and writing
• Minimum IELTS score requirement: overall band-width of 6.5, with no single band (score) below 6.0
• Minimum Intensive English Program requirement: successfully complete Level 6 and provide confirmation from Intensive English Program Director (iep.uga.edu)

Note that students who may seek a teaching assistantship while enrolled should consult with the UGA TA Policy, which has specific requirements regarding English proficiency in order to be eligible to teach or assist with instruction.

You can view the full English Language requirement policy on the Graduate School website. Please view country specific requirements to determine if you are required to submit test scores.

For information about international credentials and what is considered by us to be official, please visit our Country-Specific Academic Credentials and Requirements page. Applicants must submit the following materials to Graduate Admissions in the Graduate School:

• Unofficial transcripts from each institution attended. (If UGA, you do not need to submit).

All applications are automatically reviewed for departmental graduate assistantships. No separate application for assistantships is required.

Admitted students may be nominated for specific assistantships, such as the Arts Collaborative Assistantship in the spring.

Tuition is reduced to $25 a semester for all students on an assistantship. Additional information about tuition and student fees can be found on the Bursar’s Office Division site.

Applicants to the MAEd program can find cost information here.

Graduate students can apply for student loans through the UGA financial aid office.

Yes, applications must be accompanied by a $75 application processing fee. The fee for each additional application is $25.

Unfortunately, our department is unable to waive this fee. The fee is non-refundable and cannot be deferred or credited toward tuition. Applications are not reviewed until you have submitted and paid the application fee. If you must pay by check or money order, please email gradadm@uga.edu for further instructions.

Due to a large volume of applicants, it is our policy not to provide feedback on a prospective student’s work. Thank you for your understanding.

We will consider applicants with a bachelor’s degree from a different discipline. The statement of intent can be used to share your background and what has led you to decide that an MFA is the next logical step for you at this time.

Each MFA student is granted 24/7 access to a studio space on campus. MFA studios are clustered in the Main Art Building, the Ceramics Building, and at the Thomas Street Art Complex.

Facilities in the Main Art Building include painting & drawing, photo & expanded media, printmaking & book arts, and textiles. The Thomas Street Art Complex is home to the sculpture and jewelry & metalworking facilities.

Additional facilities information can be found here and images of individual studios are available on our MFA page.

UGA offers some on-campus housing for graduate students, however spaces fill very quickly. Most of our graduate students live off-campus in neighborhoods surrounding UGA.

Although UGA is a large research University, the Lamar Dodd School of Art has a close-knit community. Our main building and ceramics building are located on “east campus” nestled amongst the Georgia Museum of Art, the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, and the Performing Arts Center. The Thomas Street Art Complex is located further north and is adjacent to downtown Athens. Our contemporary art gallery, the Athenaeum, also borders on downtown.

Many of our students are active participants in student organizations on campus, including but not limited to the Association of Graduate Art Students (AGAS), Graduate Arts CommunityCouncil (GACC), The Black Artists Alliance (BAA), Ceramic Student Organization, and the Phi Beata Heata Student Organization (Jewelry). UGA’s Arts Collaborative is also housed in the Dodd Main Art Building.

The history of the Lamar Dodd School of Art can be found here.

Yes! You can browse our faculty directory on our website. You are also welcome to direct questions to gradarts@uga.edu.

Please keep in mind that responses may be slower during the summer and winter breaks. UGA closes between December 24 and January 1 for the winter holidays.

The certification program results in Level 4 teaching certification for the state of Georgia. This is a part-time non-degree program with classes that are held during the day. The final semester includes classroom teaching. The Certification program typically takes 1.5 years to complete.

The MAEd program is a 2-year part-time online master’s degree. This is a cohort-based program, and all students take the same sequence of courses. It is designed for current k-12 teachers who hold level 4 certification, or for educators who are interested in working in settings that do not require certification (such as museums and galleries). Those with Level 4 certification can earn Level 5 certification from this program.

The certification program can be taken concurrently with the online program.