Graduate Student Academic Resources
Find the support and resources to help you complete your graduate degree.
Directed Study
Directed study is the graduate student's primary focus as a Master's candidate. Directed study enables the graduate student to focus on the creation and completion of an independently conceived and committee-approved final thesis project and further the development of a comprehensive body of work/portfolio. Graduate students must have passed their Midpoint Review before starting Directed Study. Throughout all required units of directed study, graduate students have the following options as approved by their Department Director and/or Midpoint Review Committee:
- Take a class for directed study credit [800]
- Participate in a Group Directed Study [801, 805, 810-899]
- Participate in a DS Mentorship Forum [802]
- Take an Internship for directed study credit (maximum of six units) [900]
Upon successful completion of the directed study units, during the final semester of study, the graduate student is then eligible for final review and presentation of work before a formal review committee.
Midpoint & Final Review Showcase
Learn More About Midpoint & Final Reviews
Click here to access the MFA Lab
Institutional Review Board
The purpose of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the Institutional Review Guidelines at the Academy of Art University is to safeguard the physical, social, and emotional well being of human research subjects—individuals from whom information is obtained by researchers. The information is used as primary research in the preparation of Masters theses or independent projects.
View the IRB Procedures and Forms (PDF)
Graduate Advising Guideline & Timeline
Graduate Advising provides information and support that will enable you to successfully plan your graduate academic program and educational goals.
