What Does it Mean to Study Art?
The University at Buffalo’s Department of Art is housed within New York State’s premier public university.
Student Art Sale in the Atrium of the Center for the Arts, during Spring Into Art 2025
What does it mean to study art?
The Department of Art offers a distinctive convergence of contemporary art, technology, and critical discourse.
Our programs combine rigorous studio art education with emerging technologies and an interdisciplinary reach that takes advantage of the resources of a major research university. In 2027, the U.S. News and World Report's National Universities rankings put the University at Buffalo as a top public university in the nation (85th rank).
Art students at UB combine intensive studio practice with the study of art history, contemporary art, and critical theory. Through access to a broad research community and close faculty mentorship, students are encouraged to work across disciplines, challenge conventional boundaries, and develop independent artistic practices.
Our department is home to the acclaimed Coalesce Center for Biological Arts. We also maintain collaborative relationships with programs and centers across UB, including the UB Art Galleries, the Center for the Arts, the Genome, Environment and Microbiome Community of Excellence, UB Sustainability, and Asia Research Institute. Students have access to extensive studios, labs, galleries, libraries, and research facilities across the university.
As one of the nation’s leading public research universities, UB combines an accessible public education with significant opportunities for financial aid and merit-based scholarships. In a typical year, UB administers approximately $370 million in financial aid and scholarships. More information about tuition, financial aid, and scholarships is available through UB Admissions here.
Our MFA programs offer substantial funding, dedicated resources, teaching experience, and 24/7 access to departmental studios and labs.
Our annual fall Visiting Artist Speaker Series brings nationally and internationally recognized artists to UB for public lectures, conversations, and studio visits with MFA students. The series introduces students to a wide range of contemporary artistic practices and provides direct opportunities to engage with artists about their work, ideas, and professional experiences.
Buffalo has a long history of experimentation in contemporary art and visual culture, and the University at Buffalo has played an important role in that history. Today, our students and faculty contribute to a broader artistic community that extends across the university, the city, and beyond.
Study art at UB and join a community where experimentation is encouraged, ideas are challenged, and new possibilities for art are continually explored. Develop your practice, challenge conventions, and help shape what art can become.