Unlock your creative potential and boost your earning power by getting your online MFA from a top-ranked program. Find a list of the best schools and explore specializations in this guide.The following professionals lent their expertise to this article:
Author: Blake Huggins, PhD
Expertise: Graduate EducationOnline LearningBusiness AdministrationEditor: Jordan Cosselman
- Which Student Are You?
Which Type of Fine Arts Program Do You Need?
Read more - Spotlights
In-Depth Look at 3 Quality Online MFA Programs
Read more - Advantages
Advantages of Earning an Online Master's in Fine Arts
Read more - What You'll Learn
What You'll Learn in Online MFA Programs
Read more - Accreditation
Accreditation for Online MFA Programs
Read more - Salary/Pay
Creative Career Salary Outlook with an MFA
Read more - Top Schools
Top-Ranked Online MFA Programs
Read more
Which Type of Fine Arts Program Do You Need?
An MFA can mean two years of full-time studio work culminating in a thesis exhibition, or a low-residency format built around a job you’re not ready to leave. Choosing wrong stretches out your timeline and your tuition bill. The breakdown below can help you weigh which structure fits your practice and your life.
Which Fine Arts Student Is Most Like You?
The Career Starter
You’ve recently finished a BFA or studio art degree and want dedicated studio time and faculty critique to develop a stronger, more cohesive body of work.
Full-time, in-person study gives you sustained studio access and regular critique — the two things that most directly improve a young artist’s work — rather than fitting art-making around a job. Portfolio-based admission also means the program is built to develop your existing practice, not start you from scratch.
The Career Changer
You’re coming from a career outside the arts and want formal studio training to transition into a professional art practice.
Programs that don’t require an undergraduate art degree, and that include foundation-level studio coursework, are built for students developing their technical skills from a later starting point. A hybrid format also lets you keep some income and stability while you make that transition.
The Promotion Seeker
You’re a working artist who wants to move into gallery representation, higher-profile exhibitions, or a more advanced, critically engaged studio practice.
Seminar and critical theory coursework sharpens the conceptual framing of your work, which matters as much as technical skill once you’re seeking gallery representation or grants. Part-time, hybrid formats let you keep showing and selling work in your current market while you study.
The Working Balancer
You’re a working artist or have a day job and need an MFA structured around limited on-campus time, such as a low-residency format.
A low-residency structure means you attend intensive in-person sessions a few times a year and otherwise work independently and get mentored remotely, which fits around a job far better than a traditional daily studio schedule. This also means much of your thesis work happens in your own studio, on your own time.
The New Media Artist
You want to work primarily in digital art, video, or interactive and new media, not traditional painting, sculpture, or printmaking.
A new media concentration gives you access to the specific equipment, software, and faculty expertise — video editing suites, interactive installation, digital fabrication — that a traditional studio-discipline MFA typically doesn’t emphasize. A thesis exhibition still anchors the degree in a public presentation of finished work, just as it would in any studio concentration.
The Curatorial Track
You want to pair your studio practice with training in gallery, museum, or nonprofit arts leadership rather than pursue studio practice alone.
Coursework in arts administration and a curatorial practicum gives you practical experience in exhibition planning, grant writing, and nonprofit management — skills a studio-only MFA doesn’t teach — while you keep developing your own work. This combination is what positions you for gallery, museum, or arts-nonprofit roles alongside or instead of a purely studio-based career.
If you’re ready to advance your career in the fine arts, an online MFA program can give you the skills and confidence you need to achieve your goals. Earning a Master of Fine Arts online builds a core set of in-demand skills that you can take into the workplace to challenge, engage, and lead others.
Numerous schools offer affordable and accredited online MFA programs, so how do you pick the right one for your career goals?
This guide breaks down the different MFA specializations and spotlights popular online programs to help you find the one that’s right for you.
Start with our ranking of the top online MFA programs:
FIND PROGRAMS NEAR YOU:
In-Depth Look at 3 Quality Online MFA Programs
While these schools didn’t make our top list above, they each offer accredited, high-quality online MFA programs worth considering.
Review the spotlights below to see how they align with your budget, learning style, and career goals.
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) offers 11 online MFA specializations, including: animation, design for sustainability, fashion, graphic design, illustration, game development, luxury and brand management, motion media design, painting, photography, and writing.
- Credits: 90 total
- Format: Fully online, asynchronous learning with critiques, discussion boards, and access to industry-standard tech tools
- Student Experience: Small classes, 1-on-1 mentorship from award-winning faculty, and access to master classes, digital workshops, and virtual library tools
- Networking: Extensive opportunities to connect with industry leaders and global organizations
🎓 SCAD’s programs are designed for working professionals and creatives on the go, with plenty of ways to specialize further within your chosen area
University of Arkansas at Monticello
The School of Arts and Humanities offers two online MFA programs: creative writing and debate & communication.
- Credits: 48 (can be finished in 4 terms)
- Residency: Not required
- Capstone: Thesis project + comprehensive exam
- Funding: Limited graduate assistantships available (teaching undergrads + tuition support)
- Creative Writing Focus Areas: Literary analysis, critical thinking, multiple aesthetic approaches
- Debate & Communication Focus Areas: Administration, coaching, and qualitative research
🎓 All coursework is fully online, and students are encouraged to move through the program at a pace that fits their personal and professional lives.
School of Visual Arts (SVA) – NYC
The School of Visual Arts in New York City offers two online MFA tracks: art practice and visual narrative.
- Credits: 60 total
- Format: Hybrid low-residency | Online coursework during the year + intensive summer sessions in NY
- Capstone: Original thesis project, crafted and presented to the public
- Student Support: Access to SVA’s advisement center, technology tools, and career development services
- Art Practice: Interdisciplinary, covering multiple mediums and genres
- Visual Narrative: Blends creative writing and visual art
🎓 This hybrid model ensures online learners still benefit from the hands-on components that define fine arts education.
Advantages of Online MFAs
Online and hybrid MFA programs make fine arts education more accessible than ever. As an online student, you’ll benefit from the best of both worlds: you’ll learn from the same seasoned experts leading traditional programs, but you won’t have to disrupt your professional commitments or upend your life to go to campus.
Here are just a few of the advantages online MFA programs offer.
1. Affordability
Online programs are often less expensive, with some schools offering reduced tuition for distance learners.
Learn more about the cost of online master’s programs.
2. Convenience and Flexibility
While most “online” MFAs still include some in-person components, core courses are usually taken online, with a mix of asynchronous and synchronous formats to fit busy schedules.
3. Peer Workshopping
Studying online doesn’t mean going it alone. Expect critiques and collaboration via interactive online tools or in-person residencies.
What You’ll Learn in Online MFA Programs
While curricula vary by specialization, most online MFAs follow a similar structure:
- Core Courses: Broad exploration of fine arts and your specific discipline
- Electives/Specialization: Deeper dives into your chosen medium
- Capstone Project: A thesis, exhibition, or performance that showcases your artistic approach
Popular Courses
Art History Survey
This course offers a broad survey of art history beginning with the ancient world, moving through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and up to the present.
Students learn about different approaches to art and aesthetics, how those approaches interact with culture, and how they develop alongside other disciplines in the humanities.
Principles of Graphic Design
This course introduces students to the main techniques and methods of graphic design practice. It looks at typography, design theory, and the emergence of new media.
Students develop proficiency in key software packages specific to their interests and learn to conceptualize, research, and execute different design projects.
Approaches to Literary Theory and Art Criticism
A core course in most writing programs, this class cultivates a broad knowledge base in theoretical methods of criticism in literature and the arts.
It looks at the development of literary interpretation along with other analytical frameworks specific to the modern period. Students develop clear critical and communication skills through presentations and analysis of written texts.
Computer-Generated Modeling and Design
Students in this class receive instruction in the modeling tools and surface techniques used in the animation industry. The class also looks at storyboarding and previsualization.
You’ll develop key skills in modeling living forms and use insights from recent media theory to enhance expressive gestures, figurative motion, and fluid representation.
Fashion Structures and Materials
This course develops familiarity with fashion materials, related technologies, and the creative processes involved in each.
It helps students develop their own style and approach to fashion, informed by contemporary art and realization techniques in the fashion industry. Students experiment with three-dimensional development and work to build a representative portfolio.
Specialization Options
A key part of any online MFA program, specialization is paramount due to the broad nature of the fine arts. Most programs require you to choose a concentration early on.
Popular options include:
Creative Writing
Earning an online MFAin creative writing prepares you to work in publishing, authorship, criticism, and editing.
Depending on the program, this specialization may focus more on fiction, nonfiction, translation, or poetry. Along the way, you will cultivate key skills in genre analysis, literary theory, and written communication.
Example: Southern New Hampshire University
Design Thinking
This specialization builds broad-based competency in the fine arts, applicable in a range of professional contexts. It looks at how different approaches to design help address complex domestic and international problems.
Instruction in this interdisciplinary area begins with art history and design methodology and works to combine that knowledge base with organizational analysis.
Example: Radford University
Graphic Design
An online graphic design MFA builds the key skills needed for professional success in advertising and user experience. It focuses on the intersection between visual art, modern technology, and entrepreneurship.
Students learn to tell visually compelling stories using innovative and intuitive tools and to manage brand voices across an industry.
Example: Savannah College of Art and Design
Game Development and Interactive Design
Earning an online MFAin game development and interactive design cultivates proficiency with cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality.
Aspiring professionals learn to create models and simulations in responsive environments using motion media and animation tools.
Additional topics include the methodology of play (also called ludic methodology), immersive design, and human experience prototypes.
Example: Savannah College of Art and Design
Accreditation for Online MFA Programs
Any school you consider for your online MFAshould have proper institutional accreditation. The U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation establish guidelines for this quality-assurance process. They also recognize the independent agencies that administer accreditation.
Those agencies grant regional or national accreditation to schools that meet standards of quality and excellence. Potential online MFA programs should be housed within a school that holds one of these forms of institutional accreditation.
Some programs may have additional credentials like programmatic or specialized accreditation. This credential isn’t always necessary and does not replace institutional accreditation, but it does offer additional, discipline-specific backing. In the fine arts, programs typically receive accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
Creative Career Salary Outlook with an MFA
An MFA is the terminal degree in studio arts, positioning you for professional practice, gallery representation, academic teaching, and senior creative leadership roles. Graduates work as visual artists, graphic designers, creative directors, art faculty, and studio managers — across galleries, design agencies, brand studios, publishing houses, and higher education. The credential is required for most full-time teaching positions at the college and university level.
Design and creative roles vary widely in compensation, with corporate creative directors and brand design leaders at the top of the range. Graphic designers in agency and in-house corporate settings tend to earn more than those in traditional fine arts or nonprofit contexts.
Check the salary table below to see what graphic designers earn across states, and benchmark creative career compensation in your area.
Graphic Designers
| Area | Median | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | $62,960 | $81,830 | $104,910 |
| Alabama | $51,070 | $67,430 | $89,130 |
| Alaska | $62,570 | $77,980 | $103,440 |
| Arizona | $58,510 | $75,290 | $88,590 |
| Arkansas | $46,220 | $58,230 | $79,730 |
| California | $75,130 | $99,240 | $129,560 |
| Colorado | $66,330 | $85,810 | $118,560 |
| Connecticut | $72,700 | $84,790 | $106,830 |
| Delaware | $60,130 | $76,820 | $92,920 |
| District of Columbia | $87,920 | $114,280 | $136,660 |
| Florida | $61,660 | $80,680 | $101,860 |
| Georgia | $60,250 | $77,670 | $100,110 |
| Hawaii | $58,070 | $78,420 | $91,080 |
| Idaho | $50,350 | $64,550 | $82,140 |
| Illinois | $62,560 | $81,320 | $98,750 |
| Indiana | $55,480 | $70,260 | $98,020 |
| Iowa | $50,310 | $63,640 | $75,510 |
| Kansas | $53,630 | $64,560 | $86,260 |
| Kentucky | $52,960 | $65,330 | $81,690 |
| Louisiana | $49,910 | $62,570 | $76,300 |
| Maine | $60,030 | $74,120 | $79,000 |
| Maryland | $75,120 | $94,930 | $109,630 |
| Massachusetts | $76,710 | $95,990 | $108,970 |
| Michigan | $57,350 | $70,400 | $86,320 |
| Minnesota | $63,860 | $78,380 | $96,960 |
| Mississippi | $45,640 | $57,720 | $75,480 |
| Missouri | $56,750 | $70,920 | $83,270 |
| Montana | $56,890 | $70,980 | $104,780 |
| Nebraska | $56,700 | $65,590 | $78,840 |
| Nevada | $62,890 | $79,510 | $88,890 |
| New Hampshire | $60,490 | $78,190 | $95,680 |
| New Jersey | $73,790 | $92,040 | $122,940 |
| New Mexico | $56,730 | $70,520 | $75,680 |
| New York | $77,340 | $100,370 | $131,250 |
| North Carolina | $58,450 | $74,410 | $95,380 |
| North Dakota | $56,470 | $63,760 | $75,700 |
| Ohio | $60,080 | $77,150 | $99,370 |
| Oklahoma | $53,630 | $65,980 | $80,980 |
| Oregon | $66,040 | $103,220 | $170,680 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,730 | $80,480 | $102,090 |
| Rhode Island | $78,220 | $93,370 | $107,580 |
| South Carolina | $57,170 | $72,530 | $90,000 |
| South Dakota | $48,390 | $57,560 | $66,620 |
| Tennessee | $57,270 | $75,170 | $92,540 |
| Texas | $60,150 | $75,540 | $92,910 |
| Utah | $62,310 | $79,000 | $96,810 |
| Vermont | $65,690 | $92,790 | $123,500 |
| Virginia | $72,310 | $95,420 | $121,680 |
| Washington | $72,710 | $93,490 | $115,210 |
| West Virginia | $40,350 | $48,550 | $61,640 |
| Wisconsin | $59,900 | $73,360 | $85,050 |
| Wyoming | $45,150 | $57,010 | $82,990 |
Source: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/graphic-designers.htm
Data does not reflect school-specific information.
Costs and Financial Aid for Online MFA Programs
Cost is a big factor for any course of study, and online MFA programs are no different. Securing financial aid and understanding the expenses before you enroll can help lessen the burden once the program begins. Many programs offer their own financial aid opportunities through scholarships, fellowships, and other awards. Private organizations and key stakeholders in the arts often do the same.
Tuition rates for these programs often fluctuate and depend on factors such as the type of school (public or private), your enrollment status, and where you plan to live during your online MFA program. Use the handy table below to gain a fuller understanding of the range of costs involved.
What Your Online Master’s in Fine Arts Could Cost
| Program | No. of Credits | Cost/Credit | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lesley University: MFA in Visual Arts | 60 | $1,150 | $69,000 |
| University of Nebraska Omaha: MFA in Writing | 60 | $514 | $30,840 |
| University of Houston-Victoria: MFA in Creative Writing | 38 | $367.68 | $13,237 |
FAQs About Earning Your Master of Fine Arts Online
Top-Ranked Online MFA Programs
Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development
Best for: career changers
Fort Hays State University
Best for: career changers
Liberty University
Best for: career changers
The University of Alabama
Best for: career changers
Florida State University
Best for: career changers
Wichita State University
Best for: career changers
The University of Texas at Tyler
Best for: career changers
Western Colorado University
Best for: career changers
Columbia College Chicago
Best for: career changers
University of New Orleans
Best for: advancement-focused students
