Preparing Artists to Teach: A Critical Study of Pedagogical Training in MFA Programs

Abstract

This study examines how pedagogical preparation is conceptualized, structured, and experienced within Master of Fine Arts (MFA) programs in the visual arts in the United States. Although many institutions assert that their graduates are prepared for academic careers, formal opportunities for teaching development remain limited and inconsistently applied. Using a multi-phase qualitative design that included analysis of twenty-five MFA program documents, a national survey of students and alumni, and semi-structured interviews with faculty and graduates, the study explored how pedagogy is positioned within studio-based visual arts education and how artists negotiate their identities as educators.Findings reveal that pedagogy occupies a marginal position in most MFA curricula. Teaching is often treated as intuitive or secondary to artistic practice, and critique, which is central to studio learning, remains under-theorized, emotionally complex, and rarely taught as a facilitation skill. Institutional reliance on inherited models of instruction further limits innovation and inclusivity. However, the study identifies significant potential for integrating pedagogical reflection within the studio, where processes of making, iteration, and dialogue align with principles of effective teaching. The research contributes to art education, curriculum studies, and higher education by highlighting the structural, cultural, and epistemological conditions that shape teaching in the visual arts and by positioning pedagogy as a creative, intellectual, and ethical dimension of MFA education.