The College of Visual and Performing Arts graduate programs offer highly-focused study designed to prepare students for professional work in the arts and education.
Graduate Programs of Study
Arts Management
Contact: Dr. Karalee Dawn MacKay
The MA in Arts Management responds to a growing demand for graduates who can manage and coordinate the arts, bridging the worlds of performing and visual arts with applied managerial skills.
Dance, Concentration of Visual and Performing Arts MFA
Contact: Kim Harris
The MFA in Visual and Performing Arts, concentration in Dance, is a highly selective 60-credit program of study grounded in the modern dance genre that emphasizes mastery in performance, choreography, and teaching in higher education.
Music
Contact: Dr. Gregory Robinson
The Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music's rigorous and extensive academic offerings prepare students for high impact, fulfilling, and meaningful careers in music.
School of Art
Contact: Robert Yi
George Mason University’s School of Art is a collaborative academic and professional community focused on advancing creativity through traditional and new media applied to varying social contexts.
- Art Education, MAT
- Art Education Licensure Graduate Certificate
- Visual and Performing Arts MFA, Concentration in Graphic Design
- Visual and Performing Arts MFA, Concentration in Visual Art
Theater
The School of Theater’s mission is to use theater as a means of preparing students for a complex and challenging future, through rigorous, concentrated and individual training. We offer our graduates the best preparation for a life in the theater.
- Teaching Theater PK-12 Graduate Certificate
Contact: Mimsi Janis
- Visual and Performing Arts MFA, Concentration in Theatre
Contact: Djola Branner
CVPA Graduate ProSeminar (CVPA 600)
CVPA’s Graduate ProSeminar (CVPA 600) is an opportunity for all incoming graduate students to learn about the college’s practices and policies. Attendance is mandatory. This course will take place one week prior to the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. Specific date and time information will be sent to you via e-mail.
If you have any questions, please contact Asma Omarzad.
Complaints/Grievances
Please refer to the information on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page.
Graduation
Graduation Policies and Procedures
The College of Visual and Performing Arts follows all graduate academic policies as reflected in the University catalog. We are highlighting details for some policies below; however, it is the student’s responsibility to review graduate policy and procedures as outlined in the catalog.
Graduate Academic Standing
- Academic Warning. A notation of academic warning is entered on the transcript of a graduate student who receives a grade of C or F in a graduate course.
- Academic Termination. All graduate students should be familiar with the university policy on Academic Termination. If a student wants to request an exception to this policy, the Graduate Termination Appeal form must be submitted to the student’s program advisor within five business of receiving notification from the Office of the Registrar. If the form is approved by the advisor, it must be submitted to the CVPA Student Academic Affairs Office for further review. If approved by the CVPA Assistant Dean for Student Academic Affairs, the request also requires approval by the Associate Provost for Graduate Education (APGE). The Student Academic Affairs Office will send approved requests and documentation to APGE for further review. Find more information about graduate academic exceptions.
Grades
The College of Visual and Performing Arts abides by the grading policies as outlined in the University catalog.
Time Limit
Graduate students who would like to request an extension of their timeline (either to advance or to graduate) must complete the graduate time limit extension form.
Withdrawals
After the drop deadline, graduate students may withdraw from classes during the unrestricted withdrawal period. Please see the Office of the University Registrar’s website for drop and withdrawal deadlines. After these deadlines have passed students may request permission to withdraw for non-academic reasons (e.g., a medical emergency, family crisis etc.). Students should email their program advisor with detailed information explaining the reason for the request and attach documentation to support the request. After the advisor has reviewed the request, it will be sent to the CVPA Assistant Dean for Student Academic Affairs. If approved, the appropriate paperwork will be sent to the Office of the Registrar for processing.
Other Resources for Graduate Students
- Academic Calendar
- Accelerated Masters Programs
- Contact Student Affairs
- Counseling and Psychological Services
- Financial Aid Services
- Graduate Tuition and Fees
- International Programs and Services
- Registrar Graduate Student Forms
- Admissions Requirements by Program
- Teacher Preparation Programs
- University Career Services