Explore Low and Full Residency MFA Options at Maine College of Art & Design
Apply by January 18 to be considered for a full-tuition scholarship.
Apply by January 18 to be considered for a full-tuition scholarship.
Jenna Girolamo, MFA ’25, “Spring“ (2025), naturally dyed cotton canvas, glass beads, steel, 5’1” x 5’8”
The Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art (MFA) program at Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) offers an interdisciplinary approach that encourages students to think across traditional academic boundaries, expand their art practice, and challenge their intellectual curiosity.
Our six-term curriculum emphasizes the intersection of studio practice, individual research, and critical analysis. Built on a commitment to one-on-one student mentoring by distinguished faculty, visiting artists, critics, and curators, the MFA program at MECA&D offers a dynamic and supportive learning environment for artists who want to define and pursue a sustainable and transformative vision for their art practice.
Full and Low Residency
Embedded within our MFA is a level of flexibility that allows students to choose between Full and Low Residency. MECA&D’s Full Residency option provides 24/7 access to private studios and fabrication facilities where students work alongside peers and faculty. Among the first programs of its kind in the United States, MECA&D’s Low Residency option combines intense periods of on-campus instruction with the freedom and independence of working from any home location, anywhere in the world. Intensive group sessions, woven throughout our two-year curriculum, bring all MFA students together for research, travel, and dialogue.
Summer Intensive in Portland, Maine
All MFA students are in residence in Portland, Maine, for eight weeks each summer. As the first and fourth terms in a six-trimester course of study, these Summer Intensives function as catalysts for community and exchange. Renowned faculty, visiting artists, and critics deliver public lectures, conduct studio visits, and participate in group activities and discussions with graduate candidates during their respective visits.
Application Checklist
Full-Tuition Scholarship: January 18, 2026
Priority Acceptance: February 22, 2026
Program Start: June 15, 2026
See the application checklist.
To learn more and apply, visit meca.edu/mfa.