MFA Assistant Chair (71100)

About the role

The Fine Arts Department at Pratt Institute seeks a detail-oriented artist-educator to serve as Assistant Chairperson for the MFA program. Working closely with the Chair, the successful candidate will support the development, implementation, and academic and administrative management of the graduate Fine Arts program. The Assistant Chair is integral to the successful delivery of the MFA curriculum and the academic experience of graduate students. They coordinate graduate advising and monitor student progress across the program, working closely with faculty area coordinators, graduate faculty, and departmental staff. Responsibilities include supporting curriculum development and assessment; coordinating orientation, registration, and course planning; helping students navigate academic policies and Institute resources; supporting admissions and recruitment; and identifying and addressing academic or community concerns as they arise. The Assistant Chair also helps foster communication, collaboration, and interdisciplinary exchange across the program’s four areas of emphasis: Integrated Practices, Painting and Drawing, Printmaking, and Sculpture.

Pratt’s MFA in Fine Arts is a two-year, 60-credit program offering four areas of emphasis: Integrated Practices, Painting and Drawing, Printmaking, and Sculpture. The program combines sustained studio practice with individualized faculty mentorship, rigorous critique, critical and theoretical inquiry, interdisciplinary exchange, professional development, and opportunities for public presentation. Organized around a developmental sequence of studio courses, critique, Symposium, electives, Public Critique, and a culminating thesis exhibition and written thesis, the program supports students in developing intellectually ambitious, materially sophisticated, and critically independent artistic practices. While students receive focused mentorship within their chosen area, they are encouraged to experiment across disciplines and participate in the broader intellectual and creative life of the program. The MFA program is based at Dock 72 in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where students have individual studios and access to critique and exhibition spaces, fabrication shops, a Light Lab, Performance Lab, documentation resources, and shared production facilities. Its location connects students to New York City’s expansive community of artists, exhibitions, cultural institutions, and professional opportunities. Through close mentorship, critical dialogue, and sustained engagement with contemporary artistic practice, the Fine Arts Department prepares graduates to contribute meaningfully to artistic, scholarly, and societal discourse.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Chairperson and liaise with MFA area coordinators in planning MFA course schedules, course offerings, and faculty assignments.
• Schedule MFA Fine Arts courses.
• Develop MFA program outcomes assessment and curricular development with the Chairperson and faculty; attend graduate curriculum committee meetings.
• Advise MFA students on program requirements, course planning, program completion requirements and maintain MFA student records and email lists.
• Serve as liaison for MFA students between department faculty, students and the Learning / Access Center, the Student Care Coordinator, and Health / Counseling Services.
• Coordinate the MFA admissions process, attend information sessions, and participate in candidate interviews.
• Create and update prospective/accepted info packets.
• Coordinate MFA onboarding and orientation events with the Chairperson.
• Collaborate with the Chairperson in recruiting, selecting, and retaining faculty and staff for MFA programs.
• Coordinate MFA programming, including visiting artists for graduate critical reviews and graduate Thesis shows with Thesis faculty.
• Collaborate with MFA program technicians and facilities managers on shop equipment/facilities needs for graduate studios and shops.
• Oversee graduate assistant assignments and manage the graduate assistant budget.
• Oversee Pratt Artists League (PAL) graduate assistant leaders to ensure effective communication between administration and MFA cohort, generate community events and manage related resources.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Qualifications

• Education: MFA or equivalent in art, design, or a related discipline is required.
• Experience: At least two years of administrative experience is required; at least three years of academic or higher education administrative experience is preferred.

Skills

• Expertise in the practice and education of art and/or design; a strong track record of professional work in art and/or design is preferred.
• Excellent detail-oriented organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to develop rapport with a diverse faculty and student body.

Schedule

This is a 4-day per week, in-person, 12-month per year administrative appointment.