History and Facts

Our mission is to operate a school of graduate studies providing education in philosophy, aesthetics, art theory, and similar disciplines related to the visual arts. The mission includes the provision of doctoral studies to holders of the MFA or the master’s degree in a related field, the conferring of PhD degrees, and otherwise providing education and training related to the arts.

History

  • 2006 - the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts is founded
  • 2007 - IDSVA is granted authority by the State of Maine to confer the PhD in Visual Arts. Inaugural classes are convened.
  • 2010 - IDSVA is granted Candidacy Status for Accreditation by the Commission on Institutes of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
  • 2015 - IDSVA is granted initial accreditation by NEASC.
  • 2019 – IDSVA is granted full accreditation by the New England Commission of Higher Education (formerly NEASC).

George Smith is the founding president of IDSVA.

Important statistics about IDSVA students

Each cohort is made up of approximately fifteen students, for a total of 45 students in the course of study. Additionally, another 45 students are writing dissertations.
The student body is:

35% male;
65% female;
12% Hispanic/Latino;
2% Asian; and
20% Black or African-American.

The average retention rate for 1st-year students continuing on to the 2nd year is 84%. The graduation rate at 10 years is 59%. The persistence rate at 10 years is 75%. The cohort default rate on federal student loans is 0% for each of the past three years.