Illustration MFA
You see the world differently. Now learn to share that vision with others.
FIT’s Illustration MFA will not only elevate your visual storytelling skills. It will foster an entrepreneurial spirit that professional illustrators need. In an increasingly visual world, come refine your visual voice — and learn how to make sure it’s heard.
Program
Illustration MFA
The curriculum provides a broad perspective on the illustrator’s role across print and digital media, along with classes in creative writing and research. When you graduate, your visual thesis will be displayed in a gallery exhibition. These projects have included animation, concept art, children’s books, graphic novels, murals, reportage drawings, interactive digital media projects, and site specific installations.
'Syndicate XVI' exhibition
Each graduating student develops and executes a unique body of work that represents the cumulative experience of three years of technical exploration, artistic growth, academic research, and professional development.
Our Work
See how our students and graduates play a critical role in communicating ideas and information.
16 students in the graduating class of the 2024 Master of Fine Arts in Illustration became a cohesive group with their visual thesis exhibition.
Acclaimed artist Cristy Road Carrera, Illustration MFA ’17, creates mixed-media drawings of badass gender nonconformists, five of which were featured in Hue magazine.
John P. Dessereau, Illustration MFA ’19, created an original comic about digital authentication for Hue magazine.
FIT Illustration MFA students designed and installed two murals at Queens Hospital that will serve as a memorial garden honoring those lost to the pandemic.
What happens when you combine FIT Illustration graduates with a topic as visual, wide-ranging, and personal as animals? Cuddly creatures. Mythic beasts. Patterns. And more
In “a real dream come true,” John Dessereau, Illustration MFA ’19 sold two paintings from his thesis to Spike Lee.
Impact
Create art. Cross boundaries … Our graduates create work that earns international acclaim—no matter where they come from.
Beyond Graduation
Many graduates pursue freelance illustration opportunities in newspapers and magazines, children’s books, and graphic novels. Alumni have gone on to teach at FIT, the School of Visual Arts, Queens College, Brooklyn College, Wagner College, Columbus College of Art and Design, Brigham Young University, Duke University, the College of Creative Studies, University of Maryland Global Campus, and other institutions, including specialized high school and museum programs.
Alumni have worked for clients such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, Plan Sponsor Magazine, NBC News, ABC, ESPN, TruTV, HarperCollins Publishing, Macy’s New York, Martha Stewart, the American Museum of Natural History, Barron’s Educational Series, Candlewick Press, Computer Associates, Crain’s New York Business, Doubleday, Dunkin’ Donuts, Six Flags, General Mills Cereals, Trailside Museum and Zoo, Major League Baseball, and Upper Deck Trading Cards.
Learn From the Best
The faculty includes the executive director, past presidents and board members of the prestigious Society of Illustrators; members of the Art Directors Club of New York and the Society for Publication Designers; and winners of the Society of Illustrators Distinguished Educator Award. Faculty members are all active professionals working in a variety of areas of specialization such as editorial illustration, advertising art, children’s books, graphic novels, design, fine art gallery exhibition, and other fields. Meet more Illustration MFA faculty.
An award-winning graphic novelist and comics artist, Leach’s books have been published by Top Shelf Comics, Secret Acres, Czap Books, and Grindstone Comics. His work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators, The Xeric Foundation, The SPX Ignatz Awards, American Illustration, and 3x3 Magazine. He is currently serving as chair of the MFA in Illustration program.
John Jay Cabuay
John Jay Cabuay is a Filipino-American illustrator based in New York City. His illustrations have graced the covers of newspapers, magazines, and book jackets worldwide. He received his MFA in Illustration from the Fashion Institute of Technology. He was featured in Taschen’s 100 Illustrators, a book about 100 important illustrators around the globe. Cabuay first major picture book, Get Up Stand Up, was published by Chronicle Books. He is currently working on his second major picture book due for release in spring 2024.
Contact Us
Illustration MFA
Ryan Hartley-Smith
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