2025 Graduate Programs in Art and Architectural History & Fine Art at University of Manitoba

2nd Year MFA Summer Research Presentations in the School of Art ARTlab.

Call for Applications: 2025 Master of Arts in Art and Architectural History (MAAH) and Master of Fine Art (MFA) at the University of Manitoba

The School of Art (SoA) at the University of Manitoba (UM) in Winnipeg is a dynamic space for artistic and scholarly discovery and innovation, offering two graduate programs: the Master of Arts in Art and Architectural History (MAAH) and the Master of Fine Art (MFA). These programs combine rigorous research, theoretical inquiry, studio practice, and art historical studies, fostering both creative and academic excellence. Through engaging seminars, students refine their research abilities, while state-of-the-art facilities, private studios, and expert technical support inspire them to explore unique paths in artmaking and historical analysis.

The Master of Arts in Art and Architectural History (MAAH) is a two-year research-intensive, course- and thesis-based degree program. It covers a diverse range of subjects, including Western and Indigenous traditions of art and architecture from medieval to contemporary, art in new/digital media, and moving image studies. This unique amalgam provides students with a foundation in the histories and theories of art and architecture. It prepares them for studies at the PhD level and careers within galleries, museums, and the broader art world.

The two-year Master of Fine Art (MFA) program emphasizes studio work based on original research and allows MFA students to pursue a medium-specific or multidisciplinary approach. Through intensive seminars and studio-based instruction, the program fosters an environment conducive for students to nurture their research and studio practice. It culminates in a professional-level thesis exhibition in the SoA Gallery, accompanied by a hardcover catalogue.

School of Art ARTlab at the University of Manitoba Campus.

Research and Studio Facilities
The SoA spans an impressive 14,000 m² on the UM Fort Garry campus—most visibly in the award-winning ARTlab (Art Research Technology lab) and Taché Hall. These purpose-built, state-of-the-art facilities provide everything students need to produce work in various media, including:

• Printmaking, papermaking, and photography (analogue and digital).
• Bright, spacious painting, design, and drawing studios.
• A MAC lab, private editing suites, and a large-format digital print shop.
• A sound stage/recording booth and a microscopy lab.
• Ceramics and extensive sculpture fabrication facilities at satellite locations.

The UM Architecture/Fine Arts Library houses one of the largest collections on art, architecture, design, and planning in Canada. The SoA Art History Resource Room has its own rich collection of journals and books and serves as a hub for art history students. The UM Special Collections houses extensive rare books and archival material relevant to art and architectural research going back to the Renaissance.

All facilities are fully accessible, and each graduate student has 24-hour card-swipe access to facilities and private studios of approximately 35 m² each.

Faculty members Grace Han and Grace Nickel engage in discussion with MFA student Netsanet Shawl.

Mentorship and Community
The MAAH and MFA programs at SoA emphasize intensive research under close mentorship and peer engagement. As a graduate student, you’ll work closely with acclaimed professional artists and art historians who share a wide range of knowledge and know-how – including Indigenous and Métis knowledge – and are committed to working with students to meet their individual needs.

Enriching the graduate experience, we offer:

• A Visiting Speaker lecture series, with opportunities to engage with professional Canadian and international artists, curators, critics, and art historians.
• Access to the SoA Gallery collection of 5,000 historical and contemporary artworks and the UM art collection of over 1,500 works.
• Multiple exhibition spaces, creating unique opportunities for curation, exhibition, collaboration, and dialogue.
• A thriving art history program that enhances the intellectual depth and breadth of the community.
• An active and intensive program of frequent studio visits by local, national, and international artists, curators, and critics.
• Opportunities for professional practitioners from the Winnipeg art and design community to join advisory committees.
• Access to the extensive course offerings and resources of a U-15 university, including in the Desaultels Faculty of Music, the Faculty of Architecture, and programs in Indigenous Studies, Classics, Film, and Theatre within the Faculty of Arts.

Funding
The SoA is committed to providing students with generous financial support. Our funding package starts with a yearly stipend of $10,000 and the opportunity to receive a $14,000/year University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship. Second-year students are eligible for internal awards/scholarships ranging in value from $1,300–$11,000. Teaching and research assistantships are guaranteed, and students have the opportunity to apply for funding through various council grants.

Winnipeg: An Affordable Cultural Powerhouse
A thriving and welcoming city, Winnipeg is known nationally and internationally as a cultural powerhouse. This vibrant, human-scaled metropolis offers a supportive and diverse environment that encourages artistic expression and intellectual engagement. Known for its affordability, Winnipeg offers one of the lowest costs of living among major Canadian and North American cities. Its budget-friendly housing, transportation, and overall living expenses make it an ideal place for students and artists to thrive without the financial pressures of larger urban centers.

Winnipeg boasts an impressive array of gallery and cultural venues, including Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art, aceartinc., C2 Centre for Craft, Maison des artistes visuels francophones, Graffiti Gallery, Gallery 1C03 (University of Winnipeg), Martha Street Studio (Manitoba Printmakers Association), Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art, Platform Centre for Photographic & Digital Arts, Video Pool Media Arts Centre, the Costume Museum of Canada, the Manitoba Museum, The Pavilion Gallery in Assiniboine Park, and the Winnipeg Art Gallery–Qaumajuq.

The UM campuses are located on the original lands of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation. Honoured to be chosen as the host of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, UM is dedicated to advancing Indigenous research and scholarship and to becoming a center of excellence for this work.

Fall 2025 Application Deadlines
Master of Fine Art (MFA): January 15, 2025
Master of Arts in Art and Architectural History (MAAH): February 15, 2025

Learn more and apply

School of Art
313 ARTlab Building, 180 Dafoe Road
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2
Email: mfainfo@umanitoba.ca
Phone: 204-474-9367