M.F.A. in Art
The School of Art offers a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree. The MFA degree requires 60 credits of coursework including a minimum of 15 credits of thesis. The Master of Fine Arts is a project based non-media specific curriculum that focuses on individual artist development and creative leadership. The program brings together talented individuals from a variety of different media, building a community that fosters exploration, professionalism and creative success. Projects based in all traditional fine art media along with environmental art, new media and installation can be accommodated.
The program is housed at the Melvin Graduate Studios. The School of Art does not offer a MFA degree in either graphic design or photography. Students applying to the School of Art must submit a portfolio of 20 digital images, online application, official transcripts, artist statement, current resume and three letters of recommendation, along with an artist statement or statement of intent; the GRE is not required. To learn more about applying for the MFA program, funding opportunities and more, please review the department website: http://art.montana.edu/mfa-program.html.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Knowledge and Understanding. • Ability to Research: This should address the student’s ability to research influences on their work, methodologies of production, cultural and critical thinking relevant to informing their practice, "the student's ability (via research) to reference other artists and styles." etc.
- Awareness of Historical & Contemporary Practices: This should address their awareness of histories of representation that their work sit’s within, similar contemporary practices that their work aligns with, etc.
- Section two: Studio Practice: Applied Knowledge and Understanding. Assimilation of Source Materials: This relates to how the student assimilates source materials into their practice, i.e., photography as source material into printmaking, drawing, painting. Found materials integrated into their work. Body of sketches assimilated into their painting etc.
- Development of Ideas: How well developed is the ideas evidenced through the production of their studio work, also possibly evidenced through a history of experimentation, risk taking in their studio practice.
- Practical Skills: This addresses how articulate they are with the specific mediums they are using, and how appropriate their medium is to the articulation of their ideas.
- Critical Awareness of Own Practice: What is the critical context they place their work or practice within, how well do they understand this? This is often evidenced through artist statements or discourse within critiques.
- Section three: Professional Practice. Organizational Skills: Time management of their projects, creation of a timeline, planning, arranging materials, facilities, etc.
- Communication and Presentation Skills: How articulate is the student about their work, how well do they understand their practice and their work. Evidence through artist statements, critiques and one-one tutorials.
- Finishing and installation of work, evidenced through exhibitions, performances, and installation. How appropriate is the stabilization of the final work(s), remember meaning is derived through context, how appropriate is the contextualization of the final work(s). The final artwork needs to be able to function autonomously.
Program Requirements
| Studio credits (ARTZ 505- ARTZ 530) courses can include | 18 | |
| Painting | ||
| Ceramics | ||
| Metalsmithing | ||
| Drawing | ||
| Printmaking | ||
| Sculpture | ||
| Intermedia | ||
| 2 Art History courses (ARTH 4xx level or above) | 6 | |
| ARTH 451 | Contemporary Art, 1945-1990 | 3 |
| ARTZ 500 | MFA Caucus | 12 |
| ARTZ 594 | Seminar | 6 |
| ARTZ 590 | Master's Thesis | 15 |
| Total Credits | 60 | |