Undergraduate Michael Chang works on a watercolor at the Roski School of Art and Design Open Studios. Photo by David Sprague.
Founded in 1883, the USC Roski School of Art and Design is a leader in the constellation of influential Los Angeles art schools. Our programs encourage interdisciplinary approaches to studio art, design, curatorial practice and critical studies. USC Roski trains artists, designers and curators in aesthetic acuity, technical ability and critical insight.
Students pursuing a BA have ample opportunity to explore the academic offerings of a world-class research institution, while BFA students immerse themselves fully in studio production. A distinguished and dedicated faculty teaches comprehensive courses in painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, design, digital media and critical studies. Students work across media to push perceived boundaries and discover their individual voices within increasingly global contexts.
At the graduate level, the MFA program is recognized nationally for its breadth and intensity, and a faculty of renowned practicing artists. Spacious private studios, one-on-one critiques with influential guest lecturers, and the expanded field of production offered by the Roski School’s location in Los Angeles attract a highly selective student cohort. The MA program, Curatorial Practices and the Public Sphere, is a platform for scholarship in contemporary art that addresses social questions of public space. In addition to a master’s thesis, each class collectively engages in a curatorial practicum, culminating in an exhibition project that explores city-space.
Southern California is an unparalleled creative capital. Leading museums, galleries, advertising agencies, design firms, artist studios, and the music and film industries offer emerging artists and designers a wealth of internship and employment opportunities throughout their course of study.
Watt Hall of Architecture and Fine Arts 104
(213) 740-2787
FAX: (213) 740-8938
Email: roski@usc.edu
roski.usc.edu
Administration
Erica Muhl, DMA, Dean
Faculty
Professors: Jud Fine, MFA; Amelia Jones, PhD; Margaret Lazzari, MFA*; Rochelle Steiner, PhD; Ruth Weisberg, MA*
Associate Professor: Bob Alderette, MFA
Associate Professor of Art: Nao Bustamante, MFA
Associate Professors of the Practice of Fine Arts: Shannon Ebner, MFA; Karen Koblitz, MFA; Haven Lin-Kirk, MFA; Ann Page, BFA; Julia Paull, MFA
Assistant Professors of the Practice of Fine Arts: Sherin Guirguis, MFA; Jennifer West, MFA
Visiting Assistant Professor: Edgar Arceneaux, MFA
Senior Lecturers: Caroline Clerc, MFA; Ewa Wojciak, MFA
Full-time Lecturers: China Adams, MFA; Jeffrey Cain, MFA; Steve Child, MFA; Alice Fung, MArch; Osvaldo Trujillo, MFA; Noura Wedell, PhD
Part-time Lecturers: Tom Allen, MFA; Tanya Batura, MFA; Ian Besler, MA; Maura Brewer, MFA; Andrew Byrom, MFA; Alexis Disselkeon, MFA; Paul Donald, MVA; Xavier Fumat, MFA; Phyllis Green, MFA; Emilie Halpern, MFA; Peter Holzhauer, MFA; Patrick Jackson, MFA; Helen Kim, MFA; Andrew Kutcher, MFA; Karen Liebowitz, MFA; Nancy Lupo, MFA; Tala Madani, MFA; Marisa Mandler, MFA; David McDonald, MFA; Joseph Morris, MFA; Karen Moss; Brian O’Connell, MFA; Brian Olson, BA; Richard Parker, MFA; Joseph Potts, MFA; Jean Robison, MFA; Stephanie Sabo, MFA; Julie Schustack, MFA; Aaron Siegel, MFA; Jamie Sweetman, MFA; John Tain, BA; Alexis Zoto, MFA
Emeritus Professors: Ron Rizk, MFA; Jay Willis, MA
*Recipient of university-wide or school teaching award.
General Information
Degrees Offered
At the undergraduate level, the school offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts. The Bachelor of Arts in Art is offered in conjunction with the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. The Roski School of Art and Design also offers eight minor programs in studio arts and design and participates in a 3-D animation minor in conjunction with the Viterbi School of Engineering’s Information Technology Program, a communication design minor in conjunction with the Marshall School of Business and the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, and a 2-D art for games minor and 3-D art for games minor with the Viterbi School of Engineering and the School of Cinematic Arts.
Degrees offered at the graduate level are: Master of Fine Arts, Master of Arts, Curatorial Practices and the Public Sphere, and Master of Science, Integrated Design, Business and Technology. A dual degree is also available: Master of Planning/Master of Arts, Curatorial Practices and the Public Sphere.
Minimum Grade Point Average Requirements
A minimum grade of C (2.0) or higher is required in all studio and art history courses for all undergraduate majors and minors in the Roski School of Art and Design. A grade of C- or lower will not satisfy a major or minor requirement. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 must be maintained by all candidates for the Master of Fine Arts and Master of Arts.
Undergraduate Admission
Admission to the Roski School of Art and Design at the undergraduate level is granted through the USC Office of Admission. Freshman applicants applying by December 1 for the fall semester will receive priority consideration for admission to the university. The deadline for transfer applicants for the fall semester is February 1.
Undergraduate applicants must upload a portfolio of images and an artist statement at the school’s Website. Specific requirements and additional information are available at roski.usc.edu/undergrad or email finearts@usc.edu.
Students who have not been admitted to the Roski School of Art and Design may complete a maximum of 20 units of fine arts course work at USC. No further course work may be taken until admitted. Students who are interested in becoming fine arts majors or minors should meet with the Roski School’s advisers as soon as possible, preferably during their first semester taking art classes. Advisers can be contacted through the school’s Advisement Office, Hazel Stanley Hall 101, (213) 821-1290, for assistance.
Graduate Admission
Applications for admission to the graduate programs are evaluated by the USC Office of Graduate Admission before being forwarded to the school. Students must be admitted by both the USC Graduate School and the Roski School of Art and Design. The Graduate School’s general admission requirements include official transcripts of all previous college and university work, and three letters of recommendation from instructors or persons able to comment on the applicant’s creative work and/or scholarly potential.
Applicants to the MFA degree must upload a portfolio of images and an artist statement at the school’s Website. Specific requirements and additional information are available at roski.usc.edu/academic/mfa.
Applicants to the MA degree are encouraged to review program requirements at roski.usc.edu/academic/ma.
Advisement
Academic advisement is provided to fine arts majors, minors and graduate students through the Advisement Office in Hazel Stanley Hall 101, (213) 821-1290. All students who are interested in taking art courses are welcomed and encouraged to make an appointment for advisement as well. The staff advisers provide information regarding academic life at the university, program requirements, policies and procedures to assist students with their degree completion. Majors are required to meet with advisers before registering each semester. Appointments may be scheduled at most times during the academic year.
International Study Options
Fine arts majors may take advantage of art courses offered through study abroad programs in Canberra, Australia; Cape Town, South Africa; Florence or Cortona, Italy; and London, England. These options are described on the International Study Options page.
Please contact the USC Overseas Studies Office in CAS 104, (213) 740-3636, or usc.edu/schools/college/overseas for complete information, program requirements and applications.
Minor Programs
The Roski School of Art and Design offers minors in art and design as supplements to major fields of specialization in other departments and schools for students whose academic programs do not permit the opportunity to pursue one of the school’s regular degree options. There are eight intensive studio minors — in painting, drawing, photography, ceramics, sculpture, two-dimensional studies, digital media-based imaging, and 3-D design — as well as interdisciplinary minors in communication design, 2-D art for games and 3-D art for games. There is a separate application for fine arts minors available at roski.usc.edu/academic/minors.
Candidates for the minors in the Roski School of Art and Design will be counseled by an academic adviser in the school.
Bachelor’s Degree
Minor
Master’s Degree
Dual Degree
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