Wide shot of gallery showcasing variety of textiles

Graduate Program in Textiles

The M.F.A. in Textiles positions textile-making firmly within the contemporary art landscape while encouraging a transdisciplinary approach to studio practice. 

Students work closely with faculty mentors to nurture their artistic voice and draw upon the significant resources of the Textiles program. Individual making is contextualized by engaging the histories, political meanings, and social themes embedded in the discipline alongside the broader art historical canon. 

The program integrates studio activity, art historical research, summer workshops, travel study to New York, and the culminating MFA thesis exhibition as a means of guiding emerging artists toward an active, public, evolving, and sustainable art practice. The School of Art offers both the Masters of Art degree in Studio Art and the Masters of Fine Art degree in Textiles.

See Our Textiles Facilities

Program Highlights
  • Dedicated studio space for M.F.A. graduate students
  • Graduate Assistantships for M.F.A. students that offer tuition remission and a stipend
  • Working with a range of graduate faculty
  • Renowned visiting artist program
  • Kent Blossom Art Intensives - two-week summer studio intensives with visiting artists
  • Access to state-of-the-art facilities, equipment and tools
  • Travel study opportunities every semester to New York City, plus other domestic and international trips offered
  • Access to world-class museums and research libraries
  • School-wide digital fabrication lab (ARTech Studio)
Application Information

Our graduate application deadline for Fall 2025 admission has passed and we are no longer accepting applications with funding.  If you have questions about an unfunded M.A. degree, please contact the Graduate Coordinator of the School of Art, Andrew Kuebeck at akuebeck@kent.edu. The Fall 2026 application cycle will open in September.

Degree Offerings

Recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s top graduate programs in the visual arts, the School of Art at Kent State University provides abundant opportunities for graduate students to advance their skills in all areas of studio art. We offer the only MFA program in northeast Ohio, and the only program in the state of Ohio to offer this breadth of studio specialties.

Learn about our M.F.A. in Studio Art

Learn about our M.A. in Studio Art

Visiting Artists Program

Each month throughout the school year, visiting artists in all studio art disciplines are invited to campus for public lectures, studio visits and demonstrations. Around ten visiting artists and scholars visit Kent State every year. Artists exhibiting in nearby Akron and Cleveland are also invited conduct studio visits with MFA students when available.

Students also have opportunities to meet artists and curators on travel study trips to New York City as well as day trips to museums and galleries in nearby Akron, Cleveland, Detroit, Columbus, and Pittsburgh.

Additionally, during the summer Kent Blossom Art Intensives, the School of Art has as many as fourteen visiting artists come to campus. Artists give talks open to all disciplines and the public, and work with participants in their related field. 

CONTACT US:

For more information or to schedule a visit, contact head of Textiles, John Paul Morabito at jmorabi1@kent.edu or 330-672-1358.

Student Work

figure walking through textile exhibit
gallery shot of textile exhibit
green and yellow textile hanging on a wall
Cashay Johnson Textile image
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