Arts Departments and Programs

Blurred motion of a dancer in a flowing red costume.

The UBCFA is where the University at Buffalo’s Arts Departments converge. You may know us as the place where plays are staged, dances performed, art is exhibited, and UB’s artists meet their audiences. But our studios, workshops and classrooms see every stage of the creative process. Here at the UBCFA, techniques are taught, new ideas are hatched and rehearsals are held. We are where different departments and disciplines come together to collaborate, create and find inspiration.

Close up of a hand holding a paint brush to a canvas.

The Department of Art is dedicated to developing creative and academic skills in studio art, post-studio art, graphic design, aesthetics, critical theory, and art history.  Since its founding, our department has been committed to shepherding innovative approaches and new practices. We empower our students to represent their unique visions within a contemporary cultural environment.

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TheDepartment of Media Study is one of the country’s leadingprograms in experimental and independent media. DMS is led by an award-winning, internationally-activefaculty who probe media and its social implications in the widestcontext. We offer students exposure to an always evolving array of thematicfoci, ranging from screen culture to software studies, incorporating documentary and experimental film, video and sound, robotics, social media, gaming, interactive fiction, digital poetics and critical spatialpractice.

Woman with violin on her shoulder.

The Department of Music offers performers, composers, and scholars a stimulating interdisciplinary environment in which to develop their talents. The department is a showcase for world-renowned musicians—a diverse, energetic faculty with international reputations in composition, academic research, and musical performance.

Spotlight on lone student on dark stage.

The Department of Theatre and Dance engages emerging artists, scholars, and audiences dedicated to sustaining and innovating the performing arts across disciplines. Our diverse programs integrate rigorous training, critical understanding, and impassioned creation supported by close faculty mentorship and developed in collaboration with internationally recognized guest artists.

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Arts managers matter because they are the ultimate mediators between the arts and its best audience.  Arts leaders must negotiate the increasingly complex cultural, socioeconomic, legal, and political systems that challenge sustainable arts environments. The MA in Arts Management prepares you to face these challenges.