The Master of Public Art Studies Program (Curatorial Practices in the Public Sphere) at the University of Southern California Roski School of Fine Arts in Los Angeles is a unique platform to research art, curatorial practices, and modes of cultural organizing in relation to the material/social conditions of public space, and the contemporary public sphere. The graduate program's interdisciplinary course of study encompasses seminars on curatorial practice & organizational methods, theory, critical writing, selected topics in art and architectural history, and directed research opportunities. Students gain a critical, historical and practical understanding of how artists, curators and organizers engage publics, communities and constituencies, in relation to the theoretical and pragmatic distinctions between public space and the public sphere.

There are two complementary elements of the two-year course of study in the MPAS Program: a curatorial practicum in which students collaborate on the development and organization of an exhibition project in public space; and the research and writing of a scholarly thesis. The program offers a unique context in which to investigate the work of curators, artists, organizers, writers, theorists, and architects in relation to city/urban-space and other territories, explore models of social collaboration & participation, and test out notions of situational engagement. The program supports students in their academic and professional development as curators, organizers, critics, theorists, and scholars. Fellowships and scholarships are available on a competitive basis.

A statement by the Director of the Program, Joshua Decter