Program Overview

Explore the expressive potential and social meaning of fiber materials with the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fibers and Materials Studies in the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University. The 126-credit program is a bold, interdisciplinary approach to the exploration of one of the world’s oldest and most accessible traditions: working with fibers. Through traditional techniques, such as weaving, sewing and embroidery, as well as the most contemporary digital technologies, students learn conceptual and technical skills that prepare them for focused, graduate-level study or a career in a variety of creative fields.

As a Fibers and Materials Studies major, you’ll join a close-knit, inclusive community led by a diverse faculty that pushes students to experiment and collaborate. You’ll contribute to vital discussions on history, identity, social issues and more. Through dynamic projects such as the annual Wearable Art Show, the Natural Dye Garden and the Queer Materials Lab—which focuses on a LGBTQIA+ discourse within the discipline—you’ll create exciting conversations with faculty members, visiting artists and fellow students.

Students are introduced to state-of-the-art equipment, including a Jacquard loom, multiharness floor looms and electronic looms, knitting machines, and embroidery machines. The program also offers digital printing, a fully equipped dye kitchen and screen-printing lab. Many students explore other mediums such as sculpture, video, performance and installation to enhance their artistic creativity and imagination in relation to the field of materials studies. Experimenting with materials and methods is encouraged as students develop their creative practices.

Students take full advantage of Philadelphia's vibrant fibers community and DIY scene and opportunities to engage global social challenges, working closely with professors to engage in community-based projects that challenge them as critical, reflective participants in a broader creative culture. These experiences prepare Fibers and Materials Studies majors to flourish in top graduate programs and production design careers in the visual arts.