M.F.A. in Media Art

The MFA in Media Art is a 64-credit program to be completed in six semesters (three years).

Students are admitted in the fall semester only and are required to attend the program full-time. Any extensions past three years must be petitioned to the Graduate Program Director. Students may not extend their matriculation in the MFA program past five years. Thirty students per year is the target enrollment for each year’s class. The Graduate Program Director will advise each entering student on their first-year course selection, taking into consideration their long-range professional goals.

During the first semester in the program, each student will select a faculty advisor from among the graduate faculty. The faculty advisor will serve as the student’s mentor and advisor throughout their matriculation in the program. Student’s will also select a final project chair to assist them with their thesis project work. Students intending to pursue academic careers, and who are serving as teaching assistants, are assigned a faculty teaching mentor. Select students are offered instructor positions after completing at least two years of the program. Faculty mentors aid in the preparation for teaching, including providing guidance in syllabus development, conducting classroom observations, and offering advice in dealing with specific course issues. In addition, students will be required to attend ongoing teaching workshops offered by the department faculty.

First-semester courses provide foundation knowledge in media studies and an introduction to writing and production skills. Students entering the program with an undergraduate degree in media production or a related field will be evaluated to determine if the student can waive foundation or introductory courses in the first semester. In such cases, additional course selections will be made in consultation with the Graduate Program Director to fulfill the degree requirements.

Beginning in the second semester each student will devise a plan of study, in consultation with their faculty advisor, that will provide a schedule of courses intended to prepare him or her for their final project. (For example, a student pursuing professional and artistic development as a documentary filmmaker will take History of Documentary seminar and Documentary Workshop courses.)

In the second year, students will complete the required courses Business of Modern Media and MFA Production Workshop.

The MFA curriculum requires the following courses:

Studies or theory courses are an integral component of quality MFA programs. MFA students must take VM 651 Narrative Studies; VM 652 Theories of Integrated Media; and an additional one or two elective studies courses. Electives are available at the 500- and 600-level (listed below are 600-level Studies Electives). Students are limited to taking one 500-level course. Courses outside the department are can be taken only with the prior permission of the Graduate Program Director. All media studies courses at the 600-level, whether first-year or advanced courses, will be taught as seminars. Enrollment will not exceed fifteen students per section. Students in media studies courses will be instructed on research skills related to media studies and media production. Students will be expected to prepare oral presentations and lead discussions of the course materials under the direction of the faculty. Students will also write research papers for oral presentations and critiques by the seminar participants.

Writing for the media and production courses are the core of the student’s preparation for advanced media production work. Courses in screenwriting and production courses will be taught as workshops with 12-15 students per section. Students will present their creative work on a regular basis and engage in evaluation and critique in a workshop setting. A student’s plan of study will incorporate writing and production electives that will provide a depth of study in their area of production as well as further study in a second area of interest.

Electives

2nd Level Production Courses

3rd Level Production Courses

MFA Colloquium

All students must attend the MFA Colloquium every semester while in the program. The colloquium will provide a monthly gathering where students will present and discuss their ongoing creative work. The MFA Colloquium will also provide an opportunity for MFA students to interact with industry professionals, media artists and faculty in both formal and informal settings. The colloquium is intended to build a community of students across the program, regardless of year and area of interest, and is vital to the development of media artists.

MFA Production Workshop

Starting in the third semester, the MFA Production Workshop is the source of advanced production training and experimentation. MFA students with different interests and goals register in a manner that creates a convergent production environment in the tradition of art school studio teaching models. Course content is determined by the needs and interests of the class. Technical training is ongoing. Faculty and student critiques of works in progress are intense and continuous.

The MFA Production Workshop will be an intensive workshop for second year MFA students to concentrate on the main body of their artistic output. Students will present their own work and critique the work of others, as well as work on their current projects. The course will be centered on the self-directed production schedule and the collaborative nature of critique typical of an MFA program. This is a key component of the proposed MFA curriculum, one that supports students in producing an ongoing body of artistic work within a supportive creative community.

The course will be taken both in the fall and spring by second-year MFA students, and the fall semester in the final, third year.

Portfolio Review

At the end of each year in the program, each student participates in a formal portfolio review by the Graduate Program Director and a committee of at least four additional department faculty members who teach in the MFA program, as well as outside professionals. Any interested students and faculty may attend and participate. Students present completed works and/or works in progress. Following the portfolio review, the student crafts a response to the review, noting strengths and weaknesses in his/her own work. In consultation with the Graduate Program Director, the student plans the coming year’s coursework in a manner that addresses any weaknesses noted. The members of the Portfolio Review Committee determine each student’s suitability for continuance, reserving the right to rule that a student be withdrawn from the program. The Committee may also rule that a student be continued for one additional semester, at the end of which another portfolio review will occur.

The Graduate Program Director coordinates a public screening of MFA works for the year after candidates have completed their thesis projects. The public screening also includes a question and answer session. The public screening is the last requirement to fulfill for the MFA and will serve as a celebration of the students’ achievements.