Support | Media Center | Event Rentals | Shop | Contact

Fall classes begin September 1
Register today for a Continuing Education class!

Student Work at Corcoran College of Art and Design

Student showcase
View more student work.

“My favorite thing about being a Corcoran student is the access we have to so many great teachers who are also talented and successful artists outside of school. I have been quite lucky to form relationships with many of these teachers. Faculty support us not only inside the classroom, but beyond—whether it’s getting our work shown and represented in the local art scene, bringing well established artists as guest speakers to campus, helping us determine how to mesh personal and professional career goals, or inspiring us to pursue our creative passions.”

–Camden Richards
Art and the Book, 2011

Master of Arts in Art and the Book

The Corcoran will host the American Printing History Association's annual conference on October 15-16

The Master of Arts in the Art and the Book Program offers a comprehensive approach to studying the history and theory of book culture, as well as contemporary methods of production. The program draws on the culturally rich collections and visiting artists at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, as well as resources at the Library of Congress, the National Gallery of Art, and other regional institutions. The curriculum also includes an internship program that pairs students with artists and curators at noted Washington establishments, giving students the opportunity for professional development in specialized areas. Graduates of the program will be accomplished scholars and bookmakers ready to practice their skills in academic, professional, and studio environments.

Art and the Book

Curriculum

The two-year, 48-credit program offers an array of academic and studio courses from traditional book arts to digital and multimedia approaches, including Letterpress Printing, Binding, Paper Making, Typography, Graphic Design, Digital Media, Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture, Writing, and Photography.

Master of Arts degrees in Art and the Book will be awarded to degree candidates upon their completion of 48 credits with a minimum grade point average of 3.0, along with their fulfillment of the Art and the Book Master Thesis. The Art and the Book program requires that degree candidates submit a final thesis project during their last semester of study. The thesis will consist of substantial written and studio components. Thesis work should demonstrate a student’s aesthetic, historical, critical, and theoretical understanding of the intersections of Art and the Book form. A final oral critique is also required. Candidates concentrating on theory and culture of the book must produce a comprehensive thesis paper and oral defense.

Required Courses
Total: 9 courses/27 credits
Art and the Book Graduate Seminar I
Art and the Book Graduate Seminar II
Art and the Book Graduate Seminar III
Art and the Book Graduate Thesis
Layout and Design of the Book
Letterpress I: Basics from 1400 to the Digital Age
Letterpress II.: Advanced Discovery in Letterpress
Binding I: Intermediate and Advanced
Typography I
History of the Western Book Survey
Special Topics Seminar: 20th Century Artist Book (topic to rotate)

Sample Courses and Electives*
Special Topics in Book Culture
Binding II: Historical Bindings
The Box and Book Object
Sculptural Book Workshop I
Sculptural Book Workshop II
Typography II
Advanced and Alternative Printmaking
The Sculptural Book I and II
Screen-printing for the Fine Arts