Book Arts, MFA
This is the first version of the 2026–27 General Catalog. Please check back regularly for changes. The final edition and the historical PDF will be published during the fall semester.
The MFA degree focuses on book arts as a hands-on practice, a creative medium, and a historical and cultural phenomenon. Its principal objectives are to provide aesthetic and scholarly contexts for the making of creative work and the study of book history, arts, and technologies. It also offers a structured program in book-related disciplines for graduate students interested in studio arts, librarianship, and literary and cultural history.
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
- have a breadth of hands-on and contextual (studio, art historical, cultural) experience with art, craft, and design disciplines within the book arts;
- deeply study one or more craft disciplines within the book arts;
- demonstrate sustained, project-based problem-solving accomplished through art-making;
- show proficiency in hand skills (scale: competence, proficiency, excellence/mastery);
- experience an interdisciplinary synthesis of studio art, scholarly practice, and material analysis;
- practice critical thinking within and across these book-based disciplines; and
- gain professional development experience and exposure to career tracks.
The Master of Fine Arts in book arts requires a minimum of 60 s.h. of graduate credit, including a thesis. Students complete core courses and work with a faculty advisor to design an individualized curriculum spanning several studio practice disciplines: artist bookwork, bookbinding, lettering arts, digital bookwork, papermaking, or letterpress printing. The degree culminates with the successful completion of a thesis. A Graduate College program grade-point average of 3.00 is required.
All courses must be taken on an A–F basis. A maximum of 12 s.h. of transfer coursework is permitted and requires program approval.
Courses should be selected in consultation with an advisor.
The MFA in book arts requires the following coursework.
| Requirements | Hours |
|---|---|
| Core Requirements | 21 |
| Studio Practice Courses | 15 |
| Scholarly Inquiry and Material Analysis Courses | 6 |
| Additional Electives | 18 |
Core Requirements
With the permission of the advisor, students may be permitted to replace UICB:6520 Graduate Book Arts Workshop with a workshop taught outside of the Center for the Book.
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| These courses: | ||
| UICB:6510 | Book Art Seminar: History, Practice, and Critique | 3 |
| UICB:6520 | Graduate Book Arts Workshop (taken three times for 3 s.h. each) | 9 |
| Three of these (9 s.h.): | ||
| UICB:4205/BKAT:4205 | Bookbinding I: Materials and Techniques | 3 |
| UICB:4300/ARTS:4300 | Letterpress I | 3 |
| UICB:4400/ARTS:4400 | History of Western Letterforms | 3 |
| UICB:4415/ARTS:4415 | Introduction to Classical Calligraphy | 3 |
| UICB:4420 | Introduction to Medieval Calligraphy | 3 |
| UICB:5110/BKAT:5110 | Papermaking I: East Asia, Nepal, and Contemporary Practice | 3 |
| UICB:5130/BKAT:5120 | Papermaking I: Central Asia, Europe, and Contemporary Practice | 3 |
Studio Practice Courses
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 15 s.h. from these: | ||
| UICB:3280/BKAT:3280 | Elements of Book Art | 3 |
| UICB:3380/BKAT:3380 | Letterpress | 3 |
| UICB:4100/BKAT:4100 | Paperworks | 3 |
| UICB:4205/BKAT:4205 | Bookbinding I: Materials and Techniques | 3 |
| UICB:4210/BKAT:4210 | Boxes and Enclosures | 3 |
| UICB:4270/BKAT:4270 | Bookbinding II | 3 |
| UICB:4280/BKAT:4280 | Artists' Books | 3 |
| UICB:4290 | Historical Book Structures | 3 |
| UICB:4300/ARTS:4300 | Letterpress I | 3 |
| UICB:4370 | Topics in Letterpress | arr. |
| UICB:4380/ARTS:4380 | Letterpress II | 3 |
| UICB:4390/ARTS:4390 | Book and Publication Design | 3 |
| UICB:4400/ARTS:4400 | History of Western Letterforms | 3 |
| UICB:4405 | Introduction to Calligraphy Intensive | 3 |
| UICB:4415/ARTS:4415 | Introduction to Classical Calligraphy | 3 |
| UICB:4420 | Introduction to Medieval Calligraphy | 3 |
| UICB:4490/ARTS:4490 | Advanced Studies in Letter Arts | 3 |
| UICB:5110/BKAT:5110 | Papermaking I: East Asia, Nepal, and Contemporary Practice | 3 |
| UICB:5130/BKAT:5120 | Papermaking I: Central Asia, Europe, and Contemporary Practice | 3 |
| UICB:5140/BKAT:5140 | Papermaking II: Contemporary Papermaking | 3 |
| UICB:5170/BKAT:5170 | Papermaking III: The Papermakers | 3 |
| UICB:5180/BKAT:5180 | Advanced Projects in Paper | 1-3 |
| UICB:5210/BKAT:5210 | Bookbinding III | 3 |
| UICB:5220/SLIS:5535 | Book Conservation | 3 |
| UICB:5280 | Advanced Projects in Bookbinding | 3 |
| UICB:5330/ARTS:5330 | Letterpress III: Imagemaking | arr. |
| UICB:5340/ARTS:5340 | Letterpress III: The Handprinted Book | 3 |
| UICB:5380 | Advanced Projects in Letterpress | 3 |
| UICB:5520/SLIS:5520 | Studies in Book History and Technologies | 0-3 |
Scholarly Inquiry and Material Analysis Courses
Additional courses may apply to this area with departmental approval.
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Two of these for a total of 6 s.h.: | ||
| UICB:3140/ENGL:3140 | Literature and the Book | 3 |
| UICB:3142/ENGL:3142 | Topics in Book History | 3 |
| UICB:3401/ENGL:3401 | Literature and Book History | 3 |
| UICB:3980/ARTH:3980 | American Print Culture | 3 |
| UICB:4150/ENGL:4150/SLIS:4150 | Introduction to Book Studies | 3 |
| UICB:4910/HIST:4422/SLIS:4910 | The Book in the Middle Ages | 3 |
| UICB:4920/HIST:4429/SLIS:4920 | The Book in Early Modern Europe | 3 |
| UICB:4390/ARTS:4390 | Book and Publication Design | 3 |
| UICB:5600/SLIS:5600 | Reading Culture: History and Research in Print and Digital Media | 3 |
| UICB:5930 | Topics in Material Analysis | 3 |
| UICB:6100 | Book Studies Proseminar | 3 |
| UICB:6370/SLIS:6370 | Topics in Book Studies | 3 |
| UICB:6530/HIST:6130 | Book History Seminar | 3 |
| ARTH:3870 | History of Photography | 3 |
Additional Electives
Students complete 18 s.h. in additional electives from Center for the Book courses (prefix UICB) numbered 3000 or above, excluding UICB:3900. A maximum of 6 s.h. in UICB:6540 MFA Thesis Hours may be applied to this requirement.
With the permission of an advisor, students may be able to apply a maximum of 6 s.h. of coursework outside of the Center for the Book toward this requirement.
MFA/MA in Library and Information Science
The Center for the Book and the School of Library and Information Science offer a combined Master of Fine Arts in book arts/Master of Arts in library and information science. The combined degree program allows students with strong interests in the book arts, book history, and material book studies to also gain expertise in library and information science. The degrees provide book artists and librarians with credentials reflecting a depth of skills and knowledge that have been used to secure positions in special collections libraries and archives. Students in the combined program earn both degrees by completing fewer semester hours than if each degree was completed separately.
Separate application to each degree program is required. Applicants must be admitted to both programs before they may be admitted to the combined degree program. For more information, see the MA in library and information science in the catalog.
Graduate education prepares students with advanced knowledge and skills in specialized fields. At the University of Iowa, the Graduate College advocates for student-centered graduate education and supports equitable application of rules and policies across graduate programs.
Academics
University of Iowa graduate credentials are regulated by policies and requirements found in the Graduate College Manual of Rules and Regulations. This includes minimum grade-point average (GPA) requirements for academic standing and degree conferral. The Graduate College sets the minimum requirement. Individual graduate programs may establish higher GPA requirements.
Admissions
Graduate student applicants must meet admission requirements for both the Graduate College and the program to which they have applied. University of Iowa graduate admission requirements are published by the Graduate College and on the Graduate Admissions website.
Financial Support
Graduate students might be eligible for financial support. Several contingencies apply, including degree program and award type, satisfactory progress toward degree, satisfactory completion of all duties related to an appointment, and availability of funding. Graduate students should inquire directly with their program for more information about funding availability. The Graduate Student Employment Standards govern the employment relationship between the University of Iowa and all graduate teaching and research assistants in all matters except wages, which are covered by an existing collective bargaining agreement or the conditions of an applicable federal grant.
Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate College; see the Manual of Rules and Regulations on the Graduate College website. Visit Admissions on the Center for the Book website for more information.
Sample Plan of Study
Sample plans represent one way to complete a program of study. Actual course selection and sequence will vary and should be discussed with an academic advisor. For additional sample plans, see MyUI.
Book Arts, MFA
This sample plan is currently being reviewed and will be added at a later date.