Studio School Admissions
Admissions
The Studio School provides art history, workshop, and studio courses for adults. Students must be at least 18 years of age to attend any studio courses or workshops. Students 15 to 17 years of age may enroll in courses (offered during the fall and spring semesters) with the permission of their legal guardian and the course instructor. Questions regarding permission may be directed to the dean.
Students enrolled in the Studio School courses are expected to actively participate in their courses and to work toward the improved development of their artistic practices. Students at advanced levels looking to work independently must have faculty approval for their projects and be registered for either advanced-level courses or independent study.
The school uses English as the medium of instruction, and all students are assumed to have proficiency in English, particularly with regard to understanding statements and instructions about safety and equipment operation.
Due to class-size limitations, the Studio School does not allow enrollment solely for the use of equipment and facilities, nor offer rental of studio time, equipment, or facilities for working artists.
Prerequisites and Registration
Registrations are not accepted by phone. Undersubscribed sections are canceled at the discretion of the Glassell School.
Art history courses and most workshops do not have any prerequisites, unless specifically noted in description.
New students may enroll in any course or workshop that does not require prerequisites. New students wishing to enroll in a course requiring prerequisites must set up an appointment for a portfolio review. Please contact Glassell by email at glassell@mfah.org or by phone at 713.639.7500 to set up an appointment. Students may register online or in person at the administrative office. Studio course registrations are not accepted via third-party representatives.
Students may skip prerequisite courses only if their student file contains one of the following: 1) documentation that the prerequisite was waived by a faculty counselor or 2) a transcript showing that the prerequisite was completed at another institution. Students must repeat any prerequisite courses in which they received grades of W, DR, or F.
Beginning, intermediate, and advanced studio courses consist of two semesters. Students are expected to enroll in each semester in numerical sequence without skipping semesters, unless the student’s record file contains either 1) a transcript showing completion of similar course work at another institution or 2) faculty approval. Additionally, students are expected to progress through the levels at a reasonable rate of study.
Transfer Credit
Students wishing to transfer credits from other institutions must submit official transcripts and a portfolio for review. To set up an appointment for a portfolio review, contact the office via email at glassell@mfah.org or call 713.639.7500. Official transcripts must be provided no later than one month after the end of the semester’s registration period. Students who do not furnish transcripts by this deadline may be dropped from all classes with no tuition refund. Transfer credit will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the dean of students in conjunction with the registrar’s review of the student’s transcript.
International Students
The Glassell School is not able to grant F1 student visas to international students seeking to study studio arts.
Studio School Scholarships
A limited number of scholarships are available each fall and spring semester for both studio and art history courses. These merit-based scholarships are awarded through a portfolio review by a panel of Studio School faculty. Scholarships are funded through proceeds from the Annual Student Sale as well as privately funded grants. Scholarships are available to students at all levels but are awarded solely based on the quality of the artwork submitted through portfolios.
When available, application information, deadlines, and forms can be found on Student Forms.
Tuition and Fees
See each course catalog for applicable tuition and fees.
The Glassell School of Art does not offer payment plans. Tuition is due in full at the time of registration. Workshops are priced individually.
Tuition covers the cost of the class and includes scaled fees for appropriate use and maintenance of equipment in all studios, purchase of bulk supplies (chemicals, glazes, and inks) in various areas, hazardous waste disposal fees, and all fees to figure models in scheduled classes and figure drawing lab sessions. Tuition rates are listed below for courses in various areas and reflect the appropriate scaled fee for use of school-provided resources.
Personal supplies such as paints, canvas, brushes, clay, tools, photographic paper, lenses, cameras, and other materials are not included in these fees, and it is expected that students will provide these materials for themselves. Supply lists are provided by instructors at the first class meeting.
Tuition
- Online Studio Courses (3 hours): $600
- Online Art History Courses (3 hours): $400
- Studio Courses (3 hours): $825 each
2-D Design, 3-D Design, Collage & Assemblage, Color, Critique, Digital Photography, Drawing, Drawing Fundamentals, Painting, Seminar, Watercolor - Studio Courses (3 hours): $950 each
Ceramics, Digital Sculpture, Enameling, Foundry, Jewelry, Life Drawing, Life Painting, Photography, Printmaking/Monoprint, Sculpture - Art History Courses (3 hours): $530 each
All workshops are individually priced, with prices listed in workshop description in course catalog.
MFAH Member Discounts
Museum members at the Patron level ($200 annual membership fee) and above are eligible for a 5% discount on all courses and workshops per semester.
Members receive many exclusive benefits, including discounts on art classes, year-round free general admission to the Museum, invitations to members-only events and exhibition previews, insider information from the Museum’s newsletters, and discounts for film tickets, the MFA Shop, Bayou Bend, and Rienzi. Learn more about MFAH membership and join.
Payment Policy and Refund
The school requires a minimum number of students in order to hold a class. Students enrolled in classes that are canceled because of low enrollment will be notified by the registrar prior to the start of the semester and given an opportunity to enroll in another class or receive a full 100% refund.
Adding/Dropping/Withdrawing
Students wishing to add or drop must complete an add/drop form, available on the Student Forms page and in the registrar’s office. All courses are considered closed after the first class meeting, and permission of the instructor is required to add into a course. Additional tuition charges and refunds are processed as appropriate. Any student submitting more than one (1) add/drop form per semester will be charged a processing fee of $50 for each additional form submitted.
Students dropping a class must inform the registrar and complete an add/drop form by the official drop date listed in the catalog and on the academic calendar. Refunds will be processed for the full amount of tuition, minus a $100 processing fee. After that date, which is listed in the calendar for each semester, no credits or refunds are given. Refunds are processed through the MFAH accounting department and, in most cases, are processed through the original method of payment. In cases where the student’s credit card was swiped in the original transaction, the school does not maintain swiped credit card information on file. Refunds in these situations will be processed by check. Refunds by check are sent via U.S. mail and may take up to three (3) weeks to process.
Students wishing to drop a workshop and receive a refund must submit a drop form one (1) week prior to the start of the workshop. Refunds will be processed for the full amount of the workshop costs, minus a $50 processing fee. The school does not offer prorated refunds or credits for individual sessions of courses or workshops that are canceled for reasons beyond the school’s control, such as weather or unexpected absence of the instructor.
Medical Drop Policy
In the case of serious illness or injury necessitating the student’s withdrawal from the school, it is the responsibility of the student to notify the registrar immediately. Requests will only be honored if the student submits documentation from his/ her physician that a withdrawal from the course is medically necessary. A prorated refund will be issued to the student. The registrar will process the student out as appropriate, including initiating any credit, and notify the student’s instructor(s). Instructors cannot initiate or complete the withdrawal process on behalf of a student, nor initiate any refund or credit processes.
Certificate of Achievement Program
The Studio School at the Glassell School of Art offers a comprehensive fine arts program in which students work toward a Certificate of Achievement in one of the following subjects: drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, or jewelry.
A student may begin this program at any point. The program provides students with the necessary foundation for continued studies at an intermediate or advanced level in their major field. A wide range of course offerings for elective credits supplements the major field of study.
Upon the student’s satisfactory completion of 60 specific credits, the student’s work is reviewed and approved by a certificate committee made up of Studio School faculty.
BLOCK Program
The Studio School offers an intensely focused year-long program for the advanced student with an ongoing studio practice. BLOCK encourages the development of a peer group of artists, allowing for lasting interactions and shared learning.
Each participant receives weekly individual critiques with a mix of Glassell faculty, Houston-area artists, curators, and critics. Weekly morning seminars, which require advance preparation, focus on other contemporary artists’ practices and professionalization practices, combining lectures, discussions, and field trips. Drawing from the rich resources of the MFAH, with trips to exhibitions and visits from curators, BLOCK expects significant developments in each participant’s work.