SMFA students pursue BFA, MFA or MAT degrees through a collaboration with Tufts University. They are students of both institutions, taking studio art classes with SMFA faculty and academic courses with Tufts faculty. All degrees are granted through Tufts University.

The Department of Visual and Critical Studies is composed of Tufts faculty who teach art history, cultural studies and English courses on the SMFA campus. These Tufts courses are specifically designed to engage visual thinkers and to encourage students to draw connections between the study of the discipline and their own artmaking.

The Visual and Critical Studies faculty teach a range of courses in art history and critical cultural studies. Faculty in the English program teach courses in literature, critical cultural reading, film and creative writing. In additon, the department supports the Writing Center, where students can drop in or make appointments to work with faculty on outlining, editing and polishing essays and creative writing.

Students in the BFA program also have the opportunity to engage in issues in visual studies and literature within departments and program on the Tufts campus, including the Department of Art + Art History, the English Department, and the International Letters and Visual Studies Program within the Department German, Russian, + Asian Languages and Literature.