The Department of Visual and Media Arts offers the Master of Fine Arts degree in Film and Media Art. This program provides students with the opportunity to develop as creative professionals and media artists, working with image and sound to entertain, inform, persuade, and challenge, using both traditional and emergent media forms. Students develop an understanding of the disciplines of film, video, audio, and interactive and multimedia production, bringing this understanding to bear on works of film and media art. Students study the history, theory, and critical discourse that provide the foundation of their work, so as to understand the context of their creative output and be able to evaluate its effectiveness. Students have the opportunity to acquire specialized skills, demanded by the collaborative nature of much production work. Cultivating the creative vision of each student is the primary focus of the program.
The MFA in Film and Media Art is a terminal degree for students who wish to pursue careers as media production professionals and artists, and/or who want to teach at the college or university level. Students are able to explore a variety of media production genres-narrative fiction, documentary, experimental, web-based interactive, multimedia installations-with a degree program that provides foundational knowledge in the use of media technologies, criticism and theory, and in media business, while offering a set of courses of advanced training and mentorship in their specific area of interest.
Following are the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for the Film and Media Art program:
- Students will develop a body of media artwork that demonstrates originality and intellectual and/or emotional sophistication.
- Students’ work will demonstrate a level of technical expertise appropriate for their level of experience.
- Students will demonstrate, through the work or their articulation of its context, an understanding of the theoretical and historical context in which their work exists, including, but not limited to, the importance of diverse perspectives and experiences when envisioning their work as artists and professionals.
- Students will demonstrate, through the work or their articulation of its context, an understanding and willingness to embrace the convergent reality of the media art field.
MFA portfolio reviews are required in the first and second years and will be evaluated by the faculty according to the rubric developed from the outcomes.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the MFA program is selective. A committee of departmental faculty members will make all admission decisions. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of high-quality creative work and a strong academic record, though not necessarily in media production. The candidate needs to show evidence of high motivation, artistic promise, and the ability to work independently.
The following are required for admission:
- Portfolio of media or other creative work (e.g., films, videos, interactive works, music performance and/or composition, painting, sculpture, photography, theatre design are preferred; other supplemental materials might include screenplays or other substantive creative writing samples or scholarly work). Additional material may be requested.
- A baccalaureate degree or equivalent for international students. Transcript required.
- An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.• TOEFL scores of at least 95, for those students whose first language is not English.
- A statement describing the applicant’s creative process and the expected trajectory of the applicant’s artistic work.
- At least three letters of recommendation. Letters should refer to creative and academic abilities and be from individuals whose expertise qualifies them to recommend to a terminal degree program.
After the admission dossier is reviewed, an applicant with a BFA in media production, a previous graduate degree in a related field, or significant professional experience may be admitted with Advanced Standing in the program.
Degree Requirements
The Master of Fine Arts in Film and Media Art requires the successful completion of 64 credit hours, including 8 credit hours for completion of the MFA thesis project. Students must matriculate full time. The expected schedule is 12 credits per semester for the first four semesters and 8 credits in the fifth and sixth semesters. Students are expected to complete the degree requirements within three years. Students may not extend their matriculation in the MFA program past five years.
The MFA Colloquium meets three times each semester and all matriculating MFA students are required to attend.